Anyone seriously into barbecue?
#1
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Swilling coffee at my lab bench
Posts: 9,096
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Anyone seriously into barbecue?
I don't mean burning a few sausages and burgers over an open grill
Anyone into spit roasting, water smoking, flavoured woods and home made sauces? Now that we're enjoying a reasonably warm and sunny afternoon I've declared that it's time for the first bbq of the season, so this evening Mrs C and I will be enjoying a whole hickory smoked chicken with our own recipe tomato & vinegar based bbq sauce
Has anyone managed to find a charcoal fired grill with both lid and spit? The only ones I can find are gas fired, which although it doesn't spoil the taste, does spoil the fun.
At the moment I'm using a cheap open grill to which I've attached an electric spit, and some tinfoil serves as a hood to keep the smoke in. I also use a water smoker - a bit like an oil drum with a lid, where the fire burns in a bowl at the bottom, a bowl of water halfway up boils continually, and the food sits on a grill at the top. The food is cooked slowly by indirect heat from the fire, and the lid keeps the steam and smoke in to retain moisture and flavour. It's ideal for use when it's a bit windy (like this afternoon) - the fire is completely protected from the wind, with just a few ventilation holes top and bottom to stop it from suffocating.
Anyone care to share techniques and recipies?
Anyone into spit roasting, water smoking, flavoured woods and home made sauces? Now that we're enjoying a reasonably warm and sunny afternoon I've declared that it's time for the first bbq of the season, so this evening Mrs C and I will be enjoying a whole hickory smoked chicken with our own recipe tomato & vinegar based bbq sauce
Has anyone managed to find a charcoal fired grill with both lid and spit? The only ones I can find are gas fired, which although it doesn't spoil the taste, does spoil the fun.
At the moment I'm using a cheap open grill to which I've attached an electric spit, and some tinfoil serves as a hood to keep the smoke in. I also use a water smoker - a bit like an oil drum with a lid, where the fire burns in a bowl at the bottom, a bowl of water halfway up boils continually, and the food sits on a grill at the top. The food is cooked slowly by indirect heat from the fire, and the lid keeps the steam and smoke in to retain moisture and flavour. It's ideal for use when it's a bit windy (like this afternoon) - the fire is completely protected from the wind, with just a few ventilation holes top and bottom to stop it from suffocating.
Anyone care to share techniques and recipies?
#3
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: The biosphere
Posts: 7,824
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm no cook, but I am into my bbqs (ok usually it is burnt sausages and 4 gallons of beer) but have you considered getting a Webber BBQ? Its a kettle bbq which means you can do joins of meat and its absolutely lush!
Basically, you get these wire dividers which split the charcoal so it is either side of the meat and not directly under so it won't burn. You put a tray of water beneath the joint which will help steam the meat whilst catching the fat, put the lid on, adjust the vents and leave the heat to circulate inside. The result is absolutely lovely, moist and flavoursome!
Oh, and to answer your question you can get a spit attachment too!
http://www.grillstuff.com/webketrot.html
Basically, you get these wire dividers which split the charcoal so it is either side of the meat and not directly under so it won't burn. You put a tray of water beneath the joint which will help steam the meat whilst catching the fat, put the lid on, adjust the vents and leave the heat to circulate inside. The result is absolutely lovely, moist and flavoursome!
Oh, and to answer your question you can get a spit attachment too!
http://www.grillstuff.com/webketrot.html
#6
My brother BBQ'd his turkey on Christmas Day last year! Perhaps at this point I should add he lives in Dubai!
He used a kettle BBQ, and he follwed the instructions thinking this doesn;t look like enough charcoal. Sure enough it wasn't so when the potatoes etc were ready the Turkey wasn't! Result was they ate the veg, put lots of charcoal in the BBQ and went to the beach! Came back and turkey slightly singed but edible and very tasty apparently!
He used a kettle BBQ, and he follwed the instructions thinking this doesn;t look like enough charcoal. Sure enough it wasn't so when the potatoes etc were ready the Turkey wasn't! Result was they ate the veg, put lots of charcoal in the BBQ and went to the beach! Came back and turkey slightly singed but edible and very tasty apparently!
#7
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Swilling coffee at my lab bench
Posts: 9,096
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A full pig? Not really, Mrs C and I aren't that greedy! Something that will hold a chicken would be plenty big enough.
Actually I'm having a bad afternoon. The smoker's been burning away for hours and yet the air inside just isn't getting warm I'm just letting the chicken smoke for a while and then it's going in the oven instead. I guess it's just too cold and windy today. I think I need a model that offers a bit more control over ventilation.
Actually I'm having a bad afternoon. The smoker's been burning away for hours and yet the air inside just isn't getting warm I'm just letting the chicken smoke for a while and then it's going in the oven instead. I guess it's just too cold and windy today. I think I need a model that offers a bit more control over ventilation.
Trending Topics
#11
Originally Posted by AndyC_772
A full pig? Not really, Mrs C and I aren't that greedy! Something that will hold a chicken would be plenty big enough.
Actually I'm having a bad afternoon. The smoker's been burning away for hours and yet the air inside just isn't getting warm I'm just letting the chicken smoke for a while and then it's going in the oven instead. I guess it's just too cold and windy today. I think I need a model that offers a bit more control over ventilation.
Actually I'm having a bad afternoon. The smoker's been burning away for hours and yet the air inside just isn't getting warm I'm just letting the chicken smoke for a while and then it's going in the oven instead. I guess it's just too cold and windy today. I think I need a model that offers a bit more control over ventilation.
#13
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Swilling coffee at my lab bench
Posts: 9,096
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've been using 'heat beads', which are like charcoal briquettes but denser, so they burn hotter and longer than regular charcoal. On an open grill they're great - just a single layer will do for sausages and burgers, and a double layer will spit roast a chicken and still be good for another hour or so.
