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The standing joke about BBQ food is that it comes out burnt and dry. This only happens when either the fuel is too hot or the food is left on too long. With charcoal the simple rule is don’t start cooking too soon. Let the coals get covered in white ash before you put the food on. With gas turn the heat down. As for timing - stick to the times in your recipes. Don’t be tempted to add an extra five minutes just in case.
Even with care though meats can come off the BBQ dry and tough as old boots. This is where the marinade can help. Most meats benefit from slow cooking to make them tender. So we need a marinade to tenderise the meat. To stop the meat drying we also need oil to moisturise. A marinade is therefore basically a mixture of an oil and an acid.
The simplest marinade could be just olive oil and wine vinegar. Poured over the meat and left to work for a few hours this will do the trick. However whilst you are marinading you might as well add flavour. So most marinades will have spices and herbs added. You can also use different cooking oils to change the flavour or use citrus juice instead of vinegar. My favourite for turkey steaks and chicken breast fillets is lime or lemon juice which both add distinct flavour.
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