Seasonings Can Turn a So-So Steak into Something Awesome

Few things in life can beat the pleasure of tucking into properly grilled meat – that tenderness, that smoky beef flavor, and that hit of sweet-tasting fat. However, there’s so much more than what you do with the meat. Seasonings, sauces, marinades and rubs can turn a so-so steak into something awesome.

Seasonings can be as simple as salt and fresh ground black pepper, or a complex blend of herbs and spices. Marinades can make plain steaks spectacular and tough steaks tender. After grilling, sauces can fix any flavor and put the finishing touch to any meal.

In the area of steaks, salt is somewhat controversial. Some professional chefs say that it prevents meat from browning – a crucial element of a properly grilled steak. Others will tell you that salt will dry the meat out. Then there are those who are adamant that salt is essential for flavor enhancement. The trick is, if you’re going to use it, then use it in moderation.

Beef has the ability to go well with most spices. Seasonings can be used to carry flavor deep into meat via marinades, or they can be rubbed on the surface. Of course, many people say that good steaks don’t need additional seasonings. While this may be true for a great cut that’s grilled to perfection, poorer cuts can benefit hugely by some sprucing up.

P.S. The best way to grill beef is medium-rare. Although plenty of people will disagree with this, any professional chef will tell you that cooking steak anywhere past medium is a practice that should be harshly condemned!

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7 best-selling Ramadan food items

From dates and Vimto to rice and milk powder, the best-selling food products during the Holy Month are pretty much the same every year.

We at wanted to know why, so we conducted a little investigation.

We called major supermarkets such as Choithrams, Union Co-op and Spinneys to find out why these items are so popular and what they are used for. Here is what we found out:

1. Dates: Dates are rich with healthy nutrients that are perfect when breaking a long fast. When you don’t eat anything for 15 hours straight, the sugar level in your blood drops; dates – being sugar-rich and easy to digest – are ideal to boost it back up. Plus, dates can make you feel somewhat full in a short period of time – at least full enough to stop that loud stomach growling that you pretend didn’t come from you.

2. Vimto: Another favourite during Ramadan is this sweet berry-flavoured syrup. Vimto gives a great energy boost to those who are fasting and, through the years, it has become one of the most sought-after products during the Holy Month.

3. Cooking oil: Keeping in mind that Ramadan is a time when families and friends get together and bond over a delicious meal, we will ignore the disadvantages of fried food for this month only. (Bring on the samosas, spring rolls and French fries).

4. Sugar: Remember what we said about fried food? The same applies to sugary desserts. Umm Ali, knafeh and atayef are some of the perennial favourites to make during the Holy Month, which would explain why sugar is another Ramadan best-seller.

5. Powdered milk: Powdered milk is healthy and quick to use, making it the go-to item when whipping up a dish just before breaking your fast. Rich in vitamins, carbohydrates and proteins, it is just like having milk – only in a convenient powder form.

6. Frozen chicken: Cheaper and more long-lasting, this is another popular food item to buy during Ramadan. People can buy frozen full chickens in bulk (they usually come in packs of two or four), store them and then use them whenever they want to, rather than making grocery runs every two days for fresh chicken.

7. Laban Up: Laban Up is a delicious and refreshing salty yoghurt drink and is perfect to break your fast with. It cools the body down and contains nutrients such as calcium, proteins and vitamins. And that’s not all: Laban Up also boosts the immune and digestive systems. With nearly no negatives, it is a definite winner in Ramadan.

That’s all of them. As we said, they’re the same every year, but now you know why.

VIMTO Syrup Saudi Fruit Cordial Holy Joes Indian Groceries and Halal Market

With Ramadan here, both drinks brands will be vying to reach the maximum number of iftar tables.

While Vimto claims to be the most popular Ramadan drink in the Arab world, Muslims across Pakistan and India sip on Rooh Afza as they break their fast during the holy month. How do the two match up?

Origins

Both the sherbets have been around for a long time – Rooh Afza was created in 1907, by Hakim Abdul Majid, the founder of the company Hamdard Laboratories. The drink is very popular in India and Pakistan, where it is manufactured. It is also made in Bangladesh, and available all across the world.

Vimto came into existence a year later, when Noel Nichols invented the fruity purple drink in the UK. The drink came to the region slightly later, when Saudi-based Aujan industries began locally importing it in 1927. Vimto, manufactured by Nichols Plc grew in popularity in the region, and in 1975 a company called Solent Canners negotiated a license from Nichols to produce canned carbonated Vimto for sale to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and then later also the UAE. In 1978 and 1979 they were awarded the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement on the strength of the Middle Eastern sales. In 1980 Nichols purchased Solent Canners.

Content

Both the drinks are made of a combination of fruits, herbs and spices. Rooh Afza, which is mainly rose-scented, also includes syrups of orange, pineapple, carrot and watermelon, flowers, some medicinal herbs and vegetable extracts. Vimto is mainly fruit- concentrate.
Both are in syrup form, are pinkish in color and extremely sweet. They are energy-producing drinks, and that’s why the popularity during Ramadan.

While Rooh Afza is mainly mixed with milk (called Rose milk at times), it can also be mixed with several other drinks. Some add it with Sprite and milk, some with a soda, and others with plain water. It is also used as an add-on to desserts, and is poured over ice-cream and Falooda for its flavor.

Vimto generally only serves as a drink, and is also mixed with either soda or water.

Advertising

Vimto has relied hugely on advertising to push its sales. Last year, the company claims to have sold 20 million Vimto bottles across the GCC during the month long Ramadan, which it attributes to the ‘Haykhalasso’ (Hurry, They’ll finish it all!) campaign.

The ads showed a world in which people panicked at the prospect of Vimto running out. In one, a distraught woman who has dreamt her hoard of Vimto is missing attacks her husband with a bat, only to be reassured the bottles are safe.

This year, Vimto is targeting young Arab mother through its ad campaign, says Aujan’s marketing manager, because they are the decision makers. The company, which is mainly using television campaigns, hopes to have an increase of 5 percent from last year.

The brand is now worth around $350m worldwide (as of February this year). The first Vimto television advert appeared in 1956 and cost around $195.

Rooh Afza on the other hand, has had a very limited advertising, and has relied more on word-of-mouth. However, the company recently announced that it has just sharpened its marketing strategy, and also roped in Indian actress Juhi Chawla as its brand ambassador. The marketing campaign is being prepared by advertising agency JWT. Roohafza brand maker Hamdard Laboratories is planning to post a 33 per cent growth and turnover of more than $56m this year. It is aiming for a 26 percent sales growth for Rooh Afza.