Barbecues - What's The Point

[Barrel of Fun]

I've always thought the idea behind a summer barbie was a social event?

Why would you want to be messing about with the oven/grill inside when everyone was outside enjoying the 'fresh' air?

 

[withdeanwombat]

Nonsense. A BBQ is the best way to cook meat, they are fantastic. Go to Argentina, the home of the best steak on the planet, how do they cook it? Over charcoal, even in a swanky restaurant. The problem isn't the BBQ, it's people who have no idea what they're doing cooking a load of cheap sausages and burgers over a high, flamey heat and ending up with stuff black on the outside and pink in the middle. Do it properly and it is unbeatable. Top quality meat and a a good quality charcoal BBQ that you adjust the height of the grill easily, and you're on to a winner. No need for marinade, just the best quality steak you can buy and some home made chimchurri sauce. Magnificent.

Yep.

Done Argentina. Eaten in the expensive steak houses, which, unsurprisingly, have INDOOR facilities, and chef/cooks unencumbered by ciggies in one hand and tinnies of Special Brew in the other, where the meat is professionally prepared to high standards and served at properly set tables in atmospheric and INDOOR settings.

With exceptional wines and at reasonable prices.

BBQ ?

I think not !

 

[Return of the Rev]

What about a nsc bbq! bring your own meat type of thing

 

[El Sid]

What about a nsc bbq! bring your own meat type of thing

What time do you want us round?

 

[Gullys Cats]

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?

Hahaha! You can't beat a few cold beers and barbecued in the summer!

 

[Billy the Fish]

I like this thread, it's outed a few of NSC's less obvious oddballs!

 

[countryman]

If BBQs are done properly they are great. My brothers a butcher and his BBQs are amazing. He cooks on it every day in the summer.

Winter BBQs are also a great idea. I had one on a frosty night last December and it was brilliant sitting next to our little fire and BBQ with beer. What's not to like?

 

[El Sid]

Well I did clean up the barbecue yesterday and prepared two types of marinated chicken on soaked wooden skewers.

Duly lit said barbecue and waited til charcoal was white. Proudly carried my gourmet delight from the kitchen into the garden and dropped the f***ing lot on the patio. Tried to wash off the grit and dirt under the tap but ended up with unmarinated meat with bits of grit still lurking. Had to bin the lot. Rushed up to the Coop and bought some steaks but by the time I got back the charcoal was about as hot as a Mr Whippy 99. Ended up grilling the steaks with the wife moaning that she was really looking forward to that special charcoal flavour. My offer of HP barbecue sauce wasn't well received.

B*ll*cks to barbecues.

 

[Bakero]

Yep.

Done Argentina. Eaten in the expensive steak houses, which, unsurprisingly, have INDOOR facilities, and chef/cooks unencumbered by ciggies in one hand and tinnies of Special Brew in the other, where the meat is professionally prepared to high standards and served at properly set tables in atmospheric and INDOOR settings.

With exceptional wines and at reasonable prices.

BBQ ?

I think not !

BBQ'd meat is the national dish in Argentina. Whether in a restaurant or at someone's house, cooking meat over charcoal is everywhere! As in English, the word for the cooking technique's the same as the word for the social gathering (asado).

 

[Hillian1]

Well I did clean up the barbecue yesterday and prepared two types of marinated chicken on soaked wooden skewers.

Duly lit said barbecue and waited til charcoal was white. Proudly carried my gourmet delight from the kitchen into the garden and dropped the f***ing lot on the patio. Tried to wash off the grit and dirt under the tap but ended up with unmarinated meat with bits of grit still lurking. Had to bin the lot. Rushed up to the Coop and bought some steaks but by the time I got back the charcoal was about as hot as a Mr Whippy 99. Ended up grilling the steaks with the wife moaning that she was really looking forward to that special charcoal flavour. My offer of HP barbecue sauce wasn't well received.

B*ll*cks to barbecues.

Which translates to:

I got pissed, tripped on patio, staggered to shop, couldn't be arsed anymore.

 

[Commander]

Yep.

Done Argentina. Eaten in the expensive steak houses, which, unsurprisingly, have INDOOR facilities, and chef/cooks unencumbered by ciggies in one hand and tinnies of Special Brew in the other, where the meat is professionally prepared to high standards and served at properly set tables in atmospheric and INDOOR settings.

With exceptional wines and at reasonable prices.

BBQ ?

I think not !

Cooked over charcoal = barbecued. They cook everything over charcoal there.

