Discussion
barbecuing is LOW and SLOW - if your food cooks in less than 3 hours, your grilling, not barbecueing.
marinate or rub (with spices) your meat.
let the coals settle, then add hickory chips and a sprinkle of water.
put the meat on and shut the lid.
every hour, baste the meat with homemade BBQ sauce - its just ketchup, sugar, vinegar, spices and tabasco.
when its pull-apart tender, its done.
marinate or rub (with spices) your meat.
let the coals settle, then add hickory chips and a sprinkle of water.
put the meat on and shut the lid.
every hour, baste the meat with homemade BBQ sauce - its just ketchup, sugar, vinegar, spices and tabasco.
when its pull-apart tender, its done.
VX Foxy said:
All of the above 
If you were to give just one top tip - what would it be?
If you were to give just one top tip - what would it be?
Wadeski said:
barbecuing is LOW and SLOW - if your food cooks in less than 3 hours, your grilling, not barbecueing.
Exactly that, but I would imagine 3 hours is slightly OTT for a quick family BBQ. My tip - Chicken Wings. Dead cheap, you can buy a box of 12-14 in the supermarket for less than £2. Marinade them in a bottle of Nando's marinade(lots of flavours to choose from) for a few hours the slap them on the BBQ. As they cook baste the wings with the marinade each time you turn them. Turn them frequently so the marinade coating doesn't burn. 
Wadeski said:
escargot said:
Wadeski said:
barbecuing is LOW and SLOW - if your food cooks in less than 3 hours, your grilling, not barbecueing.
Why's that then?barbecue is slow, smokey, and aimed at tenderising and rendering fatty cuts like ribs, belly.
Most brits think the lid on their Webber is to keep the rain off in between nuking supermarket sausages
Wadeski said:
Barbecue is slow, smokey, and aimed at tenderising and rendering fatty cuts like ribs, belly.
Yep, agree with that. I've got a recipe for Texan brisket which takes ten hours. Utterly and completely worth it.And here is another chance to post this pic again. Ribs, cooked away from direct heat, with the lid on for 4 hours. Nom.
Edited by paulmurr on Friday 24th July 10:25
my tip: buy some good quality streaky bacon. a few hours after eating and drinking you start getting hungry again, the bbq coals will still be hot enough to make crispy bacon as a snack.
half a grapfruit, grill face down for a few mins then flipped right way up and add a drop of grand marnier.
half a grapfruit, grill face down for a few mins then flipped right way up and add a drop of grand marnier.
paul_y3k said:
3hrs .. 4hrs ... how the heck do you keep heat for that length of time.
No matter what I use, I'm finding that after abuot 70 mins, i can hold my hand over the grill level with it only feeling mildly warm.
Or is it a case of I need to use more charcoal ?
are you using the lid on, with the vent holes shut?No matter what I use, I'm finding that after abuot 70 mins, i can hold my hand over the grill level with it only feeling mildly warm.
Or is it a case of I need to use more charcoal ?
remember air = fire = heat, so the LESS air there is the LONGER your coals will last.
Use an oven thermometer as well to check your temps - you want about 80 degrees.
Slow cooking is key. Another reason I use gas not coals. Not only can I turn it on at the drop of a hat, cook when 'I' want, and sustain a constant heat for as long as I need, but I can put it back on at the drop of a hat a bit later to heat stuff up. Utter convenience more than makes up for what gas lacks in flavour cover coals IMO.
Top tips:
Marinate the day before or at least a few hours before and keep in the fridge.
Precook before hitting the BBQ. Without doubt this applies to chicken in any form, but I also preheat the burgers/sausages and anything else I am doing before to ensure that everything comes together at the same sort of time, rather than waiting half an hour between rounds.
Throw rosemary/crushed garlic cloves/herbs in the BBQ. It does little to actually flavour the food but it makes a nice smell!
I use aluminium cooking trays. Not only does it minimise mess, but the food cooks better and you can have the food flaoting around in the marinades too. Just make sure you keep turning when you first put the meat on them otherwise they will stick.
Slow cook at a low heat. The meat stays nice and moist and it prevents flash fires from dripping fat that can cremate a round of food in under a minute if you aren't paying attention.
Prepare homemade salads, pastas and potato salad. The stuff you get ready made in supermarkets is nasty and it is so simple and cheap to do it from scratch.
