Barbecues - What's The Point

[rcf0712]

I've just been informed by the wife that she is expecting a barbecue this afternoon.

Just taken a look at the rusting hulk sitting in the garden and can't get any enthusiasm for scraping off all the rust and mold just to cook meats that will turn out black on the outside, pink in the middle and taste of soot.

Whats wrong with perfectly grilled meats from the simple to use electric kitchen appliance?

Do I get cleaning, buy a new barbecue of feign injury?

You man up and embrace the great outdoors mate

 

[chucky1973]

Unlike grilling, charcoal adds a unique taste to anything that is cooked on it - that a majority of people find very agreeable.

Gas BBQ's on the other hand... pointless

this 100%. BBQ's all the way for me, have 3,a small bucket one when cooking tea for me and mrs chucky1973, a larger one for when the kids want some tucker and then a monster brick built one for entertaining. Constant turning ensures no burning, dont buy cheap sausages as thats what causes flames. Another tip, chuck loads of Rosemary on the charcoals, the smell is great and you can taste it on the food.

Another tip, if your doing chicken legs, microwave for about 5 mins first, cooks the bone and off you go, still get the glorious taste of charcoal on your meat.

 

[The Mole]

I don't know how much of a difference it makes to taste, it just helps to cook thicker cuts of meats, joints etc. without having to worry about flare ups leading to charred outsides/raw insides. It's also a way to cook on the BBQ without having to stand over it for the whole time.

You use indirect heat for certain kinds of cooking for example roasts. Often put a tray of water in to create a bit of steam to stop the meat drying. Another thing I like to cook is salmon on a couple do soaked planks - gets a really good smoky taste.

King prawns in coriander & ginger today on hot coals - can't beat it

 

[mattpenfold]

Unless you a cooking stuff that will cook very quickly, such as steak or thinner burgers then you should not be cooking directly over the coals.

Bank the charcoal up on one half of the BBQ, put a drip tray with some water in it on the otherside, and cook the food above the drip, only moving over the coals at the end when you want to a get final browning.

Oh, and keep the lid on!

 

[OzMike]

I use mine all year round now, I was a bit slow to catch on but have got the knack and now I use it to cook meat, fish, vegetables and I have a side burner I can put a saucepan on.
I have a lid on mine and have worked out how to use it to roast the joints at Christmas and during the cooler winter months.
I have put lava rocks under the griddle plate that glow red when hot, the fat drips off the meat, it hits them and and burns off giving the meat a real smokey barbeque taste, yum yum.
It is an ideal way, especially here, to keep the heat and the cooking smells out of the house which is a god send in the summer.

 

[mattpenfold]

There is an amazing website that goes into great detail about how to the get best results when BBQing. Some of it is rather over the top in detail, but there are some great tips.

http://amazingribs.com/

 

[BensGrandad]

Why ruin good meat by using a BBQ why not just cook it properly on a conventional cooker and then take it outside to eat if you must. Why does everybody else have to suffer the smell or rather stink of a BBQ because of 1 family

 

[viscentaye]

Off to a family BBQ shortly - prawn and chorizo chilli skewers a great side to the usual bits and pieces. I'll let the neighbours know when we host, especially if they have washing on the line or windows open, just wish they would return the bloomin favour when they do one!

 

[8ace]

Why does everybody else have to suffer the smell or rather stink of a BBQ because of 1 family

Agree with this, often set fire to some some old plastic drums to get my own back.

 

[s5.bha]

With the wife being Thai , she does all the BBQing while I sit back with a beer.....also it's all the kind of street food you get in Southeast Asia , 10 baht stick food !!!
Love it.......

 

[Acker79]

You use indirect heat for certain kinds of cooking for example roasts. Often put a tray of water in to create a bit of steam to stop the meat drying. Another thing I like to cook is salmon on a couple do soaked planks - gets a really good smoky taste.

King prawns in coriander & ginger today on hot coals - can't beat it

Yeah, I add hickory wood chips (soaked in water first) on the coals to get a good smoke.

 

[vegster]

i sympathise with you, however have an urge to make fire and cook slabs of hunted meat (at supermarket). it makes sence for groups i think, but in place of the family dinner it does seem more hassle than its worth. key thing is to clean the BBQ after use, not leave it two months.




cooked food allows us to gain far more nutrients from foods, more easily. it allows us to eat foods we'd struggle to digest at all. its arguably one of the reasons we have larger brains, because we use less energy digesting and so can have a surplus to fuel the brain instead.

Having just scrubbed a BBQ grill which has stood idle and covered in sooty grease the last thing i'm going to do is to do it again at 7.30 tonight. I will just have to play Barbie bingo and hope I'm not around when it gets used next.

 

[Hillian1]

Why ruin good meat by using a BBQ why not just cook it properly on a conventional cooker and then take it outside to eat if you must. Why does everybody else have to suffer the smell or rather stink of a BBQ because of 1 family

It's not ruined if cooked properly, in fact I would say it's 100 times better cooked over lumpwood charcoal, only complete cretins can't cook on a BBQ.

 

[BensGrandad]

You stick to your burnt offerings and meat especially chicken not cooked in the middle, as happens at most BBQs, and burnt on the outside and I will stick to my oven and grill to cook it to perfection. I must add that I very rarely eat chicken from a buffet that people have done themselves either for the same reason it is usually pink in the middle especially if they have bought marinated drumsticks or similar.

 

[Frutos]

If she wants a barbecue, get her to do the cooking.

 

[beorhthelm]

It's not ruined if cooked properly, in fact I would say it's 100 times better cooked over lumpwood charcoal, only complete cretins can't cook on a BBQ.

cretin is harsh. the problem is that men who cant/dont cook suddenly get control at the BBQ, dont understand what they are doing either in preping a decent heat source or the cooking process and bugger it up. as men have become more accepting of day to day cooking, so they have been competent at BBQ.

 

[jevs]

I suspect that there is NO-ONE posting on NSC who can tell a true story that includes the words "Holly Willoughby standing next to you wearing nothing but an apron".

yeah, but we could dream Lord B !!!!

 

[withdeanwombat]

So, you spend thousands and thousands of pounds on a modern kitchen stacked with modern working appliances, but cook your dinner outside on an unreliable rust bucket capable of inflicting serious harm to your health.

For heavens sake, cook inside and eat outside if you like, but BBQ's ?

No thanks.

 

[Billy the Fish]

It's the charcoal taste you morons!

If you're burning everything you either made it too hot or your food is too close to the coals, don't blame the BBQ because you're not doing it properly

 

[Questions]

I'm with you. By all means EAT it in the garden, with a cold beer, but cook it nicely on the grill.

Most definetly this to the point that my wife and daughter have to do them if they want one. I will pop out occasionally to offer advice which is always welcome.