BBQ season

[henry d]

I realise that the sarf of England is about to get a ton of water over it, but we had a great day yesterday sat in the garden from lunchtime until the sun went behind the neighbours house.

I had bought a smoker style barbie, not the barrel type with a smoke box a fairly decent lidded type, to take over from our older traditional stainless pedestal barbie. What a difference! I set it going around 5pm with double the amount I would have used in the smaller old barbie, 10-15pm and I was toasting some bread over the embers. We had sauteed onions, vegetable kebabs, Aberdeen Angus burgers, a whole roast/smoked chicken. I even thought about baking bread in it at one stage and I think we could have done a couple of pizzas in there at the start as it was so hot (250-310`C).

Quick question, what is your favourite/secret recipe on the barbie?

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Well you have one or two days a year and we have 50 or 60 so perhaps it is more special for you!

[henry d]

Really? We both have tans already and were basking in 28`C six weeks ago, Perth has a lovely micro climate and the only thing I miss from living in Cornwall is the bass fishing, but thats changing fast.

[rimfire4969]

My favourite has to be a Leg of Lamb, butterflied open, remove the bone then stud with garlic and rosemary, cook slow and low for a couple of hours or so. When done the thin end is well done and the thick end is still rare, but all the outside is slightly crispy. 

[RockySpears]

19 minutes ago, rimfire4969 said:

My favourite has to be a Leg of Lamb, butterflied open, remove the bone then stud with garlic and rosemary, cook slow and low for a couple of hours or so. When done the thin end is well done and the thick end is still rare, but all the outside is slightly crispy. 

You do that on a BBQ???

 

RS

[rimfire4969]

34 minutes ago, RockySpears said:

You do that on a BBQ???

 

RS

Yes, slow and low. 

[Sussexboy]

One of our favourites is a kind of tandoori lamb. We marinate cubed lamb in yoghurt and spices for at least six hours (overnight is better) then stick the cubes onto metal skewers interspersed with onion and capsicum. The lamb is lovely and tender. This marinade also works with small lamb joints and chicken breasts.

[RockySpears]

4 hours ago, rimfire4969 said:

Yes, slow and low

  For slow, you need a lot of charcoal to last a couple of hours, a lot of charcoal is going to be High heat. 

You can't add charcoal either as that would mean smoke and flames, not embers.

Unless you are using a gas BBQ?

With Summer on our doorstep, perhaps some here can educate me on a "Slow and Low" methodology.

Thanks for sharing,

 

RS

 

[crazycooker]

I push all the charcoal to one end so none under the meat .sear the outside over the coals then move to the end with no coals beneath  close lid acts like an  convection oven simples 😃😃

Edited June 10, 2019 by crazycooker

[rimfire4969]

I pile up the charcoal let it burn down then put the meat on top and sear it. I them move it up as high as it goes spread the charcoal to either end and leave the meat in the middle. You can add coals as you need them to the ends. Keep the lid closed so it acts as an oven, if you need it to cool it down a squirt with a plant sprayer. 

[Fatcatsplat]

1 hour ago, RockySpears said:

  For slow, you need a lot of charcoal to last a couple of hours, a lot of charcoal is going to be High heat. 

You can't add charcoal either as that would mean smoke and flames, not embers.

Unless you are using a gas BBQ?

With Summer on our doorstep, perhaps some here can educate me on a "Slow and Low" methodology.

Thanks for sharing,

 

RS

 

Look up snake or minion method online

[RockySpears]

I would need a second BBQ as I just have the half barrel type, no lid.  I've smoked fish plenty, but never got round to the big stuff.  OH might complain if i trashed a tenners worth of lamb or beef.  Could start with chicken I guess.  Need a starter chimney too, looks like my Grans coal scuttle with holes in,

RS

[Fatcatsplat]

Start on pork - Very forgiving and cheap!!

 

 

[WestonSalop]

Best piece of kit I ever bought (admittedly I was half cut at the time) was my Big Green Egg. Expensive but have used it a lot in the 12 yrs we've had it, including the turkey every Xmas Day. Fave item on there is prob very slow cooked (8 hours) pulled pork. Otherwise, a good quality rare steak with the Egg as hot as it will go.

I agree with Fatcatsplat - pork generally is so cheap its great for experimenting with.

[bruno22rf]

We cheat - everything is cooked slowly in the oven till it's just done then put out on trays in the kitchen - outside in the garden we have a 2 disposable BBQ's on bricks sat on the table where everyone sits.Walk into the kitchen - pick out what you want then back into the garden and pop it on the BBQ till it's done the way you like it. We find it so much easier and everybody, so far, seems to agree that it's fun. 

