JP McMahon: Smoke out those meaty flavours

When we grill or fry something over a high heat, we do so to achieve a better flavour and colour for the meat. It used to be thought that this process “sealed in the juices” but this myth is now widely debunked.

When we char meat we produce what is called the Maillard reaction, which is the exposure of protein to heat, resulting in amino acids reacting with sugar to create complex flavours and aromas. This is why we love barbecued meat. It gives off rich smells which make us hungry.

Usually, tender cuts of meat, such as fillet, loin and rump, are cooked on a high heat for a short period and tougher cuts such as leg, belly and neck, are cooked low and slow. Either way, it is important to rest meat for a minimum of five minutes after taking it off the heat. Contrary to popular belief, the temperature of meat will increase by five degrees Celsius after removing it from the heat.

You must allow meat to rest and relax, to keep it moist. When you cut rested meat, you don’t lose all those lovely juices.

The best way to grill something is to start off on a high heat and then lower it. If you are using a solid fuel barbecue, make sure you locate a cooler spot on the cooking surface, over hot ash rather than flames, to cook on.

This will allow the heat to pass through the meat without burning it. If you have a gas barbecue, keep the flame high on one side and low-medium on the other.

Controlling the heat is vital in order to stop the meat drying out. There’s no point having a beautiful charred outside and an awful, dry inside.

The same goes for smoking. High heat to start with, then lower it right down. You can pick up domestic smokers in most camping shops. We purchased the small (12in x 6in) stove-top smoker we use in Aniar online from MSK (msk-ingredients.com).

You can also purchase a small smoking gun with which you can lightly smoke your already barbecued, or about to be barbecued meat.

This is great for outdoor smoking. I recently smoked lamb shoulder with the gun before grilling slowly over the barbecue at home.

I would recommend that you buy a food thermometer. These are indispensable for cooking meat correctly. As a general rule of thumb when cooking meat, aim for 50 degrees for rare, 60 degrees for medium, and 70 degrees for well done. For pork and chicken, make sure the centre of the meat reaches 65 degrees.