Not all meat is the same: Interview with meat sommelier Christian Wirth

Not all meat is the same. No one knows this better than meat sommelier Christian Wirth.

Mr. Wirth, what should the end consumer pay particular attention to when buying meat?

The meat should be of the right quality depending on how you want to prepare it. For steaks, it should be marbled and short-fibered. The meat should also have been hung for approx. 4 weeks (depending on the age of the animal). As a rule, female animals are always more tender and better marbled; you can ask your trusted butcher about this. The breed can also play a role, “Black Angus cattle” or “Herford”, for example, are ideal steak breeds.

Do you have an insider tip on how to recognize “good” meat?

High-quality meat is firm and yields easily to finger pressure; it is juicy, tender and fine-fibered. Pork is pink to light red and should only lose a little water. Good beef is light to medium red. The smell of fresh meat is generally restrained and should not be overpowering or acidic. You can rely on your senses here. If the meat has a nice marbling, nothing stands in the way of perfect barbecue enjoyment.

What do you personally think is the best piece of meat for a perfect barbecue?

I personally prefer dry aged pork chops or beef porterhouse steak. The meat develops a nutty aroma due to the controlled maturing process, which lasts around 6 weeks. In combination with roasted aromas, this is a treat for the palate. Whether rare or medium – all you need is a good salt and pepper.

You can also slow grill with the SEVO. What is important here?

With slow grilling, as with normal low-and-slow grilling, it is important to adjust the temperature to the respective food. The advantage here is that I can guarantee even temperature control over a long period of time. Pulled pork, beef brisket – some dishes simply need the protection of the lid and constant temperatures for hours.

Many people love it when steaks are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside – what’s the best way to achieve this?

There are four options: direct or indirect, grilled or roasted. With direct grilling, the meat is lightly salted and grilled very hot on both sides for approx. 90 seconds.

Depending on the thickness of the steak, it is then indirectly grilled to a core temperature of 55 to 58 °C.

When grilling indirectly, I place the meat next to or over the heat source and then allow it to reach a core temperature of 48 °C.

I then salt the meat and switch to direct heat and grill my steak to the desired degree of doneness. Important: The meat should be at room temperature at the start. This prevents a lot of juices from escaping and the meat remains tender.

What do you think about spices? How much and what do you recommend for barbecue lovers?

With a steak, spices should emphasize the taste of the meat, so less is more. I am in favor of natural spices and like to mix them myself. Spices lose their seasoning power over time. That’s why you should only have a small stock of spices and simply try combining things. This brings variety to the table!