Mixed Grill
Chicken Pork Veal Grilling Recipes Meat Dishes
Finally!!!! I made something edible, and even more than that with veal!!! The secret is SALT and how you salt the meat, plus - equally important - how you cut the meat for grilling!!! I prepared a mixed grill to test this new method on all types of meat: chicken, pork, beef, but as you know, I had a big problem with veal which never turned out tender for me.
And one more important thing. Buy meat from a trusted butcher. If you don't know one, like me until this year, look for one! My search started in Manastur, via Milano, and ended at the "Valcele" butcher inside the Marasti market. I talked to Angela about how veal here is "terrible," she called Cluj to find a good butcher and look what wonderful grilled meats I made. Thanks for the tip!
Ingredients
veal leg (difficult to grill) or beef sirloin (recommended for grilling)
pork neck
chicken breast
sea salt
pepper
How to prepare mixed grill
- Cut pork and veal perpendicular to the grain. This is very important. Slice chicken breast lengthwise. Don't be afraid that the meat won't cook through - cut thicker slices, at least 1.5 cm thick, that's what mine were.
- Place the slices on your work surface and salt generously with sea salt. Don't be stingy - about a teaspoon of salt per slice. The grill won't turn out salty, you'll see why! But don't put as much as in my photo below, that's an example of what NOT to do - I overdid it and they came out a bit salty. So one teaspoon of salt is enough, the second batch I made was perfect with that amount 😊
- Leave the meat at room temperature for 1 hour per 2 cm of thickness, but no less than 30 minutes.
So if you cut 4 cm thick slices, leave them salted for 2 hours. I cut 1.5 cm slices and left them for 45 minutes.
* During this time, the salt will absorb water from the meat, dissolve in this water, and then the salted water will be reabsorbed into the meat; that's why the time we leave the salt on the meat is so important.
** If you just salt the meat and throw it directly on the grill, the water absorbed by the salt won't have time to be reabsorbed into the meat and will evaporate on contact with the hot grill, making the meat tough instead of tender. - Then wash the meat under cold running water to remove all the salt and dry the slices very, very well with paper towels.
- Season with pepper and any other spices you want, but do NOT add more salt.
- Heat the grill very hot (I used a grill pan, or use an outdoor charcoal grill) with just a drop of oil. Place the meat slices on the grill and don't move them for 3 minutes (on a grill pan).
* If the meat has a bone, place it bone-side down first; if it has fat, place it fat-side down first. - Flip the meat and grill for another 3 minutes on the other side.
* If you grill pork or beef for 3 minutes per side at the thickness I mentioned, it will be medium-done, slightly pink in the center; reduce or increase the time depending on how you want it: rare or well-done; I liked it after 3 minutes - the meat stays juicy without being rare. - Serve immediately with chimichurri on top and a mixed salad as a side.
Cut the meat against the grain
Tenderize the meat with salt, but not this much!
Meat cooking on the grill
