By New Idea's Food Director Barbara Northwood

HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT STEAK:

• The first rule is not to overcook it. Over-cooking results in tough, chewy meat as meat juices have evaporated.
• Buy steaks about 2cm thick of an even thickness. If you like rare steak, buy even thicker steaks.
• Perfect cuts are: sirloin, porterhouse (New York cut) T-bone, fillet, scotch, fillet and rump.
• Ideally have meat at room temperature.

To cook a piece of steak:

• Oil steak on both sides and not the barbecue! Heat barbecue hot plate. Cook steak on one side until moisure is pooling on top. Turn once only!  Cook on the other side until moisture is visible. It should feel springy when cooked.
• To tell if your steak is cooked, press with the blunt end of tongs.
• For rare, it will feel very soft. For medium it will feel a little firmer. For well done, it will feel very firm. Don’t be tempted to cut it whilst cooking, as the meat juices will escape.
• Allow meat to rest before cutting. Rest steaks for about 5 minutes. The larger the piece of meat, the longer it rests.
• These rules also allow when cooking lamb as well. Pork is ideally cooked over a medium to high temperature because it is so lean a really high temperature dry it out quickly.

Marinading meat makes it tasty and helps to tenderise cheaper cuts of meat, especially if an acid is added to the marinade, such as lemon juice or vinegar. Meat is best marinaded for at least an hour before cooking. Any marinade can be used to baste the meat as it is cooking – then discard any leftovers (unless there is enough to serve as a sauce. If this is the case – bring remaining marinade to the boil in a small saucepan. Boil for at least 5 minutes before serving to destroy any bacteria in the marinade.)

COOKING SAUSAGES
If cooking sausages, don’t piece them or you will let all the moisture and flavour escape.

If you want to remove some of the fat, you can simmer or poach them for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking.  (This also helps them to brown evenly as barbecues tend to be very hot.) Then barbecue them, turning regularly to ensure they are evenly browned.  Remember sausages must be cooked through to the centre.