FOOD HOW WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR STEAK PREPARED?

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR STEAK PREPARED?

by Monique MacDonald

Barbecue season, is there really such a thing in Alberta? In our house, “BBQ” season is 365 days long, sometimes, if we are lucky, 366. How can it not be when we raise some of the world’s best cattle? Not surprisingly, Alberta has the most cattle in Canada. Alberta’s feeder cattle (steers and heifers for feeding or slaughter) accounted for 59.6% of the national total, while its beef breeding stock (beef cows and heifers for beef herd replacement) accounted for 42.3%. ( Statistics Canada May 10, 2017 )

“Barbecue is the good old technique of people making a fire and putting some stuff over the top.” - Graham Elliot

I am not the barbecue chef in our household but am slowly improving. I used to ruin lovely cuts of meat, dry chicken to cardboard consistency and turn pork into wood chunks. I have learned THE best trick or BBQ rule of thumb for a successful end result: Use a meat thermometer! This little gadget will show you the exact temperature so you know exactly when it is done to your liking. Who knew? My husband does all these calculations and sets the timer. It works for him. But me? I now just go out with my meat temperature taking gadget and voila! I just need to watch the rise of the temperature and remove the meat at the right time.

“Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.” - Anthony Bourdain

There is, of course, much more to a perfect BBQ than temperature. Wanting to find out more about this much beloved method of cooking, I looked high and low for an expert on this topic. My search led me to Russell Bird, one of the co-owners of You Need A BBQ in Sherwood Park. I asked him all the necessary questions and then some to ensure that you and I would be well prepared to WOW and impress all those who might partake, Covid restrictions permitting, of the fruits of our BBQ labours.

Love is in the air. No wait, it’s BBQ. Nevermind.” - Unknown

First, I wanted to know how he became interested in all things BBQ and why he opened You Need a BBQ (YNABBQ) in Sherwood Park. “I’ve always loved barbecuing and smoking meat, since I was a little kid I loved to throw simple things like burgers and dogs on the BBQ. There is something special about cooking outside over fire that’s very primal that I just fell in love with.

Sherwood Park made the most sense to open YNABBQ because that is where I live and where my other business The Promo Addict is located. When we first opened the BBQ shop, it was running out of the warehouse for The Promo Addict, but then as it expanded in 2020 we expanded our space and moved the Promo Addict upstairs so that YNABBQ could take over the whole space.

Looking for a recommendation on two brands of BBQ’s, I asked Bird his opinion on this. He recommends the Pitboss Grills as they are “relatively inexpensive and can do everything that higher priced grills can do”. He also mentioned the Louisiana Grills. They are a little more premium but have a larger fire pot which “can get about 100 degrees hotter for grilling”.

We own a gas BBQ that is hooked to a gas line on our balcony. Our Condo does not allow the use of propane appliances. Some people prefer gas to propane. Honestly, I do not know the difference. I must admit that I do like the smokey taste that meat would get on the Hibachis of my childhood. Which is Bird’s preference? Charcoal, gas or propane? “Wood Pellet Grills is our specialty, but if it has to be gas then I prefer propane because it burns 3 times hotter than natural gas”. As for that smokey flavour, YNABBQ sells a product called a smoking maze. If you can’t get your hands on some, Bird suggests wrapping wood chips in foil and throwing them on the BBQ. Let them smoulder on there while you cook your meat of choice.

“BBQ because you can’t live a full life on an empty stomach” - Unknown

Which leads me to the most important question. Which cuts of meat would Bird recommend as the best choice to BBQ and at what temperature should they be cooked at? Shish Kebabs: “As hot as your BBQ will go. If you are doing shish kebabs, I recommend not mixing your meats and vegetables because they are done at different temperatures. Instead make a whole skewer of meat and then a whole skewer of vegetables and so on.

Steak: Cowboy cut ribeye steak, reverse seared at 350 degrees to perfection, medium rare.

Roast: For this I would recommend a chuck roast because of its intense marbling and inexpensive price point. Take it to medium, around 135-140 degrees internal temperature

Chicken: 375 degrees for about 1 hour, make sure the internal temperature of the breasts is 165 internal before consuming

Pork: I love pork belly, take a look at our recipe for sticky Asian pork belly burnt ends on the You Need A BBQ website.

YNABBQ’s Black Gold New York Striploin Steaks

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup Spiceology Sasquatch Black Gold Rub • 2 tbsp Melted Butter • 4 each Striploin Steaks

INSTRUCTIONS AND PREPARATION

• Preheat the smoker or BBQ to 600 degrees or hotter. • Get your grill as hot as possible • Trim off any excess fat from the steaks • Season heavily with Black Gold Seasoning • Get the steaks on the grill for 2 minutes per side • Paint the steaks with melted butter on the final flip • When desired doneness is achieved, remove from grill • Paint with butter one more time • Rest for 5-10 minutes • Slice the steaks and serve

Monique MacDonald is a local culinary events organizer and food afficionado. She was one of the organizers of the Gluten Free Cravings Festival in Strathcona County, as well as Northern Bites Culinary Tours in Edmonton. She is presently the Culinary Events Coordinator for Silver Skate Festival and curator of its Celebrate Edmonton bags.