Pellet Fan

All Things Considered => General Discussion--Non food Related => Topic started by: Chris__M on June 15, 2021, 04:33:16 AM

Title: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 15, 2021, 04:33:16 AM
When I got my Traeger in 2011, I bought a lean-to log store, and fixed it to the back of my garage as a shelter. It served its purpose well.

I knew before it arrived that the new Louisiana grill wouldn't be a good fit for the shack. Widthways, it would only fit without the side-shelf, and it would still stick out at the front. So I didn't think there was much point in using it with the new grill, and bought a cover for it instead.

But to make the best of the situation, I also ordered an outdoor (i.e. pressure treated) workbench, which I assembled yesterday, and put in place today. At one end will be my little Davy Crockett, when it isn't in storage. I already had some stainless steel protectors, which can be placed there as food preparation areas, and easily removed for cleaning. On the left hand side, my ProQ cold smoker will live - currently on loan to a friend who is contemplating buying one, so you will have to imagine a metal box standing there.

Underneath the workbench? Pellets, pellets and pellets, in sealed buckets.

All in all, I quite like how it has turned out.

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Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 15, 2021, 04:34:36 AM
The idea of having the Davy Crockett on the edge of the bench is to make room for the grease bucket to hang down.
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 15, 2021, 06:21:29 AM
The grill has come forward again. Being close to the reed screen behind was making me twitch.

Also I have collapsed the side shelf again. The width is such that it made access to my BBQ cupboard awkward. I can live without it.

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Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Kristin Meredith on June 15, 2021, 08:55:57 AM
Nice looking area!
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Brushpopper on June 15, 2021, 09:05:17 AM
That looks like a nice set up.  I understand your concern for it being close to the reed screen.  I would've been leery of that too.  And since you're in sunny Lincolnshire, just the cover for your LG will be sufficient I'm sure.
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: 02ebz06 on June 15, 2021, 09:57:51 AM
Nice area and having the pellets close is great.
The older you get, the heavier they get.   >:(
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: urnmor on June 15, 2021, 10:41:51 AM
It looks great can you tell me where you purchased thr wood table and the stainless steel protectors

Thank you
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 15, 2021, 11:50:22 AM
It looks great can you tell me where you purchased thr wood table and the stainless steel protectors

Alas, I don't think it will help you, as I am in the UK. I got the table via Amazon, but a 3rd party supplier.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B076BQ8YFY

The stainless steel also came from Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07NQLRJ6D

But hopefully those descriptions may help you find something similar near you.
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 15, 2021, 05:12:04 PM
Still waiting for my pork shoulder to finish. Glad I strung up this light rope.

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Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: 02ebz06 on June 15, 2021, 05:16:26 PM
Now you need one of the rope lights under the table to light up the pellets.  ;D
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: SmokinHandyman on June 15, 2021, 05:23:57 PM
Nice cooking space. How do you like the  LG FS Legacy 1200 vs your old Traeger?
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: yorkdude on June 15, 2021, 05:50:37 PM
Looks great.
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 15, 2021, 05:59:19 PM
Now you need one of the rope lights under the table to light up the pellets.  ;D

:D

Nice cooking space. How do you like the  LG FS Legacy 1200 vs your old Traeger?

Even though it is early days, there is no comparison, it is superb.

It should be noted, though that my Traeger was one of the Smoke-Medium-High ones, and for the last 5 years I have run it only my own "controller" - nothing clever, merely a timed mechanism to feed pellets between 25% and 100% of the time, based on how I set it. So it is not really a fair contest.

The kind of thing I have been doing these last few weeks - low and slow - is stuff I am comfortable with, and used to with the Traeger and my GMG. What I am looking forward to is doing a big grill for a dozen or more visitors, because that is where I am going to see a big benefit, simply because of capacity.

But such gatherings are not on the calendar for a while.

Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 15, 2021, 07:04:38 PM
The end of a very long day. Rearranged the BBQ area, set up a new counter-top dishwasher in my kitchen, and cooked some pastrami style brisket and (as of 10 minutes ago, close to midnight) pulled some pork.

Everything is now safely in the fridge, and I am headed for bed!

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Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: SmokinHandyman on June 15, 2021, 08:01:58 PM
What is your address so I can come and visit?
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Bentley on June 15, 2021, 10:00:59 PM
Good looking sandwich!
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 16, 2021, 03:37:31 AM
What is your address so I can come and visit?
A long way to come for pulled pork!

In the UK, "BBQ" means to most people "burning burgers and sausages over charcoal". This is being unfair, as there are a lot of people doing good stuff here. But I only have two friends who know the difference, and both of them got it from me! :D

I first got into this in 2008, as a way to feed my board game group when they visited, numbers being anything from 6 to 20. A Weber grill seemed an easy solution to that. A couple of years later, I got my Traeger, and that is when I really started experimenting with low and slow.

I'm pretty relaxed about pulled pork, now - except when it refuses to come to temperature, like last night (but I took it off the grill, rested it, and it pulled like a dream anyway). I favour a Carolina sauce, with meat juices (hence cooking in a pan), mustard and cider vinegar, but I do try others occasionally.

I've been saying for a long time I wanted to master brisket, which I've tried over the years and had enough failures to wipe out the pleasure of successes (none of them complete failures - at worst, brisket that ends up being cubed and used for a very tasty casserole; but that's not brisket. :D )

For various reasons the last two years have been dull BBQ-wise, just doing safe stuff like steaks, chicken and burgers and bangers. I wanted to step up my game again, which is why I bought the new grill.

I have to say, even though my brisket came pre-brined from the butcher, I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I think another couple of these, and then I'll start working on the brine stage myself.
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 16, 2021, 03:39:17 AM
I'm also aware that I'm posting an awful lot at the moment - you really don't need to see every picture I take! But it is excitement at being back - both at the smoker and here. I am sure I'll calm down soon, and achieve a more leisurely rate of posting.
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on June 16, 2021, 08:30:31 AM
I enjoy reading your posts and viewing your pictures.  Keep at it.
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Kristin Meredith on June 16, 2021, 09:04:23 AM
Members can NEVER post to much.  I enjoy all the posts and photos!
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 16, 2021, 10:56:19 AM
You're going to regret saying that! :D

But thank you.
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 16, 2021, 01:27:52 PM
After a night and day in the fridge, the brisket has mellowed and tastes and looks much more like the pastrami it is meant to be.

But Pastrami needs rye bread, no? Here it is with some rye, mustard and more of the really nice beetroot, apple and cabbage slaw that came in my groceries yesterday.

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Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on June 16, 2021, 02:07:29 PM
There is a thread about sandwiches too that you are more than welcome to post your pics into

https://pelletfan.com/index.php?topic=6083.0
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 16, 2021, 02:20:02 PM
Oh, I think I need to up my sandwich game... :)
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: urnmor on June 16, 2021, 03:48:58 PM
Thank you for the information I looked and not sure either is available in the US
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Bentley on June 17, 2021, 11:32:51 AM
Chris, since the modern sandwich is basically an English creation of John Montagu, are there sandwich shops and deli's in Britain like here?
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 17, 2021, 12:47:14 PM
Chris, since the modern sandwich is basically an English creation of John Montagu, are there sandwich shops and deli's in Britain like here?
What a wonderful question! The kind of thing that makes you realise what we take for granted about our surroundings. And a subject after my own heart; and stomach.

The answer is very much, yes.

First of addressing what we Brits call a sandwich - sliced white bread around a filling, rather than burgers or hoagies...

