Nando's Beef Barbecue Grilling Tips, Tricks and Techniques

Barbecuing Tips
Hamburgers
Steaks
Palm Reading Your Steaks
Technique
5 Things You Need to Know About Beef
10 Tips for Great Grilled Steak
Beef Cooking Chart

	Barbecuing Tips:
Turn meat only once. (This changes direction of juices, as well as to prevent drying out on the underside.) If using frozen meat, thaw meat in refrigerator - Allow meat to absorb marinade overnight if possible. Trim the excess fat and do not pierce it with a fork as the juices may run out. It is important not to overheat or cook too long as juices may dry out. Don't salt meat before cooking as this draws out the natural juices and the meat will be dry again. (Unless incorporated into marinade).
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	Hamburgers:
Don't use very lean meat for it needs some fat for juiciness. Because fat equals flavor, the best burgers come from the cheapest ground beef. Try 80 percent lean; or, for a slightly leaner patty, Nando's suggests asking the butcher to grind equal parts chuck and sirloin. For more imaginative burgers, put two patties together with a filling between them, (i.e. bleu cheese, butter and sherry, garlic and parsley butter).
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	Steaks:
Leaner cuts (less marbling) have more flavor but tend to be a bit tougher if cooked past medium. The sirloin, New York, round and flank fall into this category.
If not graded Prime, look for a good Choice cut.
The most important element in grilling is thickness: at least 1in. - 1-1/2in thick.
Avoid lean beef, which is tough after grilling.
The most marbled cut is the rib-eye. Often called a cowboy steak. It is cut from the same piece of meat as the prime rib. It has flavor and tenderness but has more fat in it. It remains a good steak even cooked well done.
The most tender but not necessarily the most flavorful steak is the tenderloin. It is a muscle that is hardly used by the animal, so it eats very soft. It has little marbling but remains tender because of the fine muscle texture. A prized piece of meat and the most expensive cut of beef. Best if ordered up to medium but remains tender, although slightly dry if ordered well done.
Most Flavor: Sirloin and New York Most Tender: Rib-Eye and Tenderloin
Meat should be at room temperature.
Do not season until ready to cook.
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	Palm Reading Your Steaks:
For rare, let your left hand hang loose in front of you. Poke your right index finger into the fleshy part of your left hand between your index finger and thumb. It will offer very little resistance and is soft and pliable. This is how a steak cooked rare will feel to the touch. For medium rare, extend the same left hand but this time spread out your fingers and poke the same spot with your right index finger. You'll see that it is firmer and a little springy to the touch. This is how a steak cooked medium rare will feel. For medium, make a fist with your left hand and poke again. It should feel firm and only give a little. This is how the medium steak will feel. For those how like their meat well done, guess how that feels. Very firm!
Recommended Nando's Products for Beef are: Lime & Cilantro Marinade & Grilling Sauce (Amazing on Flank Steak!) Portuguese BBQ Marinade & Grilling Sauce (Superb on Beef Ribs!) Fresh Lemon Cooking & Grilling Sauce (Incredible on Beef Kebabs!) Roasted Reds Cooking & Grilling Sauce (Fantastic as a Steak Topper!) Garlic or Medium Peri-Peri Pepper Sauces (Add Extra Hot or Hot for more Heat!) Lemon Herb or Hot Peri-Peri Pepper Grinders (Use the Grinder right over the grill!)
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	Technique:
Cook the steak quickly to sear in maximum juices.
The more the meat is handled the more the juices and flavor are lost.
Do not use a fork; always use tongs to turn a steak.
Do not turn more than once; cook one side at a time.
Thicker cuts may need to be seared and then finished to desired degree of doneness using indirect heat.

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	The Five Things You Need to Know About Beef:

Every red-blooded American loves his meat. Americans consumed almost 120 pounds of meat per capita last year, and of that, about 60 pounds were beef.

Buying
When buying fresh meat, always look at the package carefully. Make sure there is no leakage, that the package is cool to the touch and that the meat is firm to the touch. It should also not feel slimy in the package when you remove it to cook.
Beef that has more "marbling" (fat throughout the meat) is juicier and more flavorful, but it also has plenty of calories and fat. And it's more expensive. Here are the three grades of beef:

Prime is the highest grade with the most marbling.

Choice is the middle grade.

Select has the lowest amount of fat

Tip: Buy the select grade and marinate the meat. The acid in the marinade actually breaks down the proteins and makes the meat more tender.

Grass-fed beef
For the best-tasting beef, think grass fed and organic. Grass-fed and organic beef is now available in most stores, and this meat comes from cattle that roam freely in open pastures and eat natural (and healthier) natural grasses and no grains. The meat is also free from growth hormones and antibiotics. Grass-fed beef has a different nutritional profile than conventional beef:

Half as much fat

Twice as much omega-3 fatty acids

Higher level of vitamin C

Marketing Trick
There are a lot of questions about carbon monoxide being added to ground beef to make "old" beef look fresh. The truth is that the use of "modified atmosphere" packaging for meats started back in the 1960s. What actually happens is that oxygen is removed from the package — it's the oxygen that creates discoloring. Then a small amount of carbon monoxide is pumped into the package — actually 0.4 percent is the maximum amount allowed by law.
Retailers across the country are refusing to sell meats processed this way since consumers have discovered it. However, it is a proven technology that is safe. You should always buy the freshest (or frozen) ground beef that you can. If you want to be 100 percent sure that the ground beef you are buying does not contain any carbon monoxide, buy ground beef in a "chub" package. These packages, which resemble a small salami or sausage package, are light-safe and vacuum-packaged, so that light and oxygen does not discolor the meat.