 

[Dave the OAP]

well yesterday , on my brand spanking new barbie, i used one of them bags of charcoal that you light and added about 5 briquettes

Left it an hour and it was like a supa nova!

I then cooked, sardines in a tray with chilli, herbs and olive oil....seabass in foil with chilli oil, butter and slat and papper...Slab of Tuna...2 minutes either side....

Salad, M&S part baked herby bread, chilli oil dip, Pimms, Budvar beer

Followed by:

Bananas and nectarines left on the barbie and smothered in Curzon Banana Rum, black pepper and a dash of mint.

It was very nice!!!

 

[Dr NBC]

Nothing beats a well-made gas barbecue. Grilling is an art form and I frequently grill entire meals on our gas Weber, day-in day-out.

Attitudes towards gas barbecues and outdoor grilling in general here in the UK are, frankly, odd. I'd guess that there isn't a culture of outdoor cooking/grilling namely because of 1. the weather and 2. the love of meaty, oven-cooked casserole-type dishes. I know that I crave different types of foods throughout the year, mostly due to the lack of bright, sunny days where the idea of maple-glazed salmon and BBQ chicken take a backseat to fried fish and other assorted stodge.

For daily cooking, charcoal barbecues are a waste of time and add very little to the cooking experience other than getting fine grey ash over everything. For a one-off BBQ event, I can see the attraction of charcoal but since it takes far too long to heat up and cook anything properly (which is why a plurality of Brits pre-cook the food in an oven) using one more than a few times a year is far too time consuming.

 

[Dr NBC]

If BBQs are done properly they are great. My brothers a butcher and his BBQs are amazing. He cooks on it every day in the summer.

Winter BBQs are also a great idea. I had one on a frosty night last December and it was brilliant sitting next to our little fire and BBQ with beer. What's not to like?

Absolutely. Last winter my better half and I were visiting my parents in Canada and we had a barbecue on New Year's Day. It was -18c outside. The grill was hot and the food was phenomenal. Obviously we ate inside. Top meal that was.

 

[KZNSeagull]

I've always thought the idea behind a summer barbie was a social event?

Is the correct answer.

 

[Hillian1]

Nothing beats a well-made gas barbecue. Grilling is an art form and I frequently grill entire meals on our gas Weber, day-in day-out.

Attitudes towards gas barbecues and outdoor grilling in general here in the UK are, frankly, odd. I'd guess that there isn't a culture of outdoor cooking/grilling namely because of 1. the weather and 2. the love of meaty, oven-cooked casserole-type dishes. I know that I crave different types of foods throughout the year, mostly due to the lack of bright, sunny days where the idea of maple-glazed salmon and BBQ chicken take a backseat to fried fish and other assorted stodge.

For daily cooking, charcoal barbecues are a waste of time and add very little to the cooking experience other than getting fine grey ash over everything. For a one-off BBQ event, I can see the attraction of charcoal but since it takes far too long to heat up and cook anything properly (which is why a plurality of Brits pre-cook the food in an oven) using one more than a few times a year is far too time consuming.

Lighting a BBQ properly is an art form and one that has taken me many years to get just right.

Those who can, do, those who can't, cook on gas.

 

[Dr NBC]

Again with the strange attitudes towards grilling. It almost borders on cultural snobbery here. I've never really understand that. Maybe I have to be British to get it. Plus there is a distinct difference between grilling and barbecuing. Direct heat v. indirect heat, etc. Proper barbecuing (Southern US-style) takes hours. What the vast majority of people do is grilling - even those enlightened individuals who use the vastly superior technology of charcoal, they end up grilling and not technically barbecuing.

But I must go and barbecue (grill) my lunch. It's far too hot to turn on the oven.

 

[Acker79]

I've used gas BBQs and charcoal BBQs. I don't get why people have such snobbery either way.

 

[BensGrandad]

When I was at The Silver Horseshoes in Midhurst, sadly now a pizza restaurant, the owner bought us an electric BBQ that was 8ft x 3ft in size and was capable of cooking 200 burgers at a time we used it once and then told him to give i to another a pub that would use it more than we did, as there was no calling for BBQs there. That was probably due to the customers all having them at home or at their parents homes.

 

[Billy the Fish]

If you're having problems getting the coals going or you BBQ alot, these are handy. It makes starting it that much quicker and easier.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Weber-BBQs-7416-Chimney-Starter/dp/B000WEOQV8/ref=sr_1_1?s=outdoors&ie=UTF8&qid=1373281173&sr=1-1&keywords=weber+chimney+starter