 Barbecue myths: The truth
Barbecuing can be as simple as throwing burgers onto a hot grill and removing them ten minutes later - but sometimes things are a little more complicated.
Burners to max or keep the temperature low? Season before, after or during cooking? It's hard enough, but it seems everywhere you look you get conflicting answers.
Time then to address a few barbecue myths that have had budding barbie chefs scratching their heads for years.
The Claim: "Steaks should never be left pink in the middle"
The Reason: "It's a health risk!"
True? No!
This is a totally understandable argument, after all, if you were to serve up chicken that was even slightly tinged with pink colour, your guests would run a mile. However, while it's understandable, it's also flawed.
Bacteria affects the insides of meats like pork and poultry, and subsequently these meats have to be thoroughly cooked through to kill off all the organisms. With beef steaks, things are a little different - the bacteria only attacks the outer layers, and not the inner flesh. Essentially then, as long as the outside is cooked thoroughly, you can leave the middle as pink as you like it.
Be warned though, burgers and other processed beef products DO have to be cooked right through. The outer layers mix with inner layers during production - which means bacteria can get right into the middle of the food. Only thorough cooking can eliminate it!
For more information visit the Food Standards Agency website
The Claim: " You should always prick sausages before cooking"
The Reason: "Prevents the sausages bursting"
True? No!
A common misconception - but in actual fact, many barbecuers view the pricking of a sausage as sacrilege!
Why? Well, because although pricking the sausage allows fat to run out, it also allows the flavour to escape. It undeniably makes for a lower-fat sausage, and perhaps when you are using cheaper sausages, which can be too full of fat from the word go, pricking is not such a sin.
But a good, quality sausage should not be attacked with a fork until it's cooked and on your plate ready to eat!
The Claim: "You should never turn meat with a knife or fork"
The Reason: "The meat loses vital juices"
True? Absolutely!
If you want to get the best out of your barbecue, you have to use the right equipment - and that means using a good pair of tongs to turn.
Prodding a knife or fork into your steaks and burgers only serves to let delicious juices run out straight into the drip tray.
The Claim: "Charcoal barbecues give better taste"
The Reason: "Gas doesn't leave that chargrilled flavour"
True? No!
It's a point that's been addressed many times in the past - but we feel it's a point worth reiterating.
That delicious, smoky flavour you get from barbecuing has little or nothing to do with charcoal.
It occurs when juices from the meat drip down onto the heat source and then vaporise back up onto the meat. Whether that heat source is charcoal or a gas burner makes no difference.
So barbecuing on gas is quicker, easier, more controllable and tastes just as good as cooking on charcoal - if you're not cooking on gas yet, why not?!
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