A sustainable guide to the grill.

The Marketplace has loads of different cuts to choose from, it’s often hard to know where to even start - which is why our team built this little guide to help you make the most of grilling season.

The basics.

Quality

The meat industry is a complicated one, and we do our best to partner with folks who care about their animals and raise them in a humane way. All the meat we have is as local as possible and comes from animals who are raised without antibiotics or added hormones. Before picking a cut, you can always read our partner’s story on the Marketplace to get insider info on their sustainable practices. 

Another rule of thumb when choosing your meat is the fresher, the better. Freshness means different things for different cuts - for example, chicken should be sent out right after it's processed, where beef should be aged a minimum of 21 days. Many of our partners prep to order, vacuum sealing their meats as soon as it’s ready (aka at peak freshness), meaning it’ll arrive in your basket the same day.

Safety

When grilling, a meat thermometer is your best friend. Before you even turn on your BBQ, we suggest you go through the MAPAQ guidelines to see how to safely prepare the cut you’ve chosen. 

Best practices

Grilling, simply put, is cooking something on a dry heat grill, like a BBQ, and searing means cooking in a pan at very high heat. To ensure success on the grill (or in the pan), you should always remove your cut from the fridge about an hour before cooking, and let it reach room temp.

Choosing and preparing your BBQ grilling meats

Classics grilling

  • Hot dogs are one of the easiest cuts to grill - just place them on the BBQ on medium heat (or until you see they're getting lightly charred) and rotate until even. 
  • For sausages, you want to be gentle and gradual, allowing the temperature to rise at a steady pace, so you don’t burn the casing. 
  • When grilling a classic hamburger, place on the BBQ at medium to high heat until deep golden brown and slightly charred on the first side, and then flip.
  • And for convenience we have quick and vetted marinated meats like Thai Satay and Moroccan chermoula chicken, or red wine and shallot steak for easy added flavour.

Traditional beef cuts

  • All ground beef products make good grilling meats once fashioned into patties. Plus, they can also be pan seared for those without a backyard BBQ. 
  • Other beef like tournedos and brochette cubes (skewered with veg) are perfect for the grill. For best results, soak your skewers in water to avoid burning the tips. 
  • Flank steak is another option, especially if you marinate it overnight to get it nice and tender. Once grilled, rest it for at least eight minutes to optimize tenderness. 

Pork

  • Baby back pork ribs are among the most popular grilling meats. It's best to start them on lower heat to avoid flames. When they’re almost cooked, bring up the heat, bring down the grill, and char them to your liking. 
  • Pork tenderloin is traditionally cooked in the oven (roasted), but it’s also great grilled. Serve it when it’s still a little pink on the inside. 

Game meat

  • The techniques for ground game meat are often similar to classic BBQ cuts but the outcomes will give you a completely different flavour profile. 
  • When you’re grilling an ostrich filet mignon, make sure you start with a very hot grill, sear on one side, wait until golden brown and then flip. Then let it rest for at least how long you’ve cooked it - allowing the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the cut. 

Lamb and veal

  • Lean ground lamb can also be grilled, but we recommend adding other ingredients, since they tend to dry out on the BBQ. 
  • Ground veal or flank is a good grilling meat once fashioned into patties as it stays very tender.

Happy grilling!