Food safety
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has gone on record to say that they believe there are at maximum a total of four to seven cases of mad cow here in the U.S. In fact, the Japanese government just recently relaxed their ban on U.S. beef imports, because USDA seems to have put in place procedures that are strong enough to prevent beef with mad cow entering our food supply.
However, beginning in late August, USDA is actually cutting testing down to just 110 cows a day. For perspective, prior to that they were testing about 1,000 cows a day. There are 35 million cattle in the country that are slaughtered annually.

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10 Tips for Great Grilled Steak

Choose the right steak. Rib-eye or flank, t-bone or top round – there’s a choice for every type of grill, fire, budget and taste.

Choose the right seasoning. Use rubs, marinades, sauces, butters and bastes to add an extra dimension of flavor. Even something as basic as sea salt and cracked black pepper adds a spectacular taste to beef.

Steaks partner deliciously with a world of interesting flavors – the possibilities are endless.

Build the right fire. Understand the difference between direct and indirect grilling and when to use each. Remember, every fuel and fire burn differently.

Cook it to perfection. It’s easy when coals and grill are the right temperature and you follow the basic cooking guidelines for the steak. (If the grill is too hot, the outside of the steak can overcook before the inside is ready; if too cold, you won’t get the right searing.) Use the "1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi method" to recognize when your grill is ready.

Know when your steak is done. Remember medium rare is 145°F; medium 160°F and well done is 170°F. Use an instant-read meat thermometer or the "poke" test to check for doneness. An instant-read thermometer gives you the internal temperature immediately.

Turn, don’t stab. Tongs are the most important tool in the griller’s workshop, enabling you to turn the steak without stabbing it. Look for spring loaded, long-handled tongs – 14 to 16 inches.

Give it a rest. After grilling, give the steak a rest for a couple of minutes to let the juices redistribute before cutting into it. A drizzle of olive oil or a pat of butter gives the steak a handsome sheen and spectacular flavor and finish.

Keep it clean! Always brush your grill grate with a stiff wire brush to clean it. (If you don’t have a brush, use a piece of crumpled foil.) Clean the grate after preheating, and again, after grilling. Oil the grate with a folded paper towel dipped in oil and rubbed over the bars of the grate. Food will stick to a dirty grate and you won’t get those snappy grill marks.

Grill safely. Make sure the grill rests securely on the ground, deck, patio, or other surface. Never leave a lit grill unattended; don’t use it indoors or in a garage or carport. Always keep children and pets at a safe distance.

And above all, have fun! Don’t be afraid to try something new. That’s what grilling is all about.

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Beef Cooking Chart

Cut of Meat	Weight or Thickness	Grilling Method	Approximate Cooking Time
Standing Rib Roast	3 1/2 lbs. - 5 lbs.	Indirect	24 - 26 min /lb* (R)
Standing Rib Roast	6 lbs. - 8 lbs.	Indirect	18 - 22 min/lb* (R)
Boned & tied roasts (rib, sirloin tip, crossrib)	3 lbs. - 5 lbs.	Indirect	24 - 26 min/lb* (R)
Steaks (T-bone, New York, Porterhouse, top round, sirloin; chuck steak if marinated or tenderized)	1 in.	Direct	5 - 6 min /side** (R)
Steaks (T-bone, New York, Porterhouse, top round, sirloin; chuck steak if marinated or tenderized)	1 1/2 in.	Direct	8 - 9 min /side (R)
Steaks (T-bone, New York, Porterhouse, top round, sirloin; chuck steak if marinated or tenderized)	2 in. - 2 1/2 in.	Direct	10 - 12 min /side (R)
Flank Steak	1 in. - 1 1/2 in.	Direct	5 - 7 min /side (MR)
Skirt steak (cut into serving size pieces)	1/8 in. - 1/4 in.	Direct	1 1/2 - 2 min /side** (R)
Skirt steak (cut into serving size pieces)	1/2 in.	Direct	2 1/2 - 3 min /side** (R)
Boneless Cubes	3/4 in.	Direct	5 - 6 min total** (MR)
Boneless Cubes	1 in.	Direct	8 - 10 min total** (MR)
Boneless Cubes	1 1/2 in.	Direct	15 min** total (MR)
Ground Beef Patties	1 in.	Direct	4 - 5 min /side (R), 5 - 6 min /side (M), 6 - 7 min /side (W)**

(R) Rare, (M) Medium, (MR) Medium-rare, (W) Well done
* Meat thermometer registers 135ºF - 140ºF (R), 150ºF (M), 160ºF (W).
** Cut meat to test.

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If you've have any grilling tips or facts you'd like to share with us and other Nandocas, please send these to
perihot@nandosusa.com

You'll find Nando's Peri – Peri Pepper Sauces, Marinades & Cooking Sauces perfect on meat, vegetables,
pastas and seafood – but particularly tasty on chicken!

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The Exotic flavors that have made Nando's African Peri-Peri chicken famous throughout the world have been bottled with passion into a variety of delicious Peri-Peri Hot Sauces, Marinade and Basting, Cooking and Grilling Sauces and Peri-Peri Grinders Rubs. Nando's Peri-Peri Pepper Sauces are a blend of African Peri-Peri (the African Birds Eye Chili), special herbs a dash of fresh lemon and a hint of natural garlic. You'll find Nando's particularly tasty on chicken the wings or the whole bird! The Afro-Portuguese ex peri-peri mented with African Piri-Piri in a variety of exotic Portuguese dishes. The dishes used ingredients like, chicken, beef, lamb, seafood, shrimp, fish, salmon, tri tip, pork, and vegetables. Nando's Peri-Peri Hot sauces are available in Extra Hot, Hot, Medium, Hot Sweet, Extra Mild Lemon, Sweet Hot, Wild Herb and Garlic flavors and in varying strengths or heat levels. Nando’s Peri-Peri Sauces make great gifts and are constant inclusions in Gift Baskets. 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