[moondoggy]

12 hours ago, WestonSalop said:

Best piece of kit I ever bought (admittedly I was half cut at the time) was my Big Green Egg. Expensive but have used it a lot in the 12 yrs we've had it, including the turkey every Xmas Day. Fave item on there is prob very slow cooked (8 hours) pulled pork. Otherwise, a good quality rare steak with the Egg as hot as it will go.

I agree with Fatcatsplat - pork generally is so cheap its great for experimenting with.

My son swears by the Big Green Eggs. They use one in the Michelin Starred restaurant that he works in. He also has the old one that they threw out when they bought a new one.

[Flashman]

10 hours ago, moondoggy said:

My son swears by the Big Green Eggs. They use one in the Michelin Starred restaurant that he works in. He also has the old one that they threw out when they bought a new one.

But are they worth the list price for home use? 

UK weather doesn't make BBQing a year round option, so it's £800+ for a three months per year toy.

[WestonSalop]

2 hours ago, Flashman said:

But are they worth the list price for home use? 

UK weather doesn't make BBQing a year round option, so it's £800+ for a three months per year toy.

A very good point - if you are occasional users of BBQs then def not good value for money. Thing is though, BGE's are much more than a barby. Think of them as all round cookers. As well as roasting the Xmas turkey, I use mine as a smoker. Its just outside the kitchen door and so even when the weather is carp, its still usable. Yes, its an extravagance and had I been totally sober at the Ludlow Food Festival in 2007, I may not have bought it but I don't regret it.

[henry d]

Thanks for ALL the replies, good stuff!

I saw Aldi had a BGE on sale but I wouldn`t use it much, however the amount of outdoor cooking equipment we have acquired is quite large now that I think on it. we have 2x BBQ`s now, a folding camping stove/BBQ, a ghillie (kelly) kettle with all the cooking equipment, and a Jiko stove from Kenya (not the envirofit, the handmade one). All have their place and some are more efficient than others, but all are fun to use.

[moondoggy]

On 12/06/2019 at 13:14, Flashman said:

But are they worth the list price for home use? 

UK weather doesn't make BBQing a year round option, so it's £800+ for a three months per year toy.

They do smaller ones for less than £300.

It’s like saying is a Purdey worth the money when a Baikal will do the same job.

These are good quality BBQ’s, so if you can afford it, then I say ‘fill your boots’, if not, get a cheapo one from Aldi. I know which I would sooner have.

But then I am a DIY’er who buys professional tools. I much prefer to have quality things, regardless of cost (within reason and my budget, of course).

The other way of looking at it is, if you are prepared to spend that kind of money, then make the effort to ensure you use it. 

Also meant to say, at the restaurant where my son works, they use theirs in the kitchen under a large extractor. It is to give certain items of food that BBQ flavour.

I use my BBQ with a gazebo if necessary. Where there’s a will........

Edited June 14, 2019 by moondoggy

[Flashman]

On 14/06/2019 at 15:33, moondoggy said:

They do smaller ones for less than £300.

It’s like saying is a Purdey worth the money when a Baikal will do the same job.

These are good quality BBQ’s, so if you can afford it, then I say ‘fill your boots’, if not, get a cheapo one from Aldi. I know which I would sooner have.

But then I am a DIY’er who buys professional tools. I much prefer to have quality things, regardless of cost (within reason and my budget, of course).

The other way of looking at it is, if you are prepared to spend that kind of money, then make the effort to ensure you use it. 

Also meant to say, at the restaurant where my son works, they use theirs in the kitchen under a large extractor. It is to give certain items of food that BBQ flavour.

I use my BBQ with a gazebo if necessary. Where there’s a will........

BGE have done a great job of pitching its product as a premium product - and charge accordingly.

I can't get that hyped over cooking, so I bought something on which to grill steaks when the weather's warm.  It's horses for courses of course, but standing under a gazebo in winter doesn't appeal.

 

 

[Fatcatsplat]

1 hour ago, Flashman said:

BGE have done a great job of pitching its product as a premium product - and charge accordingly.

I can't get that hyped over cooking, so I bought something on which to grill steaks when the weather's warm.  It's horses for courses of course, but standing under a gazebo in winter doesn't appeal.

 

 

With a ceramic barbecue you don't have to - Very fuel efficient and excellent temperature control - Set it up and let it go

[Walker570]

I purchased two sheets of that fancy non stick copper sheeting for our barbie and it is brilliant. I did some large salmon steaks on Sunday evening and our friend could not believe how the salmon just slid across and did not burn or stick one little bit but had an all over brown crust.  I did not realise but one of our guests does not normally eat salmon but like me if he is served it he will eat it, out of good manners but he said he had never eaten such superb salmon ever.... the English Cold Pressed rape oil with a shake of Tony Chatery's Cajun mix brushed over as it cooked, did help

If you don't have one or two of those sheets then have a look on the web, they are not expensive and wash off very easily for use again and again.