The sandwich is still very much the lunch of the office worker or the person on the move. As such every food shop and supermarket will have a sandwich chiller cabinet filled with prepackaged sandwiches, with a variety of bread types and fillings. Everything from a very ordinary cheese and tomato or egg and cress on white bread, to quite deep filled sandwiches on fancy breads. So stores will make them inhouse, but most are bought in - sandwich making is a big business.

A step up from that, many bakers also do sandwiches, except they are more likely to make the to order, and with their own bread.

Then many cafes will offer sandwiches - also self-made, along with hot food.

In between the last two would be the tea room - a kind of cafe, but somewhere you would go for afternoon tea (or morning coffee), offering a small spread of sandwiches, small cakes or possibly scones, jam and cream.

Then you have the chains. A big chain here is "Pret" (full name "Pret a Manger") doing hot and cold drinks, snacks and sandwiches and wraps. Although a chain, a Pret sandwich is a bit special, a step up from a supermarket sandwich - Chicken, Avacado and Basil, Breakfast Egg and Bacon, Italian Prosciutto with salad - you get the idea - in a sandwich, wrap, 6inch roll or footlong.

We also have a chain call Subway, which is less special, but does subs with mainly hot fillings - Meatball Mariana, Tuna Salad, BLT...

And then finally you have the burger joints, which we don't consider sandwiches, but my American friends refer to them as, so I'll include them.

But probably, more sandwiches are sold from the supermarkets than all the others, I would guess.
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 17, 2021, 12:49:39 PM
I suspect, but don't know for certain, that Subway is probably an import from the US. They certainly market themselves that way.
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Kristin Meredith on June 17, 2021, 01:07:56 PM
Yes, Subway is from the US and it seems you find one about every two blocks!
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: 02ebz06 on June 17, 2021, 01:16:47 PM
We don't (at least I don't) call burgers, or hot dogs for that matter, sandwiches either.
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on June 17, 2021, 01:23:47 PM
Bentley, Chris' post on the English sandwich and places to buy them seems like something that would be a good post in the Sandwich thread.  I don't know how to copy something into another thread from the original poster so I will let you decide if you agree with me and then have you do the copy or move to that thread.
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Bentley on June 17, 2021, 02:08:38 PM
Have never considered a burger a sandwich, yet I bet if you had asked my uncles they would have said yes.  They would have seen nothing wrong with having a burger between 2 pieces of white bread, not for me.  Funny you would mention a Hoagie, I guess I do consider it a sandwich, but certainly not like a grilled cheese or tuna on toasted sourdough.  And i guess a cheese steak is a sandwich, but it and something like an Italian Beef, I guess I have always put in a separate category!
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Bentley on June 17, 2021, 02:13:40 PM
It really can't be done without taking it from this thread.  I could split it, and move to the sandwich thread, but that would screw it up here.  I could quote it and put it in the sandwich thread, but then it would show up under my name and as a quote.  Or we can ask Chris to copy his post and also post it in the sandwich thread.


Bentley, Chris' post on the English sandwich and places to buy them seems like something that would be a good post in the Sandwich thread.  I don't know how to copy something into another thread from the original poster so I will let you decide if you agree with me and then have you do the copy or move to that thread.
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: Chris__M on June 17, 2021, 03:15:02 PM
It really can't be done without taking it from this thread.  I could split it, and move to the sandwich thread, but that would screw it up here.  I could quote it and put it in the sandwich thread, but then it would show up under my name and as a quote.  Or we can ask Chris to copy his post and also post it in the sandwich thread.


Bentley, Chris' post on the English sandwich and places to buy them seems like something that would be a good post in the Sandwich thread.  I don't know how to copy something into another thread from the original poster so I will let you decide if you agree with me and then have you do the copy or move to that thread.

Not a problem. That was largely written off the cuff. Sometime tomorrow, I'll take it and edit it a bit, then post to the sandwich thread.
Title: Re: My BBQ Area
Post by: urnmor on June 17, 2021, 06:58:59 PM
As William Shakespeare said “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. IMO the same can be said for a sandwich