Summer! At last! Now you can host the most festive barbecues!
- Avoid salting prior to cooking, to keep the meat tender and juicy.
- Soak wood skewers in lukewarm water for 30 minutes, to keep them from burning.
- Keep raw meat away from other ingredients to avoid the risk of cross-contamination.
- Use clean pans and utensils that have not been used to carry or handle the raw meat or marinade.
- Resist the temptation to cut or prick the meat during cooking, as any incision will result in the loss of juices. Instead, use tongs with a flat tip to handle the meat.
- Always cook ground meat thoroughly, whether it's beef, veal or lamb. The meat is sufficiently cooked when no pink remains.
Forget about traditional burgers and go for originality! The following chart can help you turn your fast food into fiesta food!
| Burgers | Seasonings | Toppings | Condiments | Cheese |
| Beef | Minced onion, crumbled bacon, sesame seeds, cayenne | Grilled bacon, fried mushrooms, pickles* | Mayonnaise*, horseradish, chili sauce |
Sliced cheddar* |
| Pork | Honey*, fennel seeds, ground cumin,barbecue spices | Coleslaw, watercress, marinated eggplant slices |
Mustard*, BBQ sauce*, pesto |
Sliced suisse* |
| Lamb | Oregano, dill, rosemary, garlic, capers, minced hot peppers | Grilled onions, roasted sweet peppers, mint leaves | Tahini, yogurt sauce,tapenade | Feta, sliced havarti* |
| Turkey | Coriander, minced peppers, garlic | Sliced tomatoes, yellow onions | Salsa*, spicy mayonnaise | Sliced mozzarella* |
| Fish | Garlic, grated lemon rind, tarragon,dill, carpers | Arugula, alfalfa sprouts, scallions, sliced olives* |
Tartar sauce, minced sun-dried tomatoes, seafood sauce* | Parmesan, sliced provolone* |
| Vegetarian | Garlic, chopped scallions, minced | Sweet red peppers, grated zucchinis, dry mustard | Sliced avocado, baby spinach Homemade ketchup | Sliced jalapeño, havarti |
* Metro Recommends Merit Selection products.
Experiment with these marvellous marinades and experience delightfully different tastes.
- All-purpose marinade (for all meats)
- Hot three-mustard beer marinade (for read meat)
- Lime-strawberry marinade (for white meat)
- Pesto marinade (for red meat)
- Replace white wine by an acidic juice such as unsweetened apple juice, citrus juice or white cranberry juice.
- Do not salt the marinades to avoid drying out the meat.
- For fast marinating, make a few incisions in the meat to allow the marinade to penetrate.
- Turn the meat over a few times while marinating.
- Brush the marinade on the food during cooking to keep it from drying out and enhance its flavour.
- Use sweeter sauces towards the end of the cooking period, to avoid charring.
- Drain the meat well before placing on the grill. Excess liquid could fall to the bottom of the barbecue and generate high flames.
Since the secret to a great barbecue lies in the quality of the meat, choose the best: Grade AAA RedGrill beef, exclusive to Metro. Worthy of the finest tables, this beef is marbled, making it exceptionally tender. Available in a variety of cuts, it is ideal for summertime fiestas!
Canada Grade AAA beef is renowned worldwide for its
outstanding quality, reflected in its peerless taste and
tenderness. In Canada, only 32% of beef qualifies for the superior
RedGrill label.
Following careful selection, RedGrill beef is stored for at least 14 days in an aging chamber where temperature and humidity are strictly controlled.This considerably increases the tenderness and flavour of the meat.
Your little tykes love sandwiches’Introduce them to quesadillas! Simply take two tortillas, lightly brush them with oil, and garnish with your kids' favorites.
For example:
- cooked chicken, salsa and cheddar;
- cooked turkey, pear and mozzarella;
- cooked beef, peppers and cream cheese.
Grill the quesadillas on the barbecue approximately 2 minutes per side. Cut them into wedges and serve! It's that easy!
You can also add something different to your burgers. Try ground pork or poultry. Add 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) of grated cheese between thin meat patties and press the edges to seal, for a different take on cheese burgers!
Finally, kids love sweet foods and eating with their hands. So serve them fruity brochettes, alternating meat and fruit (kiwis, pineapples, oranges).
Meat is an excellent source of protein and provides a variety of minerals and vitamins (iron, zinc, potassium, vitamin B12). But since it contains saturated fats, visible fat should be removed prior to cooking.
To meet your body’s nutritional requirements, Canada’s Food Guide recommends 2 to 3 daily servings of meat or alternatives (eggs, tofu, legumes, nuts). One serving equals 3 oz. (90 g), which is roughly the size of a deck of cards!