I had a whole bag of the damn things in the smoker, though, and still the chicken came out barely warm. I think the problem is the design of my smoker - it's got quite wide ventilation gaps top and bottom and today it's windy. All the heat was just getting sucked out by the wind. The same amount of fuel normally does a pretty good job.
I did remember (too late) that I normally build up the fire on top of a grating that just keeps the coals off the base of the fire pan; this allows some air to circulate below the coals and lets the ash drop through so the fire doesn't suffocate itself. So, at least I have something to try next weekend, but failing that it's off to a DIY store for a new smoker that's air tight with vents that I can control.
I'm sure cavemen didn't have this trouble
I had a whole bag of the damn things in the smoker, though, and still the chicken came out barely warm. I think the problem is the design of my smoker - it's got quite wide ventilation gaps top and bottom and today it's windy. All the heat was just getting sucked out by the wind. The same amount of fuel normally does a pretty good job.
I did remember (too late) that I normally build up the fire on top of a grating that just keeps the coals off the base of the fire pan; this allows some air to circulate below the coals and lets the ash drop through so the fire doesn't suffocate itself. So, at least I have something to try next weekend, but failing that it's off to a DIY store for a new smoker that's air tight with vents that I can control.
I'm sure cavemen didn't have this trouble
#14
BANNED
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: LIVERPOOL THE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
Posts: 8,511
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I remember this thread topic from last year.
It made me hungry......I went out and bought a BBQ cheapish £60 effort, the outcome was not what I had imagined.
I am just too impatient, things werent cooked through, then some things were cooked too much, and nothing was ready at the right time.
She did the chips in the house and they were ready before I had managed to light the barsteward.
Can we have more food talk and less equipment talk please.
And maybe some pictures.
It made me hungry......I went out and bought a BBQ cheapish £60 effort, the outcome was not what I had imagined.
I am just too impatient, things werent cooked through, then some things were cooked too much, and nothing was ready at the right time.
She did the chips in the house and they were ready before I had managed to light the barsteward.
Can we have more food talk and less equipment talk please.
And maybe some pictures.
#15
We did a whole 60lb seeker deer over a pit last year at a mates place in the Borders - took 8 hours - shoved a scaffold pole in one end and out the other It was basted with about a gallon of stuff comprising about 4 bottles of wine, 20 heads of garlic, olive oil, onion, seasoning, thyme etc. and stuffed with rice. Superb!
#17
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: "Every one should have a friend called Dave - they're the human equivalent of a Swiss Army knife!!"
Posts: 1,460
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If your really into BBQ's then this is the place for all my grilling buddies
http://www.caribbeancookers.com
The DADDY of BBQ's.
http://www.caribbeancookers.com
The DADDY of BBQ's.
#18
lol ello james
been away from pc for couple days, almost missed such a worthwhile thread
yep have bbq'ed whole chickens.
lol, we did a bbq xas day last yr........unfortunately we dont live in dubai but on dartmoor still it did not rain, was just above 0 degrees centigrade and was a gr8 way to spend xmas.
posted few piccies on here iirc.
just bout to move in with my fiancee and gotta get a proper mega bbq organised cos i'm used to bbqing all year and usually 4/5 times a week
try some different stuff to........we do
duck
crocodile
kangaroo
ostrich
etc etc
wotever u can find near u in a specialist butcher
oh and dont get me started on 'gas' bbq's
oh and check out these sites....
http://www.recipesource.com/main-dis.../indexall.html
http://www.national-bbq-week.co.uk/index.shtml
been away from pc for couple days, almost missed such a worthwhile thread
yep have bbq'ed whole chickens.
lol, we did a bbq xas day last yr........unfortunately we dont live in dubai but on dartmoor still it did not rain, was just above 0 degrees centigrade and was a gr8 way to spend xmas.
posted few piccies on here iirc.
just bout to move in with my fiancee and gotta get a proper mega bbq organised cos i'm used to bbqing all year and usually 4/5 times a week
try some different stuff to........we do
duck
crocodile
kangaroo
ostrich
etc etc
wotever u can find near u in a specialist butcher
oh and dont get me started on 'gas' bbq's
oh and check out these sites....
http://www.recipesource.com/main-dis.../indexall.html
http://www.national-bbq-week.co.uk/index.shtml
Last edited by Steve Perriam; 23 March 2004 at 08:47 AM.
#19
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: London
Posts: 4,797
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i bought a weber kettle couple of years ago - at fist i was using it like a conventional open bbq as i thought the idea of putting a lid on was silly , eventually i thought i might as well try it with the lid on and was amazed - things like chicken portions that tend to burn on an open grill turned out brilliant; very well flavoured and moist.
i like the idea of smoking stuff, but i've never done it. hot smoked fish is awesome. what sort of device do you need to do this properly?
i like the idea of smoking stuff, but i've never done it. hot smoked fish is awesome. what sort of device do you need to do this properly?
Last edited by ProperCharlie; 23 March 2004 at 08:42 AM. Reason: oops
#22
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Swilling coffee at my lab bench
Posts: 9,096
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
14? Try digging a pit in the ground and stick a wrought iron gate over it!
I'm sure someone will have a more helpful suggestion - most of the big ones I've seen are gas fired and expensive.
I'm sure someone will have a more helpful suggestion - most of the big ones I've seen are gas fired and expensive.
#23
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: The biosphere
Posts: 7,824
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Has anyone tried using online meat suppliers like http://www.barrowboar.com and http://www.alternativemeats.co.uk ?
Quite fancy getting in some exotic meat for the barbie, but don't know anywhere round here that I can get it from.
Quite fancy getting in some exotic meat for the barbie, but don't know anywhere round here that I can get it from.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post