How to BBQ like a chef: Top cook reveals the secrets to restaurant-quality steaks and the simple homemade sauce recipe he swears by
- A top Australian chef has shared his ultimate guide to cooking the perfect steak
- Pip Pratt works as the head chef at one-hatted restaurant Bistecca in Sydney
- He offers his grilling secrets to help everyday Australians host an epic barbecue
A top chef has shared his guide to firing up the ultimate barbecue – from cooking the perfect restaurant-quality steak to his secret sauce recipe.
Pip Pratt works as the head chef at one-hatted restaurant Bistecca in Sydney – and his menu offers diners just the one and only main – T-bone steaks.
Here, the Michelin-starred chef has offered his grilling secrets to help everyday Australians host an epic barbecue over the summer season.
‘Try to keep things simple. If you have a great piece of beef, it will do all of the hard work for you,’ Pip told Daily Mail Australia.
Top chef Pip Pratt (pictured) has shared his guide to firing up the ultimate barbecue – from cooking the perfect restaurant-quality steak to his secret sauce recipe
He suggested meat thermometers are a great investment as it takes out all guess work
Pip – who has teamed up with Australian Beef to help home cooks up their backyard BBQ game – said his go-to barbecued meats are steaks, rib steaks and sausages.
‘Large T-bone steaks to share. A chunky rib steak is definitely a go-to. I also love a sausage sandwich with a bit of caramelised onion,’ he explained.
‘I really enjoy a decent bit of brisket, given a good spice rub and left in the BBQ low and slow over the afternoon.’
To cook the perfect restaurant-quality steak every time, Pip said you the cut should always be at least two to three centimetres thick.
‘The perfect steak is a barbecued, well-seasoned steak, cooked medium rare and rested to ensure a juicy, flavoursome piece of meat,’ Pip said.
‘Use a temperature probe. This stops the guesswork of “is my steak cooked enough”. We go for an internal temperature of 33-34C for rare, 36-38C for medium rare, 40-42C for medium.’
Pip said you should flip your steak between two to three times on each side.
‘You should flip a steak on the BBQ grill enough times to get the balance of a good crust without burning the surface,’ he said.
‘This could be two to three times on each side. I season the steak just before cooking and with a little sea salt right at the end after slicing.’
For side dishes, Pip said you should create ‘fresh and light’ side dishes as they ‘help cut through the beautiful rich flavour of the meat’
‘You should flip a steak on the BBQ grill enough times to get the balance of a good crust without burning the surface. This could be two to three times on each side,’ he said
Pip said steaks should be seasoned 3:1 ratio – ‘season three-parts salt to one-part pepper’ while the meat should rest the same time as you’ve cooked it before slicing it up
Pip said the ‘beauty’ of steak is that it can be served with ‘absolutely anything’.
‘Vegetable wise the list is endless, even fruits can be used like grilled peaches. It is extremely versatile as a product,’ he explained.
‘Anything fresh and light is my favourite to go with barbecue beef as they help cut through the beautiful rich flavour of the meat.
‘Something like a simple tomato salad with lots of herbs and a sweet vinegar or green beans tossed in some lemon juice and olive oil with some toasted pine nuts would be my go-to.’
The chef said the best way to cook sausages to perfection without it bursting or dying out on a grill is to steam them first.
‘A sneaky cheat is to steam them beforehand, all you have to do is get the colour on the outside and they’re good to go,’ he explained.
Like any barbecue, Pip said you could never go wrong with serving the classic sausage sizzle.
‘Australians have a long tradition of a good quality beef sausage, soft sliced white bread, caramelised onion and a good blob of tomato ketchup,’ he said.
‘I go for local butcher’s specialty beef sausages, ketchup and the classic Wonder White bread.’