British BBQ Society Forums

keith157 wrote:I prefer the concept of low n slow BBQ both for the theatre, taste and the community around it.

You're talking my language, Keith.

For me, the biggest issue with low & slow is that so much of it is barbecuing with a lid on (or in the smoker) and that's quite contrary to the general 'theatre' of barbecuing. If you have a barbecue at say 3:00 in the afternoon, you're cooking from the morning onwards - keep the lid on as much as possible - probably no one around for much of the time.

I don't mind this at all,it's just that the barbecue theatre that people experience when they arrive will be the burgers, etc, later on. No one comes to a barbecue to see a lid - let's face it, they want some sort of open fire.

But of course, you're spot on, it's then the taste. Well, taste and texture. And some of that you can only get from low & slow.

And that's the problem. How do you give them great tasting low & slow cooking along with the theatre of an open fire. I think the only way to do it is to serve a variety of foods. Some pork ribs or butt, but some burgers and chicken, too.

I have a pork shoulder in the freezer. I'll maybe give it a crack with the liquid smoke over half term.

Steve W

I always try to have a mix of foods when guests attend, some low n slow or low and not so slow, cupcake chicken for example or kievs. Crisping the bacon on the Sinners provides a little theatre along with the glorious smell of cooking bacon fat (drooling icon needed) with wings etc crisped on the gas grill or hot Weber. There is always time for a little theatre even if it doean't raise any exclamaitions of delight (till they start eating it of course )

I love kebabs. Souvlaki always goes down well.

The thing that bugs me the most is, what I'd really love to do is a nice steak for everyone. But it'd just be so expensive.

I need to keep checking out the meat counter for when they're reduced and buy a load then to freeze.

What I have found is that people in the UK don't expect pulled pork, or see it as barbecue as such. Ribs yes, but they always look a bit puzzled with the pulled pork. Not necessarily a bad thing, though. Ring the changes, keep 'em guessing.

Steve W

Wait till you do them a chunk of chuck instead of pork . I've only done this a couple of times but I've served pulled pork in little gem lettuce leaves as a kind of starter.