There are many things to love about summer - certainly one of the most enjoyable is being able to get out of the kitchen and onto the terrace or garden, or even during a longer hike in nature to bake delicacies for lunch and dinner. Gábor Szepesi, the corporate chef of The Club Avalon, gave some great tips for those who decide to try charcoal grilling, which is the surest guarantee that after a gathering with friends or family, they will not only remember the good atmosphere, but also the quality of the prepared food. back to the lucky participants.

Purity:

Make sure to always put meat or vegetables on a clean grill grate. Either scrub it before lighting it (preferably with chemical-free cleaning agents), or burn off the dirt on the grill at a very high temperature.

Ignition:

If your grill is full of ash left over from the previous grilling, you should definitely clean it, primarily because of the proper air flow. Then fill your grill with charcoal and, if there is enough space, create at least two heat zones. We can achieve this by piling more charcoal in one half of our grill than in the other: this is necessary to help our grilling. Lighting is never done with chemicals. Use an electric grill lighter, maybe a simple hot air blower will do, or a grill lighter chimney. This way, the taste of burnt chemicals will not be felt on meats and vegetables.

The right temperature:

The creation of heat zones greatly facilitates our work. After lighting, you don't need anything else but patience: you have to let our charcoal burn down. Once this has been done, grilling can begin: we place our meat in the stronger heat zone. After we get a nice fried crust, we move the meat to the quieter part, where we can finish the cooking. In this way, the meat slices do not burn, but they can be cooked properly, and at the same time, the rest also takes place.

Basic materials:

It is very important to choose the right ingredients, use only fresh and high-quality ingredients for grilling.

Pickling/not pickling:

Some people believe that meat should be marinated days before grilling, while others say it is forbidden. In this matter, I choose the golden mean: there are meats that benefit from marinating (pork ribs, chicken wings, etc.), and there are those that I never marinate (steak). There is one basic rule for sure, steaks should never be smeared with mustard!

Rest:

All meat should be allowed to rest after roasting, as the fibers of the meat are stretched during roasting, which is why we can feel that they are hard to the touch. If you have the opportunity, create a zone on your grill where there are no embers under your grate, and drag the meat you want to rest there. If this is not possible, put the prepared food on a plate and cover it with aluminum foil. After resting, the fibers of the meat relax, and you will feel this to the touch. If we consider that we are done, it is worth returning the meat to the highest heat zone for a so-called second "crushing". This means only 5-5 seconds per page at a very high temperature.

Garnishes:

It is worth paying attention to the fact that by the time the meat is ready, the side dishes are also ready for consumption. If you want a cold salad/mayonnaise salad with the meat, prepare it well in advance, and if you also want to grill the side dish, time it so that it is prepared at the same time as the meat.

Serving:

It is important not to just toss the finished dishes on the plate, but always try to serve them aesthetically. Remember that we always "start" eating with our eyes, the sight is just as important as the taste itself.

Annual:

When we are done with everything, let's relax, enjoy the prepared food and good company

Cleaning:

It is worth cleaning the grill the next day, when it has cooled down, so that there is no need for lengthy preparation the next time.

Corporate chef Gábor Szepesi's homemade The Club Avalon BBQ sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 l tomato juice
  • 1 bottle (150 ml) Worchester sauce
  • 0.8 l apple juice
  • 0.6 l of apple cider vinegar
  • 0.1 l hot sauce
  • 0.1 l soy sauce
  • 0.5 l brown beer
  • 0.2 kg of brown sugar
  • 0.2 kg tomato puree
  • 0.1 kg bbq spice mix
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • Salt

Preparation:

We measure all the ingredients in a pot of the right size, and cook them to a slightly thinner ketchup consistency. We will add flavor if necessary. The sauce should be a little too sweet and too sour at the same time.

Those who would like to personally watch the chef at work and learn some well-proven tactics should visit The Club Avalon, which will welcome guests with a renewed image and gastronomic offer in 2023. In addition to classic dishes such as Caesar salad or goulash soup, the menu also includes dishes full of exciting flavors such as Asian broth, grilled cauliflower steak, THE CLUB burger, the most popular of the street food section, or BBQ pork with a real classic lecho .

Source: hirado.hu

Front page image: Illustration / Meat is grilled at the Gourmet festival at Millenáris in Budapest on June 3, 2023.
MTI/Zoltán Balogh