FIRE up those grills

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This article was published 25/04/2018 (2997 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With snow still stubbornly clinging to our lawns as late as last week, it’s hardly felt like barbecue weather.

More like soup weather.

But a tardy change of season doesn’t slow down John Thomson, Canadian National BBQ Champion, multi-time winner of national and international championships with his team Eatapedia, and former president of the Canadian BBQ Society.

He’s also an in-demand pitmaster teacher and, for our purposes, all-season “tip-master.”

“As a Canadian, I think all seasons are barbecue season, so all of my tips apply year-round,” says Thomson.

“I can share my three most important tips now.”

— Always start with quality meat.

“I buy AAA beef because it is simply superior with a perfect amount of marbling,” he says. “When you start with the best ingredients, making amazing dishes is just much easier.”

(Thomson says he is prefers meat products without antibiotics or hormones, so he buys “PC Free From” meats at Real Canadian Superstore)

— Brine your meats to keep them juicy.

“Wet-brining is the most common method of ensuring meats stay moist and juicy during a cook, but I am also a fan of a method called dry-brining,” he says.

He says the same principle applies with both methods. Salt draws moisture up from the meat, which is then mixed with the salt and then re-absorbed back into the meat. The ions in the salt reshape the meat proteins in a process called denaturing. The newly shaped proteins have a greater ability to retain moisture, and meats treated this way are more juicy.

“You only need about a 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt per side of your steak,” he says.

“Just sprinkle that salt on and put your meat on a wire rack in the fridge for 2 hours and you are ready to go.

“No need to brush off the salt, as it has since been absorbed into the meat.”

— Grill to perfection.

Thomson says most people grill a steak by putting it on the hot grill over the heat source, sear it to lock in the juices, then move it to an area of the grill without direct heat to finish it off. He does the opposite: reverse sear.

“I start with my steaks away from the heat, and slowly bring them up to about 110 degrees (Fahrenheit) internal temperature,” he says.

“I finish them off by searing them on the hot grill, over the heat source.”

He says this allows the meat proteins to slowly come up to temperature without “panicking” the proteins.

“This results in a tender piece of meat that is unparalleled,” he says.

Thomson says you have to start with a good cut of meat. Here’s how he buys.

Beef: marbling is the most important.

“You want that fat inside the meat so it can melt away and moisturize your meat as it cooks. Fat is flavour, don’t shy away from it!” he says.

Size matters.

“To help with even cooking across the cut and to ensure the meat/rub ratio is what you want, look for cuts that are of a consistent thickness,” he says.

Age matters.

Thomson prefers AAA beef aged for 14 days in-store.

“Dry-aged beef is typically more tender and has a stronger beef flavour to it,” he says.

Chicken and pork:

“Marbling is also something I look for when buying pork, but its less important in chicken,” he says.

“Consistency in the thickness of the cuts will help with an even cook, especially if you wet-brine these meats, as I recommend.”

He suggests four litres (one gallon) of cold water, 150 ml (2/3 cup) of kosher salt and 125 ml (1/2 cup) brown sugar is a simple and effective brine.

“Feel free to add flavours too, such as cardamom seeds, star anise, herbs, maple syrup, garlic… experiment and have fun!” he says.

Now in his ninth year in competition, Thomson he says he first got into barbecuing and competition first by experimenting with pork ribs on a small wood-pellet smoker.

“I made ribs every weekend for months until I thought I had a solid rack of ribs, then entered a local amateur competition thinking: What’s the worst that can happen?” he says.

“Well, I won first place — a second smoker — and I was hooked.”

In September 2017, Thomson was named grand champion at a large event in New Jersey.

“This was my first major win in the U.S., and that made me especially proud, as a Canadian,” he says.

“I beat all those American teams, which is like the Americans coming up here and beating us at hockey!”

It’s not all competitive gold, though. Occasionally a little brass comes his way.

“The worst thing that has ever happened to me, was being disqualified at a major barbecue competition for being 17 seconds late with my chicken entry — I was crushed,” he says.

“A good friend told me there are two kinds of barbecue teams: those who have been disqualified, and those who haven’t been disqualified yet, so dust off, learn from it and get back on that horse.”

Thomson says he now meticulously plans all his cooks and he’s never been late since.

But he doesn’t complicate things, either — he says keep it simple: The best-tasting barbecue is one that allows you to really taste and appreciate the meats.

“We don’t need seven different rubs and three sauces and glazes to make great barbecue,” he says.

