Ok, I have gone and treated myself to a new Weber kettle BBQ, none of your gas nonsense and we are not posh enough for an ooni. So what are your top tips/must have accessories and recipes etc that will help upgrade me to a BBQing god and not have me dishing up cremated burgers and sausages again this summer.
4 probe bluetooth temp probe.
Chimney starter.
A decent wire brush.
What grill have you got? The one with the hole in the middle? The weber central gridle is ace.
Chimney starter.
+1. And using the Weber briquettes.
I've always struggled with BBQing, but the Weber kettle makes it very easy
Second the chimney starter, plus wood wool lighters and decent charcoal.
Then it's a case of doing some research and learning about direct and indirect cooking, heat management then some trial and error.
There is no BBQ season, just cook outdoors whenever you want, a Christmas dinner with BBQd meat is always a winner.
4 probe bluetooth temp probe.
Chimney starter.
A decent wire brush.
What grill have you got? The one with the hole in the middle? The weber central gridle is ace.
it’s a master touch with the removable centre grate.
I saw those chimney starters and was thinking about getting one, so going by the comments looks like a must have.thanks. Looking at getting a cover too.
Practise using the vents for temperature control. I use Weber's advice which is to leave the bottom vent fully open and regulate via the top vent, you'll want to have it lower for something like a spatchcock chicken.
+1 for the chimney and decent fuel.
My go-to is kebabs, typically lamb or mutton that has been marinated in your choice of flavours. Served in salad/feta flatbread. Add chilli sauces to taste. Veg kebabs are also devine
Next is probably fish which I really enjoy, probably wrapped in foil with fresh herbs. Hake is especially nice
I've really got into hot smoking too, especially venison which is utterly addictive and a great thing to cook and then keep for meals later in the week.
Yeah smoking is great.
Actually one of my bits of advice is... Don't put off doing proper cooking on it. Throwing some sausages and burgers etc on for a summer day is great but smoking and other general roasting etc is significantly less faff** and the rewards are massive.
I always try to maximise the jse aswell so if i am smoking a brisket i normally smoke a pack of sausages aswell.
And don't forget the sides. Stuff some padrons witha mix of mozzarella blue cheese and crowdie and char until the cheese is gooey. 10mm thick slices of baking potato oiled and seasoned and cooked directly on the gril. Corn on the cob (obvs). Chunky slaws made with oil and vinegar rather that mayo.
**Smoked brisket, whole chickens etc are a different method entirely and you want as muchas possible to forget about them and leave them to it. Thats why you want the temp probe i just do stuff in the garden or workshop and wait for my phone to blip me that its done. None of this "finish in the oven to make sure its cooked nonsense"
As stated already a chimney starter is a must. Good coal for grilling and Weber briquettes for low and slow snake method etc. Some cherry or applewood chunks for smoking. A good grill brush, the long handled Weber one is good. Thermopen thermometer and at a minimum a 2 probe leave in thermometer, one probe for grill temp and the second for food internal temp.
My favourite upgrade for my Weber has been a cast iron grate from Craycort. It’s sectional so made up from a frame and four quarter panels. It makes the grill a very versatile cooking space.
Cook larger pieces of meat offset from the coals, and with the vent open above the meat. Chicken with beer up its hole, large pieces of beef etc. Fool proof. The temp probe is definitely key. Once it’s reached the number you want for medium rare, or 74 C for chicken, remove it and rest. Chuck some lumps of apple wood or soaked wood chips on the coals at points to increase the smoky flavour, and I would defo recommend dry brining the meat for a few hrs first. It’s a proper design classic.
Some good tips on the vents, definitely get a chimney starter.
Have a look at weber for inspiration for recipes
I always use indirect cooking with the coal baskets to the side with the lid on. Once the foods nearly finished cooking I take the lid off and place the food over the coals to finish.
Use woodchips for a smokey flavour.
I purchased a rotisserie skewer with a motor from amazon and the results are excellent.
And definitely get a meat thermometer probe. Takes the guesswork out of knowing when meat is ready
As everyone has said - a chimney starter is a no-brainer. Just wondering - I first saw one in about 2016. Until then lighting a bbq was a battle with wafting bits of cardboard and squirting petrol. When did chimney starters come into common use?
Well i thought they had been around for a long time in africa*
But apparently 1950s america with the rise of briquettes.
*The stoves follow similar principles.
If you cook plenty of meant then get a pigtail meat flipper like this, a slightly longer one is fine if you wish to turn the meant at a "distance" without the heat or smoke on you.
https://prosmokebbq.co.uk/products/wooden-handle-stainless-steel-bbq-meat-flipper
https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/what-is-the-pigtail-food-flipper-grilling-tool-article
https://www.fouroakscrafts.com/how-to-make-a-pig-tail-flipper/
I am prepared to be wrong but that hook looks far less useful that a proper long set of tongs.
And useless for sausages.
