What's your BBQ?

[JPG]

Winter has been so long where I live. Probably the worst in my life and it still doesn't want to leave. BUT, I decided I was done with my old bbq and decided I needed a new one (and the old one was barely working last year anyway). Also, I really wanted to try a charcoal bbq.


So I bought a very nice weber charcoal bbq (the basic one with the bucket). I only used it once yet because it's still so damn cold (used it while it was snowing hehe), but damn it taste good. Main problem is that my coat now smells good bbq smoke, but I won't complain to carry this nice perfume everywhere I go!


So, anyone else has a charcoal bbq and enjoys it? I am now dreaming of all the good things I want to try, slow cooking/smoking included!


That excitement!


P.S.: It's the first time in my life I experiment a real charcoal bbq, always had a gaz one since I was young.

[fohat.digs]

I keep coming back to the small metal chimney for a starter. You wad up 2 sheets of newspaper and stuff them in the bottom. 20-30 minutes later you have a nice little fire. Much better than using starters involving chemicals or those electric elements. Cheap, too!

http://www.target.com/p/chefmate-chimney-starter/-/A-13008025?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&LNM=13008025&CPNG=Patio+Garden&kpid=13008025&LID=33pgs&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=13008025&kpid=13008025&gclid=CjwKEAjwlsSoBRDoid2ihqnjjlISJABZoG9-ia_9QyGOfoJP23q3l_98Zb5XBbd8eudaXs4wZ2StgxoCpU3w_wcB

That smell is very hard to remove. Water/enzyme treatments can help, but mostly several hours hanging outside in the breeze is best.

[JPG]

I keep coming back to the small metal chimney for a starter. You wad up 2 sheets of newspaper and stuff them in the bottom. 20-30 minutes later you have a nice little fire. Much better than using starters involving chemicals or those electric elements. Cheap, too!

http://www.target.com/p/chefmate-chimney-starter/-/A-13008025?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&LNM=13008025&CPNG=Patio+Garden&kpid=13008025&LID=33pgs&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=13008025&kpid=13008025&gclid=CjwKEAjwlsSoBRDoid2ihqnjjlISJABZoG9-ia_9QyGOfoJP23q3l_98Zb5XBbd8eudaXs4wZ2StgxoCpU3w_wcB

That smell is very hard to remove. Water/enzyme treatments can help, but mostly several hours hanging outside in the breeze is best.

For sure I got a chimney! And I will get the small plates/whatever where you put your charcoal to control if you want it in the center or sides (was not available in store...). Also got some Hickory wood to smoke and a bbq cover (damn thing wont stay on my bbq unless I find a way to pin it). Now it's mostly a mater of me getting more skilled at using this new cooking method. I almost managed to burn my chimney handle first time I tried it (yea n00b of me to close the bbq while the chimney was getting ready, but to my defense it was snowing and I didn't want snow on my precious charcoal).


And the smell on my coat is getting less strong by the days, it's not a major problem.

[Melvang]

I am just going to drop this here.  Don't let the cold and snow stop you for grilling.  I use mine all year long in Iowa.  I know there are a lot of places that get colder and more snow than us, but I have been known to shovel a path to my grill long before my sidewalk. 

I will vouch for the chimney starters as well.  The trick is two loosely wadded full sized squares of newspaper.  It can be colored ink so long as it is NOT glossy paper.  The reason is the glossy paper uses different ink and a ton of nasty stuff to make the paper glossy.  Plus the inks for the standard newsprint is soy based.  If you have cast iron grates, make sure you take extra care to get them seasoned properly and maintain it.  I made that mistake and ended up having to make new grates for my grill using stainless.  I also, never clean my grill grates aside from occasionally knocking the large chunks off with a balled up piece of tin foil.

[HoffmanMyster]

Here's mine in use last summer. 


Grill by HoffmanMyster, on Flickr

And Melvang knows how to smoke cheese like it's no one's business.  I still have some of his stuff frozen and it's still delicious.   

