Fast Ed: Master the art of barbecuing steak

THIS week chef Ed Halmagyi talks about the best way to barbecue steak and he’s inclusive not exclusive when it comes to how well done it is. He also provides a recipe for rib eye with sweet potato chips.

Fast Ed says you are better off sharing a thick cut of meat with someone else than cooking a thin cut because it will be juicier. Picture: Spiro Rokos

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ITS official, summer is here.

Long hot days, clear blue water and the smell of meat on the grill. So to get you ready for your best barbecue season yet, here’s a few basic tips to help you master the art of steak.

1. You’re allowed to have your steak cooked however you like, but be an educated grill-master. Lean cuts such as eye fillet and striploin will dry out if overdone, while fattier cuts such as scotch fillet and rib eye can spend a little more time over the flame. Chat to your butcher about a cut that suits what you want to do.

2. Thicker cut steaks will stay juicier. You’re better off carving one well-proportioned piece of beef between two people, than serving individual thin steaks that are dry or tough.

3. Use as little oil as possible. Liquid oils become acrid when charred, while natural meat fat remains sweet. Your steak won’t stick, provided your barbecue is hot enough to start with. Remember, you want that distinctive sizzle when it hits the grill.

Fast Ed Halmagyi says you need to turn your meat regularly because it reduces cooking time.

4. A little bit of salt is good for flavour, and helps you digest the protein found in red meat, but leave the pepper until after cooking. Pepper is best used as a condiment.

5. Always cook steak on the grill, never the flat-plate. Meat needs the ambient heat of an open grill to cook evenly. On a flat-plate, only the contact points are truly hot, meaning a large part of the beef is steaming, not grilling.

6. Keep on turning. Plenty of people will talk about a 6-2-2 technique, or that they only turn the steak once. Unfortunately, science says otherwise. Beef has low thermal mass, and loses its heat readily. Repetitive turning keeps the temperature higher, which in turn reduces cooking time.

7. Don’t forget to rest. Steak should be set aside in a warm, but not hot, place for one-quarter of its total cooking time.

BARBECUED RIB EYE WITH SWEET POTATO CHIPS

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1. . 2 medium sweet potatoes
2. . 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3. . Sea salt flakes and freshly-milled black pepper
4. . 4 x 300g rib eye cutlets
5. . Cooking oil spray
6. . ¼ bunch parsley leaves, finely chopped
7. . Aioli, pesto and lemon wedges, to serve

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