Memphis BBQ champion on the lessons all Aussies can learn from American grilling
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American tells Aussies how to BBQ: Memphis BBQ champion shares lessons we can learn from grilling in the US, the secret to mastering ‘fall-off-the-bone’ meat and his controversial stance on grilling sauce
- Memphis barbecue king Craig Blondis has revealed how Aussies should grill
- He said low-speed, slow-simmer sauce-free barbecue is the best way to go.
- He said people go bankrupt adding sauce before cooking; he uses seasonings
Australians have a lot to learn when it comes to perfecting meat on the grill, according to Memphis barbecue champion and owner of Central BBQ, Craig Blondis.
The award-winning restaurateur spoke to FEMAIL about all things meat, including how to make it “fall off the bone.”
He started by explaining the key differences in barbecue in Australia and the US.
“I would say the biggest difference between Memphis-style barbecue and Aussie barbecue is the temperature at which it is cooked. Australian barbecue (grilling) is usually at a much higher temperature than Memphis barbecue (smoking),” he said.
Barbecue king Craig Blondis has revealed how Aussies can up their grilling skills this summer.
Craig is the founder of Central BBQ, a popular four-kitchen restaurant in Memphis.
Craig likes to prepare his meat first with salts.
‘I like a simple seasoning for my steaks consisting of black truffle salt, garlic, black pepper, and white pepper. I rub or season my meat two to three hours before I cook it,” she said.
‘When it’s time to cook the steak, I scrape off all the excess seasoning or rub it on before grilling. When I finish grilling the steak and start to rest the steak, I put a little butter on top, let it melt into the steak, lightly sprinkle the steak with the seasoning and serve.’
That’s why she never uses sauce when cooking. ‘If you can master low and slow cooking, you don’t need sauce. In my opinion, the sauce is meant to be a side dish, not as part of the cooking process.’
The secret to meat falling off the bone is patience, not sauce, he explained.
Memphis-style barbecue is low and slow. We cook whole pork shoulders (18 to 20 lbs.) at 225 to 250 degrees for 16 to 18 hours. We rub our meat and let it macerate from 18 to 24 hours. This is a dry versus wet style of cooking,” she said.
Craig believes that meat should be cooked dry, not in a liquid marinade, and sauces should be served on the side.
“Wet is a style that uses liquid marinade instead of rubbing dry spices on the meat.”
“Ribs, for example, take 4 to 6 hours at 250 degrees, shoulders take 16 to 18 hours,” he added.
And the barbecues used are also different.
Direct heat (coals directly under the meat) is the common type of grill used in most backyards. Indirect heat (coals are offset by grill). This is typically the type of grill (smoker) used to achieve bone-in meat fall,’ he explained.
The trick, he said, is to cook things slowly, stating that some prime cuts can take 18 hours to cook.
‘When you use quality ingredients, your end product shows. From the cut of the meat to the spices used to season the meat, including the type of firewood and/or charcoal you use.’
And some grills are just better, he said.
‘My favorite barbecue grill is The Big Green Egg. It is a versatile direct heat grill. You can smoke, grill and even bake on this grill. I have one in my backyard,’ he said.
‘Another grill that I like is the Kudu grill. Kudu is an open flame grill. much like a camp grill with multiple cooking surfaces and heights. It’s the ultimate camp grill, it’s portable, compact and lightweight.’