[mullidan]

Winter has been so long where I live. Probably the worst in my life and it still doesn't want to leave. BUT, I decided I was done with my old bbq and decided I needed a new one (and the old one was barely working last year anyway). Also, I really wanted to try a charcoal bbq.


So I bought a very nice weber charcoal bbq (the basic one with the bucket). I only used it once yet because it's still so damn cold (used it while it was snowing hehe), but damn it taste good. Main problem is that my coat now smells good bbq smoke, but I won't complain to carry this nice perfume everywhere I go!


So, anyone else has a charcoal bbq and enjoys it? I am now dreaming of all the good things I want to try, slow cooking/smoking included!


That excitement!


P.S.: It's the first time in my life I experiment a real charcoal bbq, always had a gaz one since I was young.

I've been a gas nazi for as long as I can remember. Never owned one and never will. Not even the super convenient portable ones. Ill bring a bag of match lite and burn it all! IMHO... one of the greatest things about cooking outside on the grill is the relaxation that comes from it.  To get away from the daily hustle for 45 minutes to an  hour, sit outside (even if its snowing) and enjoy a nice beer or bourbon. On a side note, if you ever plan to smoke any meats, which I highly recommend... Do yourself a favor and ignore all of the cheap (~$200.00) charcoal grills with the "wood box" attached to the side. With that in mind I have read somewhere though that there is a specific Weber grill that does a decent job at smoking meat. Anyway... I made the mistake of thinking all BBQ smoker grills were equal when I bought my Brinkmann and after only a few smoking sessions it needed to be repainted. A good grill should last many years so if your gonna spend 200 on something, just wait it out and get a good one.

As for the experience of smoking meat. <3  .  Just remember to pace yourself if you're a drinker. 

[JPG]

Winter has been so long where I live. Probably the worst in my life and it still doesn't want to leave. BUT, I decided I was done with my old bbq and decided I needed a new one (and the old one was barely working last year anyway). Also, I really wanted to try a charcoal bbq.


So I bought a very nice weber charcoal bbq (the basic one with the bucket). I only used it once yet because it's still so damn cold (used it while it was snowing hehe), but damn it taste good. Main problem is that my coat now smells good bbq smoke, but I won't complain to carry this nice perfume everywhere I go!


So, anyone else has a charcoal bbq and enjoys it? I am now dreaming of all the good things I want to try, slow cooking/smoking included!


That excitement!


P.S.: It's the first time in my life I experiment a real charcoal bbq, always had a gaz one since I was young.

I've been a gas nazi for as long as I can remember. Never owned one and never will. Not even the super convenient portable ones. Ill bring a bag of match lite and burn it all! IMHO... one of the greatest things about cooking outside on the grill is the relaxation that comes from it.  To get away from the daily hustle for 45 minutes to an  hour, sit outside (even if its snowing) and enjoy a nice beer or bourbon. On a side note, if you ever plan to smoke any meats, which I highly recommend... Do yourself a favor and ignore all of the cheap (~$200.00) charcoal grills with the "wood box" attached to the side. With that in mind I have read somewhere though that there is a specific Weber grill that does a decent job at smoking meat. Anyway... I made the mistake of thinking all BBQ smoker grills were equal when I bought my Brinkmann and after only a few smoking sessions it needed to be repainted. A good grill should last many years so if your gonna spend 200 on something, just wait it out and get a good one.

As for the experience of smoking meat. <3  .  Just remember to pace yourself if you're a drinker. 

Well the one I got is quite simple and not a smoker, but from what I've read I can still smoke the things I cook by putting to wood on the charcoal while I cook to give some smokey flavor (Tried it the first time and it worked to some extent even with burgers, meat had this pinkish crust form the smoke even if they were slightly overcooked). Most smoking I intend to do for now is the kind where I slow cook some pulled pork for a few hours and add some wood to my charcoal to add some smoke to it! My greatest challenge is to convince the rest of the family to wait until it's ready hehe.