I am prepared to be wrong but that hook looks far less useful that a proper long set of tongs.
And useless for sausages.
That depends on how you use it. If you are grilling steaks or chunk of meant where you need to turn it quickly then it will very useful. Also much easier to clean after used.
Thanks for all your replies. I ordered a chimney starter today. Looks like I need to find a good butcher for the bigger cuts of meat. I think this could get expensive 🤣
I have a digital thermometer meat probe, is this sufficient for now or do I need a wired one to save opening the lid and losing heat?
Go to Screwfix and get some ’welder's gauntlets'
Use some DRY house bricks to wall off / keep half your charcoal grid free of coal (hotter / cooler side of the cooking grille)
+ Chimney starter
+ Temp probes (my advice is pay more for WiFi, as opposed to Bluetooth).
Keep the lid on.
It looks boring, but helps flavour, manages temperature hence reduces burnt offerings.
Even keener? Tin snip out a semicircle of sheet metal for the coal grid (stops cooler air convecting up).
Leave the grille once finished, 'clean' it the next time with high heat and a wire brush.
Oh, and if adding peppers to kebabs, microwave them first.
Kebab skewer evolution from my experience
Round wooden (just catch fire, soaked or not)
Round metal (gravity wins every time)
Flat metal (meat defies gravity, veggies obey)
U bent metal style (winner).
Entertaining? Any big meat joint, slow cooked, is 100x easier that dozens of individual items.
I think most things have been covered all ready. I only wire brush the grill occasionally to knock the worst bits off. Too clean and everything sticks.
Great for doing the Christmas turkey, keeps oven free for everything else.
The genuine Weber cover is dear but lasts years. Mine is getting tatty after 15ish years. I do put the BBQ in the shed over winter though.
Don't forgot to close both vents when you've finished cooking. It's surprising how much fuel you can save for the next BBQ.
do I need a wired one to save opening the lid and losing heat?
Both have rheir place but a leave in one is a game changer. Even a small brisket takes a good 4 hours do you want to check it every 15minutes?
I also have the big red gauntlets from screwfix would agree they are well worth it.
We have a Weber kettle, chimney, cover etc and it's probably the best set up we've had to date.
However, leaving the grill till next time I'm all for - but ours always ends up with mould growing on it. How are people getting around this?
We have a Weber kettle, chimney, cover etc and it's probably the best set up we've had to date.
However, leaving the grill till next time I'm all for - but ours always ends up with mould growing on it. How are people getting around this?
How often are you using it? We BBQ every week or two once the weather gets warm enough.We only seem to get mould if it's not been used for a long time, over winter really.
Maybe a light wire brushing after you've finished cooking might be enough?
Might be controversial but I deal with any winter mould with a decent wire brushing and leaving it with lid on at high temp for a good while before cooking.
I'm with slugabed.
I took rarely cook in doors in the summer.
The 'remembrr to turn it off' is a great piece of advice for a newbie. I was genuinely surprised by the fact that closing some janky hit and miss louvres would stop a smouldering charcoal fire so effectively.
Putting the ash through a garden drive recovers aasdive amount of coal. The small fragments are useful for topping up a long cook without having the temperature rocket up.
Through a garden SIEVE...
I cook out year round. Admittedly in an ooni but I made a turkey, sausage and cranberry pizza on Christmas day
My record was 235 bbqs in a calendar year... COVID times, they were great for BBQing!
Mostly on a posh gas grill. But probably 50 times on charcoal.
Most is already covered, chimney starter (i have a mini one that lives in the car with my portable charcoal weber, gets the thing going in no time), leave in temp probe, decent tongs, spatula and gloves, get some vegetable trays too, or those wire tubes for putting marinated veg in. If you like the odd pizza, get a BBQ pizza stone. My gas will get to 275, not quite as good as a proper pizza oven, but better than the oven in the kitchen!
See if you can find a nice sear plate and (maybe) a burger press thing as well. Good for some cuts of meat and burgers. I also have a couple of 15cm cast iron dishes for doing sauces, mushroom, asparagus and small pieces of meat etc.
I got one of the portable induction hobs from IKEA too, that sits on the table for keeping stuff warm and cooking stuff that can't go on the grill!
See if you can find a nice sear plate...
An old coal fire grate from a scrap yard works a treat.
The Weber briquettes are great for long roasts. However my go to charcoal for short roasts BBQing. Is the restaurant charcoal from B&Q in the blue bags. Decent size, burns hot but does begin to cool after 90/100 mins.
Things I've learned:
* As soon as you've finished cooking, close the vents. It'll die pretty quick and you'll save on charcoal.
* Find some kind of sieve to separate your unburnt charcoal from the ash before you fire it up next time. I use the front cage of a floor fan... And as everyone above has mentioned: get a chimney. Makes lighting so much easier!
* Get the "Meathead" cookbook - loads of tips and ideas about BBQ.
