Christmas Dinner? Impress Your Family with a Bavette Roll!

Preparations:

Make sure to buy your Bavette from the (quality) butcher. The meat from the butcher is generally better in quality and fuller in flavor, which is exactly what we want. Additionally, your Bavette needs to be “prepared,” and for that, you need the butcher. Normally, the Bavette is a large and thick piece of meat. Ask the butcher to slice the Bavette lengthwise into two thin pieces. Sometimes a Bavette has a thin membrane on it; if the butcher is already working on it, ask him to remove this membrane. (Any fat should be left on.)

Keep the sliced Bavette in the fridge at home, but when it’s time to put it on your KLAUWE, it should be at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge well in advance! This will help the meat stay tender. (If the Bavette is too cold when it goes on the grill, it will become tougher.)

What to do with your KLAUWE:

Fire up your KLAUWE and bring the temperature to around 150 degrees Celsius.

For this dish, we’ll be grilling both directly and indirectly, so consider where you place the coals. For example, place the coals on one side of the fire basket. You can also choose to push the coals to one side once they are burning.

When lighting your KLAUWE, you need more oxygen initially, so open the air vents at the front and back completely. (After lighting the fire, close the rear vent completely.) The front vent stays open during lighting and is where you fine-tune the temperature of your KLAUWE.

If the fire needs a heat boost, briefly open the rear vent. Keep the vent in the lid half open. (This depends on how the temperature behaves. More air means more fire, which means a higher temperature, and vice versa. Once the fire is burning, control it with the front vent.)

Leave the lid off the KLAUWE and let the fire do its job.

Moving on to your ingredients:

First, spread green pesto generously on the top side of the two pieces of Bavette.

Next, layer the slices of Parma ham on top of the pesto. You can lay the slices neatly side by side or in a more casual manner.

Cut the aged cheese into thin strips about 3 centimeters wide, then cut these strips into smaller pieces. Place these cheese pieces on top of the Parma ham.

Toast the pine nuts in a pan on the stove until they are lightly browned. Be careful, as they can burn quickly.

Ready to roll:

Roll the Bavette tightly from the long side, creating a long roulade. Secure the roulade with butcher’s twine to hold its shape. After tying the roulade, cut off any excess twine.

Optionally, you can insert a few skewers through the Bavette to keep it in place when you remove the twine after grilling.

Repeat this process with the other Bavette and set both roulades aside. Now, let’s get back to your KLAUWE.

Back to your KLAUWE:

When the coals are hot and the highest flames have died down, move the fire basket with the lifting hook (and barbecue gloves) to the third level (from the top). We’ll be grilling indirectly, so place the coals on one side of the fire basket.

Place the grill grate on the second level (from the top). Put the lid on your KLAUWE. (We’re grilling without a water ring and without a water tray.)

Keep the air vents at the front and back somewhat open. Watch where the temperature goes. The goal is around 150 degrees Celsius. If the temperature exceeds this range, adjust the air vents. Close the rear vent completely. If the temperature continues to rise, close the front vent slightly. Eventually, you can fine-tune the temperature with the front vent. If the temperature is too low, open the front vent more (and possibly the rear vent as well). If the temperature is too high, close the front vent slightly.

Take your time with this. The temperature needs to stabilize. Do this, of course, with a suitable drink in hand.

And then?:

When the temperature is stable, sear the two Bavette roulades over direct heat first, then move them to the indirect zone to finish cooking.

Brush the outside of the two Bavette roulades with a little olive oil to give them a nice shine.

To keep it simple, sear one roulade at a time. Leave the lid off your KLAUWE if needed. Sear each side of the roulade to get some nice grill marks. Once one side is seared, turn it over and sear the other side. When done, move the seared roulade to the cooler, indirect zone. Repeat this with the second roulade.

When both roulades are seared and in the indirect zone, close the lid. The roulades will now cook slowly and evenly. A meat thermometer is useful to determine when they’re done.

When is the Bavette Roulade ready?:

This depends on how you like your meat. If you prefer it very rare, it will be done sooner. The internal temperature is key.

For juicy, medium-rare meat, aim for an internal temperature of about 55°C.

Remember, the meat should rest after grilling before you slice it. Take this into account! The internal temperature will rise a few degrees after removing it from the grill (up to about 4°C).

Rare:
Bright red at an internal temperature of about 49/50 degrees Celsius from the grill.

Medium Rare:
Strong pink with slight gray-brown at the edge at an internal temperature of about 52/53 degrees Celsius from the grill.

Medium:
Light pink with a brown edge at an internal temperature of about 57/58 degrees Celsius from the grill.

Resting your Bavette Roulades:

After taking the roulades off the grill, let them rest indoors on a table. Outside is too cold. Loosely cover the roulades with aluminum foil. Let the meat rest for about 10 minutes.

Do not wrap the meat tightly in aluminum foil! This will cause the heat to concentrate inside and overcook the meat.

The finishing touch:

After the 10-minute rest, it’s time to slice and serve your Bavette Roulades. Remove the butcher’s twine and slice the roulade. Don’t forget to remove the skewers. It’s recommended to do this when the roulade is on the plate.

Bon appétit, and remember: Eat with your KLAUWE and Impress Your Friends!

KLAUWE wishes you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful and healthy 2018!