[iri]

coal. all year round.

[tp4tissue]

Hello Heart disease..

We meet again..

[JPG]

Hello Heart disease..

We meet again..

Show Image

Tsss, you can cook healthy on the bbq. It just doesn't happen very often hehe. But cooking fish and vegetables on the bbq can be very nice too! And chicken. There's no obligation to only cook red meat on the bbq!

[noisyturtle]

Dry rub is love. Dry rub is life.

Wet bbq has it's place amongst the neanderthals and philistines, but any real bbq'er knows you get your sauce on the side.

[tp4tissue]

Hello Heart disease..

We meet again..

Show Image

Tsss, you can cook healthy on the bbq. It just doesn't happen very often hehe. But cooking fish and vegetables on the bbq can be very nice too! And chicken. There's no obligation to only cook red meat on the bbq!

I somewhat worry about the "fumes".. all them combustion gases enveloping "wet" food..

As delicious as they may be...

[HoffmanMyster]

combustion gases

Ahh, yes.  The deadly CO₂.   

[JPG]

Hello Heart disease..

We meet again..

Show Image

Tsss, you can cook healthy on the bbq. It just doesn't happen very often hehe. But cooking fish and vegetables on the bbq can be very nice too! And chicken. There's no obligation to only cook red meat on the bbq!

I somewhat worry about the "fumes".. all them combustion gases enveloping "wet" food..

As delicious as they may be...

1. We all got to die from something.
2. It's wood fumes, not super toxic stuff fumes.
3. It's probably way better to eat salmon cooked on the bbq with some fumes than eating a ramen bowl filled which is made of food that contains nothing but carbs and salt...

[tp4tissue]

Hello Heart disease..

We meet again..

Show Image

Tsss, you can cook healthy on the bbq. It just doesn't happen very often hehe. But cooking fish and vegetables on the bbq can be very nice too! And chicken. There's no obligation to only cook red meat on the bbq!

I somewhat worry about the "fumes".. all them combustion gases enveloping "wet" food..

As delicious as they may be...

1. We all got to die from something.
2. It's wood fumes, not super toxic stuff fumes.
3. It's probably way better to eat salmon cooked on the bbq with some fumes than eating a ramen bowl filled which is made of food that contains nothing but carbs and salt...

I know, just illustrating the main "conceptual" hurdle I have on the subject with regards to direct heat..

Perhaps pan-fry is a good enough alternative?

[Melvang]

Hello Heart disease..

We meet again..

Show Image

Tsss, you can cook healthy on the bbq. It just doesn't happen very often hehe. But cooking fish and vegetables on the bbq can be very nice too! And chicken. There's no obligation to only cook red meat on the bbq!

I somewhat worry about the "fumes".. all them combustion gases enveloping "wet" food..

As delicious as they may be...

1. We all got to die from something.
2. It's wood fumes, not super toxic stuff fumes.
3. It's probably way better to eat salmon cooked on the bbq with some fumes than eating a ramen bowl filled which is made of food that contains nothing but carbs and salt...

I know, just illustrating the main "conceptual" hurdle I have on the subject with regards to direct heat..

Perhaps pan-fry is a good enough alternative?

Show Image

I was actually curious on this after tp mentioned that.  Turns out that grilling meat actually causes carcinogenic compounds to stick to the meat.  These compounds cone from fats and oils coming in contact with the hot charcoal.  However, these compounds also form with any cooking method over ~500°.

Plus the concentration levels are low enough, that chances are, you are at a higher cancer risk due to enviromental pollution in any moderately sized metropolitan area.

Not an expert but my 2 cents, and it won't slow my grilling down at all.

[vivalarevolución]

This reminds me that I need to buy a grill.

[tp4tissue]

Is that 500 C or F

[JPG]

Hello Heart disease..

We meet again..