“I use simple recipes that enhance the meat, not overpower it: my standard SPG (salt, pepper, garlic) rub, is a great way to do just that.

“It is also a solid base rub that you can build upon with other flavours, like thyme, rosemary, cumin, smoked paprika… be experimental with what you have in your pantry, and have fun while you do it!”

Below are some of Thomson’s recipes. 

Grilled AAA Strip Loin with Garlic Herb Compound Butter

AAA steaks are dry-brined with my go-to SPG (salt, pepper, garlic) rub and then grilled to medium rare. On the cutting board, add a generous knob of herbed compound butter. As the butter melts over the hot steak, slice and serve.

Makes: 3 servings. 

Prep time: 2 hours, 30 minutes. Cook time: 10 minutes. 

Ingredients

Meat: 3 AAA strip loin steaks, 3/4” thick

Steak Rub (SPG): 60 ml (4 tbsp) of kosher salt

15 ml (1 tbsp) of coarse ground pepper

30 ml (2 tbsp) of granulated garlic

Compound butter: 125 ml (1/2 cup) of butter, unsalted

2 ml (1/2 tsp) of salt

1 ml (1/4 tsp) of black pepper

1 clove of minced garlic

45 ml (3 tbsp) fresh chopped parsley

30 ml (2 tbsp) fresh chopped rosemary

30 ml (2 tbsp) fresh chopped sage

Combine compound butter ingredients and mix well. Roll into a log using plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a minimum 2 hours.

Combine steak rub ingredients and mix well.

Apply a light layer of the steak rub to both sides of the steak. (2 ml or ½ tsp per side)

Allow steaks to rest and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.

2 hours later

Remove butter from the fridge and slice 1-cm (½-inch) rounds.

Allow butter to come to room temperature before cooking steaks.

Over direct high heat, sear steaks for 2 minutes on each side

Remove steaks away from direct heat and continue cooking, indirectly, for another 2-3 minutes on each side.

Cook until medium-rare when steaks reach 60 C (140 F).

Remove and rest on a plate. Place 1 slice of compound butter on host steak and let melt.

Slice and serve!

Grilled Chili Lime Chicken

These delicious, juicy chicken breasts are marinated for 3-4 hours and then grilled. Once cooked, slice and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and green onions.

Makes: 4 servings

Prep time: 4 hours, 15 minutes. Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Meat: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Marinade:

45 ml (3 tbsp) of pure olive oil

45 ml (3 tbsp) of chopped green onions

2 cloves of garlic

20 ml (4 tsp) of the juice of 2 fresh limes

15 ml (1 tbsp) of grated lime rind

15 ml (1 tbsp) of chili powder

15 ml (1 tbsp) of fresh chopped cilantro

Salt and black pepper to taste

Combine marinade ingredients and mix well. Add chicken breasts. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

Remove chicken breasts from marinade.

Grill at medium-high, indirect heat for 6-8 minutes per side or until chicken breasts reach 85 C (185 F) internal temperature.

Garnish with leftover cilantro and green onions. Serve.

Twitter: @WendyKinginWpg

BONUS RECIPE FOR ONLINE SUBSCRIBERS

Rosemary-Rubbed Pork Chops

Pork chops are first wet-brined with fresh rosemary. Prior to cooking, I season with my go-to SPG (salt, pepper, garlic) rub, adding rosemary. Grill and slice to serve.

Makes: 6 servings

Prep time: 4 hours, 15 minutes. Cook time: 10 minutes

Ready in: 4 hours, 25 minutes

Ingredients

Meat: 6 pork loin chops centre-cut boneless, 1-cm (1/2-inch) thick

Pork brine:

4 litres (1 gallon) of cold water

175 ml (3/4 cup) of kosher salt

150 ml (2/3 cup) of brown sugar

4-6 sprigs of fresh rosemary to garnish

Pork rub:

60 ml (4 tbsp) of kosher salt

15 ml (1 tbsp) of coarse ground pepper

30 ml (2 tbsp) of granulated garlic

60 ml (4 tbsp) of finely-chopped fresh rosemary

A few sprigs of fresh rosemary to garnish

Combine pork brine ingredients and mix well. Add pork loin chops. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Remove chops from brine and pat dry. Combine pork rub ingredients and mix well.

Apply a medium-light coat of the pork rub to both sides of the chop 2 ml (1/2 tsp) per side)

Sear chops over direct high heat for 2 minutes on each side.

Move chops away from direct heat and continue cooking, indirectly, for another 2-3 minutes on each side.

Chops are ready when they reach 63 C (145 F) in the thickest part.