In our latest Summer food article barbecue season is upon us with the unique taste of Irish meat.
And for good reason – on average 95% of the animals’ diet is made up of fresh or harvested grass. In addition, the animals benefit from 220 days of grazing per year and they travel an average distance of 50km between the farm and the slaughterhouse.
Top tips for a successful barbecue:
- To give your meat a uniquely rich aroma, sprinkle the charcoal with bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, or even tea leaves, before grilling.
- Avoid using a fork to turn your meat on the grill as much as possible so the meat will not lose all its juice. Instead, use spatulas or tongs to handle it.
- Using skewers? You can soak your wooden skewers for 15 minutes in port, wine, beer, tea or even meat marinade to prevent them from burning or breaking during the cooking.
- Avoid turning your skewers too much as they will lose all their flavour. Turn them over just once for best results.
- When cooking red meat, do not add any salt until just before serving. Salt tends to make the food lose its juices, and the result is dry meat.
- Once your meat is cooked, you can let it rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the heat to spread throughout the meat. For a larger piece of meat, this resting time can be up to 20 minutes.
Bord Bia Teriyaki beef skewers
Bord Bia Teriyaki beef skewers
Ingredients:
- 500g sirloin steak
- 1 red onion
- 200ml dark soy sauce
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 50ml cup sesame oil
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp sweet sherry
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- Sliced green onions, for garnish
- Skewers
Preparation:
- Cut the steak into one inch cubes. Cut the red onion into large chunks and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, vegetable oil, sugar, ginger and sweet sherry. Add the steak and toss to coat in marinade. Marinate for 3 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the barbecue to medium high heat. Thread the meat and the red onion onto the skewers. Grill for 8-10 minutes until the meat is done to desired liking.More information: www.bordbia.ie