Show Image

Tsss, you can cook healthy on the bbq. It just doesn't happen very often hehe. But cooking fish and vegetables on the bbq can be very nice too! And chicken. There's no obligation to only cook red meat on the bbq!

I somewhat worry about the "fumes".. all them combustion gases enveloping "wet" food..

As delicious as they may be...

1. We all got to die from something.
2. It's wood fumes, not super toxic stuff fumes.
3. It's probably way better to eat salmon cooked on the bbq with some fumes than eating a ramen bowl filled which is made of food that contains nothing but carbs and salt...

I know, just illustrating the main "conceptual" hurdle I have on the subject with regards to direct heat..

Perhaps pan-fry is a good enough alternative?

Show Image

I was actually curious on this after tp mentioned that.  Turns out that grilling meat actually causes carcinogenic compounds to stick to the meat.  These compounds cone from fats and oils coming in contact with the hot charcoal.  However, these compounds also form with any cooking method over ~500°.

Plus the concentration levels are low enough, that chances are, you are at a higher cancer risk due to enviromental pollution in any moderately sized metropolitan area.

Not an expert but my 2 cents, and it won't slow my grilling down at all.

I am pretty sure many cooking methods are bad. All the non-sticky pans that are not ceramic use a coating that is bad. Also, while I like bbq, I don't use it very often, like max once a week during summer usually, but it should be more frequent this year 

[Melvang]

Is that 500 C or F

F

Hello Heart disease..

We meet again..

Show Image

Tsss, you can cook healthy on the bbq. It just doesn't happen very often hehe. But cooking fish and vegetables on the bbq can be very nice too! And chicken. There's no obligation to only cook red meat on the bbq!

I somewhat worry about the "fumes".. all them combustion gases enveloping "wet" food..

As delicious as they may be...

1. We all got to die from something.
2. It's wood fumes, not super toxic stuff fumes.
3. It's probably way better to eat salmon cooked on the bbq with some fumes than eating a ramen bowl filled which is made of food that contains nothing but carbs and salt...

I know, just illustrating the main "conceptual" hurdle I have on the subject with regards to direct heat..

Perhaps pan-fry is a good enough alternative?

Show Image

I was actually curious on this after tp mentioned that.  Turns out that grilling meat actually causes carcinogenic compounds to stick to the meat.  These compounds cone from fats and oils coming in contact with the hot charcoal.  However, these compounds also form with any cooking method over ~500�.

Plus the concentration levels are low enough, that chances are, you are at a higher cancer risk due to enviromental pollution in any moderately sized metropolitan area.

Not an expert but my 2 cents, and it won't slow my grilling down at all.

I am pretty sure many cooking methods are bad. All the non-sticky pans that are not ceramic use a coating that is bad. Also, while I like bbq, I don't use it very often, like max once a week during summer usually, but it should be more frequent this year 

Teflon only puts off toxic fumes if heated to over 400°F.  The only thing I have that is teflon is the skillet I cook bacon in, then essentially poach the eggs in said bacon grease.  Say what you want, that is my one guilty pleasure aside from mountain dew.  And I only cook eggs like that 3 or 4 times a year.  Most of the time I either scramble them right on the skillet, or jut fried eggs in a sandwich. 

Either way back to the topic of bbq and grilling, anyone ever tried cooking something traditionally non grilled in the grill?  I want to try and do an apple pie on the grill sometime.

[heedpantsnow]

Had to leave my old grill behind when we moved from Asia to Florida.

Now I have a used and rusted Charbroil. Can't afford anything new, much less a Weber, but I still love grilling.

As for esoteric grilling: I grilled grilled cheese for my daughter and did pizza for my whole family. Both actually were quite nice.

[iri]

you know what? bbq is for pussies

[JPG]

you know what? bbq is for pussies

Show Image

Well this weekend I was glad to be a puss when I smoked some salmon. Taste was amazing and it was only a first try at smoking.


But this setup looks quite nice! I also like the metal sticks for the food (I will need some at some point).

