In the Czech kitchen: Juicy grill tips from Prague butchers and chefs

If you enjoy hosting summer barbecues well into autumn, these tips from top chefs and butchers in Prague will help you level up your grill game. We asked the experts at Kantýna, U Kalendů, and Čestr to share their juiciest advice for serving up perfect steaks every time.

Many people are wary of meat that is marbled with fat. However, fat actually serves an important purpose. The presence of fat leads to a more tender and flavorful grilled meat. The fat will melt during cooking, enhancing the steak. Cuts like ribeye, sirloin, or T-bone are great for grilling as they have a good amount of fat marbling. You don't need excessive surface fat, though. Once cooked, trim off any excess fat to fully enjoy the flavor.

"First of all, it's important to let the meat rest at room temperature before you start seasoning it. If we put it on the grill straight from the fridge, it could experience a temperature shock, causing the protein inside to curdle and the juices to run out," cautions Vlasta Lacina Jiroš, head of Amasa and supplier of meat to Ambiente butchers and restaurants.

If you have good quality beef, you don’t need to season it heavily. Butchers and chefs recommend using just salt and freshly ground pepper. Jakub Hlávka, chef of the Kantýna restaurant, suggests that a marinade with only oil, salt, and pepper will bring out the full flavor of the meat.

"If you add ground red pepper, cumin, mustard, or soy sauce to the marinade, you may detract from the unique taste of the meat unnecessarily. If you choose this type of marinade, I recommend using it more for chicken or pork. With quality beef, you don't need any other flavor components apart from salt and pepper," emphasizes Hlávka.

You can determine the doneness of meat with your finger - less cooked meat feels softer and more yielding, while a more cooked piece is naturally firmer.

When turning the meat, use tongs or tweezers instead of poking it with a fork, as using a fork can cause the loss of juices. Chef Honza Všetečka from U Kalendů restaurant advises. If your steaks stick to the grill, avoid pulling them off. When the meat is perfectly cooked, it will come off on its own.

If you’ve only seasoned the meat with salt and pepper but still want a more robust flavor, consider replacing the marinade with sauces for the finished meat. Serve the sauces separately so that everyone can choose their favorite. This way, the natural flavor of the meat will remain, and the sauces will add variety.

You have several options to choose from, such as pepper, mushroom, chimichurri, or herb butter. The herbs will also flavor the meat beautifully, but don’t add them at the start of grilling, as they could make the meat taste bitter. Instead, add them in the last minute or two. Ready-made cold sauces like the new Perigord sauce from Čestr or pepper sauce from U Kalendů are a convenient option.

Just a reminder: If you’re hosting a barbecue for a larger group, you can rent a mobile beer tap from Lokál. The rental includes beer lines, a keg of your choice, a tap handle, beer glasses, cleaning supplies, coasters, and any necessary tools. Additionally, each tap is thoroughly sanitized before rental.