Infallible grill hacks: how to start the fire, what is the best cut of meat and more

The passion for grills It is growing among Peruvians. But before becoming a teacher, we are beginners. A series of knowledge and skills are needed to take advantage of this art properly. In this note, meat and grill experts give us their suggestions to start entering this world.

There is not just one type of grill, there is something for everyone and they have different characteristics. Vanessa Muriher, known on social networks as @mujerdecarbon, has a preference for this type since it allows generating a smoky flavor in meats. “It also involves some demand, from the beginning to lighting the coal and keeping it lit. “It is an ancestral management of fire,” she says.

“This does not mean that other grills are not good,” emphasizes the fire and kamado specialist certified by Le Cordon Bleu Perú. She explains that the electric grill is very practical due to its size. It is ideal for kitchens or small spaces, providing meals for 2 to 3 people. In addition, it heats homogeneously.

While Dessy Salinas recommends a kamado, of Japanese origin, whose body and lid are made of a ceramic layer which allows it to reach high temperatures. It also has a controlled draft (or air and smoke flow system), which allows you to control the temperature inside. “It will be used for everything: cooking meats, mushrooms, making pizza. It is very versatile,” she notes. Due to its size (there are 15 inches and serves 3 people), it is perfect for small spaces and does not generate as much smoke.

This type of grill is one of the most popular and doubts about how to light it remain. Salinas, executive chef at La Cabrera, emphasizes the importance of obtaining good quality charcoal. Its main characteristics are crystallinity and crystallization: “if you cut it, it should look like glass on the inside.” Then he follows the quantity: try to have a stock of no less than three bags.

Now, all charcoal bags come with cartridges to start the fire. Muriher advises forming a small mountain – but not completely closed – with the pieces of charcoal. By maintaining open spaces, oxygen will enter there and help it catch fire faster.

“To maintain uniform heat, wait for the charcoal to ignite and reach the embers. That is, you watch a white movie. Add the charcoal as it dies out so that the new one lights up,” he explains.

If you don’t have a lighter, use a piece of paper towel with oil. Build, as in the previous case, a little mountain with open spaces and you will see how it catches on.

How do you know if the temperature is appropriate? The chef recommends bringing your hand closer (without actually touching): if you hold it for 5 seconds, the grill is medium-rare; If you only hold it for 3 seconds the fire is ready.

Vanessa Muriher’s favorite cuts are: the picaña, the wide steak and the entrail. “You have to think about which cuts are selected because there are cuts that cook long and quickly,” she explains.

When talking about these three, we would start with the picaña (long cooking): “the first thing is to seal, for a few minutes, on the fat side. You seal on the other side, separate and put it on indirect heat.”

Continue with the steak (seasoned with salt and pepper or sauces) and finally the entrails (with 4 minutes on each side it is sealed). “So that the meat does not dry out, sealing over strong, direct heat is important. This will cause a scab to form that prevents liquids from coming out. Depending on the type of meat, direct or indirect cooking will be done. [en el primer caso, la carne tiene contacto directo con las brasas]”, he maintains.

For its part, La Cabrera recommends the roast, the steak, the beef eye, the entrail and the chorizo ​​steak. The popular “barbecue cuts”; that is, the central part of the animal. For seasoning – which can be given before or during preparation – they suggest salt, pepper and nutmeg.

As an extra note: leave the meat out of the freezer 20 minutes before cooking to balance it.

This will depend on each person’s taste, but the fire and kamado specialist recommends between 250 gr. and 350 gr. per person (raw meat).

However, Dessy Salinas considers that it can reach 500 gr. per person since, during cooking, minerals and liquids are lost.

There is a whole variety of vegetables that are good grilled. At Muriher’s top are the asparagus that he prepares like this: “for 2 minutes I put them in olive oil with salt, pepper and some herbs (oregano, thyme or rosemary). You leave them for a touch and then put them on the grill. They have to come out al dente.”

Salinas gives us two other recipes. The first, confit garlic with a proportion of ½ kg. of sugar and 1 kg. of garlic. You add the sugar to the raw garlic, put it on the coals and wait for it to turn into syrup. Then you spread it on the bread and it looks like a cream. The second: a macre squash (the head has previously been cut off, the seeds removed and channels made inside with a fork) to which provoleta cheese with mozzarella and creams is added. Everything is mixed on top of the grill and wrapped in aluminum foil until ready.

Likewise, mushrooms, peppers stuffed with meat and white onion (cut into rings and seasoned) are well grilled.

What other garnishes can accompany the barbecue? Grilled potatoes, mashed potatoes, salads, mushroom sauces, corn with butter… It depends on taste.

For the chef at La Cabrera, safety is essential, which is why he recommends having: a cap, a face mask, a jacket, a good apron and easy-to-remove footwear. In addition, he has tweezers, a board, gloves and a sharp knife.