Outdoor Cooking '09

[bbro]

Good to know, thanks. I think it is going to be in the upper 70's by the time I grill and not too much wind.

Stupid question though - when do you leave the lid on?

[dar512]

Originally Posted by bbro

Stupid question though - when do you leave the lid on?

There's differences of opinion on that question. For stuff that doesn't go over the coals, you definitely need the cover on most of the time. Otherwise, it won't get hot enough.

I generally leave the lid on unless I'm actually doing something on the grill. It keeps the flames down and makes the temperature more consistent. Some people don't like that for steaks as it reduces the charring. I compromise for steaks by leaving the lid off for the last five minutes or so.

For the stuff you're doing I would leave the lid on unless you actually need to turn something etc.

If you are going to put the lid on, all the vents should be wide open for grilling. BBQ is a different matter.

[bbro]

Thanks! I will let you all know how it goes tomorrow. Maybe even get some pictures.

[Aliantha]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

Anyone here done a whole pig roast over a fire pit before? Or cooking technique where you bury the food with hot coals?

I've done both before. With regard to the pig, are you talking about a spit roast? If so, over here, you can often hire the spit roasters or if you're handy you can build one. After that it's just a matter of building your fire pit away from wind, or using some sheet iron (as an example) to protect your heat source. BBQ beads are the best, but you can use wood too. It's really up to you and what flavour you want. They take a long time to cook that way though. Specially if you're doing a full sized porker.

My ex was Samoan, so we had quite a lot of Oumu's which is the traditional ground cooking technique for Samoan culture. You start with your bed of coals, and as they're burning down, you put a layer of river rocks over the top. Once all the flames are gone from your heat source, you can then place your food on the hot rocks. A whole pig is easy to do this way. You just sit it on the rocks. I recommend cleaning the rocks if they're dirty of course. you should then push the outter rocks in around, and then cover with banana leaves. Lots of them. If you don't have access to banana leaves, you can use dampened paper. Newspaper is fine if you don't mind the idea of the ink. You can also put your veges in with the pork that way too. All in all, a whole carcass will only take a couple of hours to cook this way, but there's a lot more time in preparation, so it probably works out the same either way the first time. Once you've already got your stash of rocks etc, it's a much quicker process in future.

I like the Samoan style better than the Maori underground cooking where the food is covered with earth. The taste is much different.

[capnhowdy]

I never time anything, precisely. I always look at the food and determine. If it ain't bleeding and it's tender it's ready.

Best money I ever spent as far as grillin was the instant meat thermometer. Takes the guesswork out of it. 'Specially if you are a little tipsy.

BTW... No grill works really good if you aren't having a drink or a cold one.

[Aliantha]

I have a question for those of you who BBQ.

Is it more common to have your steaks and other red meat products well done or rare? The reason I ask is because of the suggested cooking times for grilling. I'd rarely do a steak for more than 2 minutes on either side then let it rest at the back of the grill for a few minutes so that it's still nice and pink in the middle. I understand with pork and chicken cooking longer, but if your grill is nice and hot, even those shouldn't take 15 minutes to cook through.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Don't skimp on the charcoal; make sure to get in enough to cover the coal-holding gridiron of a Weber Smokey Joe type. If necessary to cool the thing a bit, you can either choke the bottom vent door down to half open or smaller, or remove some hot coals with tongs. Drop these into something fireproof like a flowerpot with an inch or two of sand or pebbles in the bottom.

[bbro]

Whelp, it was a total bust - couldn't get the coals to light. No biggie, had it on the indoor grill. I will be trying again, though! I just need to see what type of meat is on sale.

[Queen of the Ryche]

So sorry it didn't work out bro. Hope you weren't feeding guests?

[Aliantha]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

I have a question for those of you who BBQ.

Is it more common to have your steaks and other red meat products well done or rare? The reason I ask is because of the suggested cooking times for grilling. I'd rarely do a steak for more than 2 minutes on either side then let it rest at the back of the grill for a few minutes so that it's still nice and pink in the middle. I understand with pork and chicken cooking longer, but if your grill is nice and hot, even those shouldn't take 15 minutes to cook through.

Anyone?

[Undertoad]

medium or medium rare. tonight i broiled a top round to 135 degrees in the middle and took it out, it went to 145 degrees before I sliced it.

[LabRat]

In honor of the swine flu, we had marinated porkchops on the grill tonight.

[capnhowdy]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Anyone?

I thought y'all said they wasn't gone be no math.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Originally Posted by bbro

Whelp, it was a total bust - couldn't get the coals to light. No biggie, had it on the indoor grill. I will be trying again, though! I just need to see what type of meat is on sale.

Kingsford makes an easy-light charcoal that you don't need to douse with charcoal starter. Just match light. But if you put starter on it anyway, it won't explode or anything, just flame longer.

With conventional charcoal briquettes, souse 'em almost until they drip with the starter fluid. They'll absorb a lot. Cap the can of starter and set it well back, and use either a long match or toss a match in from a couple feet away and upwind, being careful of any "whoof."

Charcoal gives a powerful, even heat once it's burned down to a red bed (gray ash and heat shimmer in the daylight), but it takes a good bit of fire to get it going. Once going it runs steady, but always expect to need a lot of starter burn time and combustion encouragement. But make a point of not trying to squirt more starter onto coals already lit. That fluid burns easily, and you don't want fire traveling up the stream to the plastic bottle in your hand.

If you really think you need to restart -- and it can happen -- put starter on a separate batch of coals in a separate container, and only then load these onto the failing fire. They should catch easily, but without pyrotechnics, just the usual starter bonfire.

[BigV]

Enough main course. Time for dessert!



This recipe has been discussed before, only now have I made the video available. BTW, the still with the shirt was for the encore performance the second night. The video here is from opening night.