Outdoor cooking - Barbecues, Barbecue, BBQs, BBQ, Smokers, Grills. And Ribs.

Aldi was selling their kamado copy version recently for £350. But sold out quite quickly.

Any one got any tips or tricks turning thoes portable picnik BBQ s in smoothing I can slow cook some pork I. I Was thinking large deep baking tray over the top to trap heat?

You could probably do it with a Dutch oven over some coals... Or if you're going full Magyver make a big foil parcel for the pork and and bury it on top of some hot stones that you've heated on your disposable... IME the supermarket BBQs don't last very long and are a bit shit, could still work tho'!

I saw this, did wonder if it would be an upgrade on a big weber

Chuck away the coals and use the foil to make a solar cooker. UV has been off the charts so should be easy. Get a cheap black crockpot from any JHC. buy some more foil while you’re there.

It has been silly hot last few days been doing sports classes outside. Phew what a scorcher!
Might try to rig up sonething with a iron pan I have.

Anybody got a recommendation for decent lumpwood charcoal I can buy online please?

I’m sure you used to be able to get decent stuff from B&Q but everything I got last year looked like sweepings off the floor.

http://www.sousvidetools.com/binchotan-charcoal

A spendy and left field choice, but incredible. It burns hot for so long that you get your money’s worth. But it does need fanning quite a bit to get the ash off of it.

From my experience the big bags of lumpwood stuff are great for the first two thirds of the bag and then it’s just tiny bits that you could only use it in one of those disposable bbqs

This stuff is good https://shop.londonlogco.com/collections/all/products/holm-oak-charcoal-15kg

I just finished a bag of this as well which I also rated - https://whittleandflame.co.uk/kiln/index.php/product/charcoal-5kg/

I can recommend these guys - it is really good stuff.

https://www.oxfordcharcoal.co.uk/

Stupid question, have you got a turkish restaurant that cooks over charcoal near you? As they may sell you the restaurant grade stuff but they are big bags 15-30kg.

Looking at the difference in price of Big K charcoal and and Big K restaurant grade charcoal. Have found the big K restaurant grade the easiest to get, the restaurant stuff is better IMO as it last longer and more consistent heat wise and found I used a lot less charcoal than using the big k from the corner shop.

Good shout but there’s very few Turkish restaurants round here sadly as I’m in Derbyshire since leaving London.

I’ve ordered some Big K. I’m tempted to try some of the different woods recommended by @Aroogah but £22 for 5kg seems steep. I’ll treat myself once I’ve built my own barbecue.

Thanks all.

What's the view on lumpwood Vs briquettes? Been using Weber stuff, presume it's more consistent for longer cooks?

I tend to have a few briquettes on one side of the barbecue mixed in with a bits of smaller charcoal so I can use it for more consistent heat.

But I may well be doing it wrong. I’m normally a bit pissed when I fire it up.

I prefer lumpwood as briquettes seem to have loads of filler in them.

I guess those Japanese briquettes that cost about £50 each are different but I've not tried them.

Drings in Greenwich is well stocked with large sacks of lumpwood charcoal if anybody is after some.

What do folks think about Ozzy heat beads?

I'm using them.at the moment, much more expensive than charcoal but lasts ages

Was going to do pulled pork but turned out it was a leg joint in the freezer. Roast it is then.

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I liked them but I struggled to get to grips and finding the right amount of thermal mass to use for low and slow. I probably should try them again this year.

I bbq'd Fri and Sat, Sat about 3/4 of the charcoal (heatbeads) were from the previous day as they last much, much longer than I need when just doing burgers and halloumi

Lamb leg about to go into the smoker...

And mission accomplished..

Served with flatbread and tzatziki/salads etc for posh gyros went down a treat..

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That looks incredible...

Yesterday was my first proper go at 'low & slow' on my weber kettle with the charcoal baskets inside.

I got a pork belly but made a complete mess of it:

• didnt have a knife sharp enough to remove the skin without also removing a significant proportion of the fat on top (will ask butcher to do it next time)
  
• there was still a small rack of ribs? (bones?) attached on the bottom which i also made a pigs ear of removing.
  
  

It was pretty fucked by the time I'd done that so decided to cube it up for burnt ends.

• 3.5hrs in a rub
  
• 1hrs in a bbq sauce covered in foil
  
  

It was tasty but nowhere near as 'melt in the mouth' as I expected/wanted.

I think my temperature control was pretty poor (only had the webers lid gauge to go off) so I think i probably cooked in too hot in the first 1-2 hours and theres no going back from there.

Ordered a digital thermometer with multiple probes..

I've had good results with pork shoulder on the Weber. Last one was on for about 4 hours, not as low or slow as ideal but result was fine.

I started it in a tray with some cider and covered, and then gave it an hour or so on the rack with some woodchips to get a bit of smoky bark going.