The Outdoor cooking/BBQ/Smoking thread

Saigon

Saigon

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778
CatmanV2 said:
Hmm. I struggled to get mine down to a low enough temperature to do that. Any tricks?

C
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Can someone give me a little bit of advice, I have no experience regarding smokers, I intend buying one, but a reasonably small one, not one of those poor quality ones. But something Of Proven quality, but not large.
 
Nayf

Nayf

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2,746
  1. Buy a couple of blocks of Feta Cheese.
  2. Buy a fair bit of Parma ham.
  3. Divide the blocks of Feta Cheese in to credit card sized chunks, but the same thickness (if you get me).
  4. Wrap these chunks in Parma ham.
  5. Put them over the grill until they look as sunburnt as a ginger in light sunlight.

While that is happening, slice up some strawberries and add to a jar. Then add some balsamic vinegar. Smash around until the strawberries are mush, and the juices have blended with the vinegar.

Put the Parma/Feta on a bed of rocket, drizzle on some of the Strawb/vinegar mix, then a little salt and pepper.
Versions of this can be done with skewers/kebabs but that’s a PITA.
 
Nayf

Nayf

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2,746
Ebenezer said:
Doesn't @Bebs have a bit of cigar history? I bought some when I went to Cuba as I used to enjoy them from time to time in my youth. However, since you can't smoke them anywhere anymore they never got an outing and ended up in the bin....
Eb
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Smoking ban destroyed the appeal. Ah, I’m sat outside, in the rain... while everyone’s inside...
Must admit the recent sun had me hankering after a Cohiba, some Hine and a porch...
 
Trev Latter

Trev Latter

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1,213
Saigon said:
Can someone give me a little bit of advice, I have no experience regarding smokers, I intend buying one, but a reasonably small one, not one of those poor quality ones. But something Of Proven quality, but not large.
Click to expand...

It depends what type you’d like. Pro Q do an excellent range in bullet smokers for sensible money. They have very good build quality and a good after sales service. They’re a modular design, so have the ability to expand if you need a little more cooking space. Ceramic grills are very good on fuel and again, come in a variety of sizes. The Aldi/Lidl ones are very good for the money, with something like the Kamado Joe being more at the top end quality wise, but at a cost. All of the above are fairly easy to use and once setup to smoke, don’t need too much attention. Unless made of very heavy steel, avoid an offset as they’re difficult to use, especially if small and very labour intensive. That said, they give the best smoke flavour by far as they’re solely wood fired.

Pro Q link
 
Saigon

Saigon

Member
Messages
778
Trev Latter said:
It depends what type you’d like. Pro Q do an excellent range in bullet smokers for sensible money. They have very good build quality and a good after sales service. They’re a modular design, so have the ability to expand if you need a little more cooking space. Ceramic grills are very good on fuel and again, come in a variety of sizes. The Aldi/Lidl ones are very good for the money, with something like the Kamado Joe being more at the top end quality wise, but at a cost. All of the above are fairly easy to use and once setup to smoke, don’t need too much attention. Unless made of very heavy steel, avoid an offset as they’re difficult to use, especially if small and very labour intensive. That said, they give the best smoke flavour by far as they’re solely wood fired.

Pro Q link
Click to expand...
 
Saigon

Saigon

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778
Many thanks, your advice is most appreciated, and I can see you know what you are talking about.
 
Trev Latter

Trev Latter

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1,213
You’re very welcome. If you want something really easy to use, there are also pellet smokers to consider. I have a GMG Daniel Boone WiFi which I’ve owned for about five years or so. Couldn’t be easier to use As it’s electric and thermostat controlled with a food probe. The Davy Crockett is the smallest model. American bbq used to be the UK importer, but I’m not sure who’s selling them currently. Worth a look though, as are the Traeger models, but I don’t know that much about them as they’re newish to the UK. Pellet smokers always feel a little like cheating, but they get the job done and might be your thing if you like a bit of hi tech simple cooking.
 
Trev Latter

Trev Latter

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1,213
We were over at a Boxted Hall (stunning location) doing a spot of catering yesterday for a 40th birthday. Here’s a couple of pics of the grub from the smoker...

Mac Bombs - Mac n Cheese wrapped in Bacon

74783


Pepper Popper - mini pepper, stuffed with Philly cheese and wrapped in bacon.

74784


Brisket Burnt Ends. Didn’t get any pics of the Brisket.

74785
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

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48,716
@Trev Latter so I appear to have scored a BBQ free from FB locally that has a chimney and vents and an adjustable table for the coals. So I feel, with a long weekend, I may need to try smoking.
I'm thinking some charcoal on one side of the fuel table, with whatever I am cooking on the other, limiting the air flow and adding some smoking chips. Does this sound like a reasonable first pass?

Cheers

C
 
MrPea

MrPea

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3,013
CatmanV2 said:
@Trev Latter so I appear to have scored a BBQ free from FB locally that has a chimney and vents and an adjustable table for the coals. So I feel, with a long weekend, I may need to try smoking.
I'm thinking some charcoal on one side of the fuel table, with whatever I am cooking on the other, limiting the air flow and adding some smoking chips. Does this sound like a reasonable first pass?

Cheers

C
Click to expand...
Pic please
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

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48,716
MrPea said:
Pic please
Click to expand...

339477009_240927641718573_2777974874528393899_n.jpg


It's very cheap and cheerful, thin steel. I imagine an Aldi or Lidl special but if it works, great. If it doesn't I actually have 2 other people asking me for it!

The crank handle raises and lowers the fire bed which you can access through the door. The stainless steel handle below is an ash tray. A vent at each end which can be opened or closed, as well as the chimney vent you can see.

And it has a built in bottle opener ;)

<edit> Appears to be a CosmoGill or damned close (impressive Google search!)
cosmogrill.com

XL Smoker Charcoal Barbecue

Elevate your barbecue game with our CosmoGrill XL Smoker, the perfect outdoor companion for those intimate long weekends. Our family-friendly American-style outdoor charcoal barbecue is perfect for grilling, smoking, and roasting your favourite meats, vegetables, and more. Order yours today!
cosmogrill.com cosmogrill.com

C
 
Last edited:
Trev Latter

Trev Latter

Member
Messages
1,213
CatmanV2 said:
@Trev Latter so I appear to have scored a BBQ free from FB locally that has a chimney and vents and an adjustable table for the coals. So I feel, with a long weekend, I may need to try smoking.
I'm thinking some charcoal on one side of the fuel table, with whatever I am cooking on the other, limiting the air flow and adding some smoking chips. Does this sound like a reasonable first pass?

Cheers

C
Click to expand...
Absolutely. You may find it easier to keep the temp in the medium low end of the scale at around 250-275f if you’re thinking of a low and slow smoke. At that temp baby back ribs would take around 5 hours ish as an example. Have you got a pic of the smoker?

edit …ignore last comment, I just read your follow up post!
 
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