[iri]

I smoked some salmon.

[fohat.digs]

I smoked some salmon.

How did you get that little paper around it, and keep it lit?


Seriously, though, smoked salmon is not even remotely barbeque.

[Melvang]

I smoked some salmon.

How did you get that little paper around it, and keep it lit?


Seriously, though, smoked salmon is not even remotely barbeque.

If it is done in the grill, it qualifies as bbq in my book.  Just doesn't have bbq sauce.

Speaking of which, Sweet Baby Rays original bbq sauce with Captain Morgan Tattoo, is amazing on pork ribs.

[JPG]

I smoked some salmon.

How did you get that little paper around it, and keep it lit?


Seriously, though, smoked salmon is not even remotely barbeque.

Well, I followed a Steven Raichlen book. Basically, you let it bathe in rum for 15 min, then rinse, then make a dry salting mix (it was 1/3 salt and 2/3 brown sugar) and let it penetrate for 4 hours then you rinse again and then it's BBQ time! 20 minutes indirect heat with a lot of wood for smoke and keep the temperature as low as you can (I aimed 325 to 350 F as the book indicated, but only managed to get somewhere between 340 and 380).


So since I don't have a smoker but a BBQ, it counts as BBQ 


And the taste was definitely better than any other smoked salmon I ever tasted. It had a very strong smoke smell, but the taste was more balanced, less salty than commercial smoked salmon. Well, you can only keep it for 4-5 days in theory using this method. In practice, it's impossible not to eat it the next 24 hours it's made  )

[jdcarpe]

Language is funny. Here in Texas, "barbecue" is smoked beef brisket. That thing you cook your meat on is a "grill." And a backyard party featuring grilled meats is a "cookout."

[JPG]

Language is funny. Here in Texas, "barbecue" is smoked beef brisket. That thing you cook your meat on is a "grill." And a backyard party featuring grilled meats is a "cookout."

Indeed. Where I live, bbq is used both for the food you cook on a bbq and the grill itself. And in fact, where I live the main language is French but since we are surrounded by English, well many English words are used even when we speak French (and many people are bilingual anyway). It also varies if you are closer to big cities or somewhere far from them.


We often say (in French ) something in the likes of "tonight we eat bbq" without specifying what we will actually eat until the question is asked.

[fohat.digs]

Language is funny. Here in Texas, "barbecue" is smoked beef brisket. That thing you cook your meat on is a "grill." And a backyard party featuring grilled meats is a "cookout."

I grew up in Tennessee and much of my family lived in Kentucky since the Revolution.

In "the South" (which does not necessarily include the independent nation of Texas):

*    *    *    *

Barbeque = something that you eat which has been barbequed (usually pulled pork but can also be beef or chicken, or wild game)

Barbequing = preparing and cooking barbeque

A Barbeque = a social event where barbeque is prepared and eaten

*    *    *    *

Cooking meat on an open fire or a grill is not barbequing unless you are specifically cooking barbeque.

There is considerable debate over what constitutes a "barbeque sauce" and/or "barbeque rub" but most sauces do not qualify.

[SpAmRaY]

There is considerable debate over what constitutes a "barbeque sauce" and/or "barbeque rub" but most sauces do not qualify.

Mustard vs Tomato vs Vinegar?

[Melvang]

There is considerable debate over what constitutes a "barbeque sauce" and/or "barbeque rub" but most sauces do not qualify.

Mustard vs Tomato vs Vinegar?

Sauces are wet, rubs are dry.

[fohat.digs]

Mustard vs Tomato vs Vinegar?

Personally, I prefer vinegar-based sauces, although I am not a purist. I have had superb mustard-based sauces, particularly in the Carolinas.

What is important to me is that the sauce be tangy and not sweet. I hate sweet sauces in general, but sweet barbeque sauces in particular.

When presented with a choice of "rub" or "sauce" I will almost always choose the rub.