Chicken wings are a good call. Dirt cheap, endless options to marinate and always go down a storm. Make burgers yourself and experiment. Buy only decent sausages with a high fat content. Low fat or 'good for you' sausages don't work on BBQs as the skin sticks and the content goes tough.
Also, have enough tabletop space next to the BBQ to be able to work, move stuff, prepare and serve without the hassle of having to balance stuff because you don't have enough space!
And most of all, make sure you have a constant supply of cold beer being brought to you on demand while you work.
Top tips:
Marinate the day before or at least a few hours before and keep in the fridge.
Precook before hitting the BBQ. Without doubt this applies to chicken in any form, but I also preheat the burgers/sausages and anything else I am doing before to ensure that everything comes together at the same sort of time, rather than waiting half an hour between rounds.
Throw rosemary/crushed garlic cloves/herbs in the BBQ. It does little to actually flavour the food but it makes a nice smell!
I use aluminium cooking trays. Not only does it minimise mess, but the food cooks better and you can have the food flaoting around in the marinades too. Just make sure you keep turning when you first put the meat on them otherwise they will stick.
Slow cook at a low heat. The meat stays nice and moist and it prevents flash fires from dripping fat that can cremate a round of food in under a minute if you aren't paying attention.
Prepare homemade salads, pastas and potato salad. The stuff you get ready made in supermarkets is nasty and it is so simple and cheap to do it from scratch.
Chicken wings are a good call. Dirt cheap, endless options to marinate and always go down a storm. Make burgers yourself and experiment. Buy only decent sausages with a high fat content. Low fat or 'good for you' sausages don't work on BBQs as the skin sticks and the content goes tough.
Also, have enough tabletop space next to the BBQ to be able to work, move stuff, prepare and serve without the hassle of having to balance stuff because you don't have enough space!
And most of all, make sure you have a constant supply of cold beer being brought to you on demand while you work.
OP there are probably 2 schools of thought on BBQing.
(1) The BBQ is a unique and highly specialised means of creating unique and highly specialised dishes. Therefore BBQing is the brainsurgery of cooking.
(2) Its just another fecking variable heat source and there are no special rules.
I subscribe to no. 2.
Timing the cooking of different meats can be difficult and I hate dry, rubbery pork steaks and chicken breasts.
So here's my secret -There's absolutely nothing stopping you bunging an old roasting tin/frying pan/wok on part of the (hot) grill to do a bit of 'streetfood' cooking.
Little bowls of Thai curry require a spoonful or two of paste (homemade tastes amazing) a mug full of coconut milk and some meat & limited veg. 3-4 mins per batch.
A quick study of Wagamama etc cookbooks (or even your chinese/indian takeaway menu) will bring out some similar good ideas. It can be done far better than I have described it. And it doesn't need to be oriental food to be speedy either.
You can still churn out sausages etc on the side...
(1) The BBQ is a unique and highly specialised means of creating unique and highly specialised dishes. Therefore BBQing is the brainsurgery of cooking.
(2) Its just another fecking variable heat source and there are no special rules.
I subscribe to no. 2.
Timing the cooking of different meats can be difficult and I hate dry, rubbery pork steaks and chicken breasts.
So here's my secret -There's absolutely nothing stopping you bunging an old roasting tin/frying pan/wok on part of the (hot) grill to do a bit of 'streetfood' cooking.
Little bowls of Thai curry require a spoonful or two of paste (homemade tastes amazing) a mug full of coconut milk and some meat & limited veg. 3-4 mins per batch.
A quick study of Wagamama etc cookbooks (or even your chinese/indian takeaway menu) will bring out some similar good ideas. It can be done far better than I have described it. And it doesn't need to be oriental food to be speedy either.
You can still churn out sausages etc on the side...
People seem to eat more meat at bbq's than they ever would at a normal meal (well they do at ours), so the balance of meat/veg/salad is seriously biased to the first.
Buy a whole chicken (or two) cut each into 8 bits, remove much of skin and marinade for a few hours. Start this cooking very slowly before people arrive (needs at least an hour).
Buy meaty ribs (lots) and start about 10-15 mins after chicken.
Quality sausages can go when people have arrived, take 20 mins-ish.
If you want burgers, then they can be done quicker with the lid off.
Supply garlic bread and alcohol to give people things to eat/drink if the bbq goes at the wrong speed or horribly wrong.
