Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: 26th January 2013: Australia may be famous for many things; its movie stars like Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman and pop icon Kylie Minogue but its greatest export is a culinary one - the quality of its delicious halal meat. With approximately 16% of Australia's beef exports to the Middle East North Africa region destined to the Kingdom and a surge in demand for high quality beef grain fed and wagyu, it seems here in Saudi Arabia we can't get enough of this premium product. The Kingdom is also the largest destination for Australian mutton in the region, accounting for 27% of shipments. Celebrity chef and star of Fatafeat TV, chef Tarek Ibrahim explains: “As one of the world's greatest food producing nations Australia deserves and enjoys a reputation for excellence so it comes as no surprise that Australia produces some of the world's greatest meat. When talking about meat, for me it has to be Australian. It's the only country in the world where I truly trust the halal and food safety systems. It's utterly delicious and a dream to cook with for anyone from a top executive chef to the home cook.” Australians are renowned for their ‘barbies' and what better way to celebrate Australia Day than to relax with family and friends over a delicious barbeque. Surf between flavours and textures; for example, if you like steak that has a light and gentle flavour choose grain-fed beef and for a deeper flavour go for the grass-fed selection. Whether visiting one of the Kingdom's many steakhouse restaurants or cooking at home this Australia Day remember to relax, smile and enjoy it Aussie style. Visit www.lambandbeef.com for more top tips, inspiration and recipes. Go on throw another steak on the barbie! Aussie Rules For Barbecuing • Make sure your barbecue is HOT before you start to cook The hand test can give you a good sense of how hot the grill or barbecue plate is. Hold your outstretched palm about 6cm from the heat. If you can only hold it above the heat for around a second it means it's too hot. If you can hold your hand above the heat for three-four seconds it's at a moderately high temperature, which is perfect for barbecuing. Any longer, say eight seconds, then the heat is too low. The barbecue should be hot enough to sizzle the meat as it makes contact with the plate or grill. • Marinated meat needs to be treated differently Don't pour marinade over the meat while it's cooking, this makes the meat stew and causes flare-ups. To keep meat moist brush the meat with a little marinade as it cooks. Don't brush meat during the last minutes of cooking time. • Don't crowd the flat-plate or char-grill plate when you bbq This reduces the heat and the meat will then release juices and begin to stew. • When you barbecue don't turn the meat too often, the Aussie rule is only turn meat once. Use tongs, never a barbecue fork to turn the meat, piercing the meat with the fork will drain the juices from the meat onto the grill or barbecue plate. • Always rest meat after it comes off the heat. This allows the juices, which have been driven to the centre of the meat by the heat to return to the surface. If given the time to rest the meat will lose less juice when you cut it and when you eat it the meat will be juicier and tastier.
