Tenderizing Ramu Beef with a Hagen Pineapple…A match made in heaven

[DISCLAIMER: I am not a chef. Nor do I claim to be one. Proceed with caution. It could turn out delicious and wonderfully addictive.]
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In July when I took leave,  me and the partner in crime, were standing  at one corner of Brian Bell, Madang trying to decide if we should buy a gas barbeque.

Long story short, BBQ found its way home. (Yes! It just hopped on a Brian Bell delivery truck and followed us home) Within two days, it was put to use.

This post  is about the meat that went ON the fire that day.  

If you want a good cook out. Don’t buy lamb flaps. Please! For goodness sake, get good old rump steaks. That’s the meaty part of the cow’s bum. If you’re in Lae or Madang, Ramu Beef sells top quality meat. Don’t buy the imported stuff. Buy PNG made. Hehe!

The art of the BBQ is in the marinade.  I can’t stress this enough.  Have the basics on hand. Salt, pepper, thyme, and light soy sauce. Don’t use dark soy sauce or mushroom sauce. Don’t be stupid!  It mucks up the flavor.

So you want to make sure the sauce is on both sides of the meat,  the same with the spices and salt. Let it sit for at least two hours in the fridge.

While that is chilling,  you want to make a second lot. This is the fun part.

Cut up a whole Hagen pineapple, skin and all, into small pieces. Put the chunks in a blender and blend the crap out of it until it becomes a semi liquid mess.  That’s your second marinade.

Put your second batch of meat into a large bowl and submerge everything in the pineapple juice.  If you paid attention in  high school science class, you would know that pineapple contains enzymes that break down protein fibers. The meat stays in pineapple juice for one hour. No more. Any more and the meat starts to break up.

After one hour, rinse off the pineapple juice and marinate like you did with the first lot. This lot will be a lot more tender than the other batch.

Get the fire going and throw the meat on the BBQ. A bit of oil on the grill and chuck on the steaks.

For me pineapple marinade rump steak took the trophy. The pieces were tender and fit for a sandwich without the stringy beef texture.  Everything cooked medium rare. If you have a problem with blood, don’t do barbeques.

Hagen Pineapple and me, we’re besties!