Buy a whole chicken (or two) cut each into 8 bits, remove much of skin and marinade for a few hours. Start this cooking very slowly before people arrive (needs at least an hour).
Buy meaty ribs (lots) and start about 10-15 mins after chicken.
Quality sausages can go when people have arrived, take 20 mins-ish.
If you want burgers, then they can be done quicker with the lid off.
Supply garlic bread and alcohol to give people things to eat/drink if the bbq goes at the wrong speed or horribly wrong.
paulmurr said:
Wadeski said:
Barbecue is slow, smokey, and aimed at tenderising and rendering fatty cuts like ribs, belly.
Yep, agree with that. I've got a recipe for Texan brisket which takes ten hours. Utterly and completely worth it.And here is another chance to post this pic again. Ribs, cooked away from direct heat, with the lid on for 4 hours. Nom.
Edited by paulmurr on Friday 24th July 10:25
Barbequed bananas.
Take a peeled banana, slit lengthways and place on a sheet of foil.
Gently tease open the banana to expose a moist ravine.
Pour brown sugar into the moist banana ravine.
Drizzle your favourite liquor into the brown sugar so that it is almost dissolved.
Fold up the foil into a boat shape with the banana as the "keel" and place on a low heat for max 10 mins.
Remove from heat and serve in the foil with double cream or ice cream.
Smile as you see grown adults eventually licking boat shaped bits of foil........
Cheers,
Tony
Take a peeled banana, slit lengthways and place on a sheet of foil.
Gently tease open the banana to expose a moist ravine.
Pour brown sugar into the moist banana ravine.
Drizzle your favourite liquor into the brown sugar so that it is almost dissolved.
Fold up the foil into a boat shape with the banana as the "keel" and place on a low heat for max 10 mins.
Remove from heat and serve in the foil with double cream or ice cream.
Smile as you see grown adults eventually licking boat shaped bits of foil........
Cheers,
Tony
Yes, just do things that are not the standard BBQ stuff, bangers and burgers are fine, but spatchcok a chicken, (easy Youtube guide available!!) and you can marinade it for 2 hours, then it will cook in 10-15 mins on a BBQ!
A nice butterfly leg of lamb too, similar, but wack it in the over for 25mins first, then finish on the BBQ. So it need not take hours and hours!
I'm cooking for 80 tomorrow (eek) and doing home made burgers and sausages, and chicken done in lemon/chilli and garlic. All very quick to cook which is helpful with so many!
Best tip of all is have fun and experiment! There is no such thing as bad BBQ in my book, (alhtough if you have to measure your burger weight in Carats, you have gone too far.!)
A nice butterfly leg of lamb too, similar, but wack it in the over for 25mins first, then finish on the BBQ. So it need not take hours and hours!
I'm cooking for 80 tomorrow (eek) and doing home made burgers and sausages, and chicken done in lemon/chilli and garlic. All very quick to cook which is helpful with so many!
Best tip of all is have fun and experiment! There is no such thing as bad BBQ in my book, (alhtough if you have to measure your burger weight in Carats, you have gone too far.!)
Tony427 said:
Barbequed bananas.
Take a peeled banana, slit lengthways and place on a sheet of foil.
Gently tease open the banana to expose a moist ravine.
Pour brown sugar into the moist banana ravine.
Drizzle your favourite liquor into the brown sugar so that it is almost dissolved.
Fold up the foil into a boat shape with the banana as the "keel" and place on a low heat for max 10 mins.
Remove from heat and serve in the foil with double cream or ice cream.
Smile as you see grown adults eventually licking boat shaped bits of foil........
Cheers,
Tony
Tony,Take a peeled banana, slit lengthways and place on a sheet of foil.
Gently tease open the banana to expose a moist ravine.
Pour brown sugar into the moist banana ravine.
Drizzle your favourite liquor into the brown sugar so that it is almost dissolved.
Fold up the foil into a boat shape with the banana as the "keel" and place on a low heat for max 10 mins.
Remove from heat and serve in the foil with double cream or ice cream.
Smile as you see grown adults eventually licking boat shaped bits of foil........
Cheers,
Tony
Me and the g/f had the first proper use of the new bbq last night, and had some neighbours round to help us eat and drink stuff.
We made these bananas, using your above instructions and Tia Maria. All I can say is that your recipe made a good bbq
ing marvellous!!! It seems that in the eyes of both the g/f and our neighbours, you are now officially the most popular person on t'interweb.....
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