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

Had a text earlier on this evening from the rest of the allotment committee suggesting dates in `June for a BBQ and asking if anyone has a BBQ that can be used. There’s me thinking where I can buy an eighties cap sleeved t-shirt and if I have time to grow a mullet.

So I've been agonising over what bbq/grill to get for our garden for a while and was leaning towards some gas 4x burner budgety thing but wasn't sold on it's actual utility benefits for the money but then i thought i'd see if there's a bbq thread on here and a couple of hours later I'm now many hundreds of pounds poorer and have an aldi kamado on the way in the next week having never heard of it at all before.

please share all the tips and information and recipes and any things i probably also need to buy but haven't thought of. (have heat resistant gloves, bbq tools "set", an instant read inkbird probe and a 4 probe sensor as well, plus some "restaurant grade" lumpwood charcoal and some big K woodie lighters on their way).

also what's the correct way to deal with ash disposal, does it require me to have anything specific to decant into/dispose with? should I carry it around in my pockets with a hole cut in the bottom leaving a trail around the the prison yard during rec time or is there a way that avoids having to get sent down first?

Welcome.

What kind of cooking do you want to do? That usually determines tools. Low and slow can require more tools then basic grilling, but it's mostly the temp sensor. Extra tools are great - but you can buy them piecemeal as you need them. The heavy duty gloves are very useful.

Buy a copy of Meathead or poke through his website (amazingribs dot com). That will answer a lot of your questions. Feel free to ask away here too.

Good call!

Hunt down and buy really high grade charcoal (restaurant grade). It is worth it. Shut off all vents and anything unused will be there for you to use next time.

Ash goes in your flower / veg beds.

A kamado is amazingly versatile. I reckon I cook at least once a week on mine and twice in summer.

You are going to fall in love.

i was definitely sold on it after seeing the low and slow "proper" usa bbq style chunks of meat it seems to do very well but will be looking to do some more quick(relatively) and easy meals/more british style bbq on it too.

No problem. Does both.

british style bbq on it too.

You mean grilling.

Lots of thing grill well. For a lovely side dish, I will halve a head of romaine lengthways. 15-20 seconds cut side down over the grills of a mostly spent fire. You get slightly charred edges that enhances the bitterness. Serve cut side up and pour some caesar dressing and a few croutons on top. Sort of a caveman caesar salad. Very nice with steak.

any recommendations for reliably lighting the coals/wood wool bundle? I assume a little blowtorch will do, are there any specific brands/models worth looking for as amazon has fucking hundreds of the bastards to choose from.

something that's useable for indoor kitchen duties would be nice too.

For charcoal, get a starter chimney. Has been a revelation for me.

Adjacent query - when you're doing something like the snake method for low and slow, how do you get just 3/4 briquettes going? Haven't found a chimney to work that well.

Looftlighter or the cheaper tooltronix copy work brilliantly for kamado - and allow more control over how much to light than a charcoal starter

@HatBeard Second this, if you are near power, one of these is great

Personally I use a little tinder and a twist of wax paper.

Looftlighter or the cheaper tooltronix copy work brilliantly for kamado - and allow more control over how much to light than a charcoal starter

@HatBeard Second this, if you are near power, one of these is great

frustratingly we have no outside power and we're in a rental this year while we decide what area down here we want to actually buy in.

all the other cool things like sensor controlled fan temp controls that need power will also have to wait til next summer probs.

for a kamado?

Agreed for kettle

all the other cool things like sensor controlled fan temp controls that need power

I have the thermoworks signals and billows. It's powered by USB, I run it off a portable charger.

oooh, very good to know.

Some Big K Woodies work well in kamados, I usually light mine with this small torch that I got from amazon, seems decent quality - it's on for about 15 seconds whilst I light the woodies.

1 or 2 in the center for low and slow, 3 dotted around for quick higher temp grills

Possible OT but looking for a fire pit/ outside heater for summer evenings

Solo Stove is current front runner, any other suggestions?

Old washing machine drum? ;)

Lots of YouTube vids on constructing hollow walled fire pits such that cold air is drawn into the cavity from the bottom, gets heated on the way up the inside of the wall and then gets injected a bit below the lip of the fire pit.

Facilitates a secondary burn of the smoke.

I’ve had a few plays with my own designs - not got it perfect yet, but a smokeless fire pit has got to be the goal!

(Edit) Looks like that is sort of what you are looking at, just off the shelf.

Not sure if this will work but first go at short ribs was this 7hrs or so in a gochujang glaze

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Username checks out

hnnnnng. that looks amazing...

my aldi kamado arrives on weds (hopefully). excited doesn't even cover it anymore

I've had marginal success with a small chimney from an old food tin and a blowtorch.