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[Chris__M]

Hi folk,

Some of you will know me from the other place, although I haven't been that prolific in recent months, I've always enjoyed reading.

Started off on a Traeger Lil Tex, with a 3-way controller, many years ago. That controller (and a subsequent replacement) broke and was replaced by a relay which *can* be controlled by an Arduino board. However, when the Arduino is not plugged in, the Traeger just runs on maximum feed, which is mostly how it is used these days, both as a "hot" grill and - with a large pizza stone - as a bread oven.

This became the easy option when I bought my second pellet grill, a WiFi enabled GMG Davy Crockett. This is my go-to grill, for cooking just for myself, or small groups. When I have a dozen or more people around (which happens about once a month), both grills get pressed into action - the Traeger for burgers, chicken and sausages, the GMG for the cleverer stuff.

I also have a charcoal Kamado, which I like, but seldom gets used, as the pellet grills are just so convenient.

As I say, a lot of my cooking is just for me and friends, but once a month I host a Saturday board-game session, and -weather permitting - I do a BBQ lunch for anything from 8 to 16 people.

[Kristin Meredith]

Good to have you with us Chris.  We hope you will share some pictures of your cooks.  I also remember seeing pictures on Pelletheads of where you live and it was lovely.

[TLK]

Welcome from Ohio!

[pz]

Welcome from Idaho Chris 

Your story is much like mine - I too started with a Lil' Tex, but replaced the controller with a Pellet Pro PID. I then purchased a wireless Davy as my next cooker mostly to take on the road in the RV, but found that it does a stellar job when I do a quick cook; throw on a tri-tip for dinner and Bobs you uncle.

Likely much smaller than your Kamado, I have a mini Green Egg, but hardly used it until I found a Korean BBQ topper that perfectly fits on top - I use it kind of like a Korean version of the old fondue parties.

[Queball]

Welcome aboard from "Merryland", Chris. I believe you once posted pictures of the hamlet you lived in and the great cooking setup you had in the back yard with your GMG Davy Crockett, I believe. It was interesting to see.

[Bentley]

Glad you made it!  Curious as to different cultures take on certain food. 

When you say sausage, do you all eat it with bun like Hot Dog?  Is it like a Brat here, or more of an indigenous sausage?  I know the Bangor, but as I recall, it is more "Dinner Plate" type sausage, you know, with the mash and peas I believe.  And I have heard of Lincolnshire, but I was lead to believe it was a sage based sausage and I always think of that as the breakfast category...America really has no sausage of its own...maybe a Texas Hot Link...
 

both grills get pressed into action - the Traeger for burgers, chicken and sausages, the GMG for the cleverer stuff.

[LowSlowFoShow]

Welcome, glad you found us!

[pmillen]

Welcome aboard, Chris.  I lingered a long time over the photographs of your home area and your residence.  It's good to "see" you.

[GrillinGlen]

Welcome from Idaho!

[Chris__M]

When you say sausage, do you all eat it with bun like Hot Dog?  Is it like a Brat here, or more of an indigenous sausage?  I know the Bangor, but as I recall, it is more "Dinner Plate" type sausage, you know, with the mash and peas I believe.  And I have heard of Lincolnshire, but I was lead to believe it was a sage based sausage and I always think of that as the breakfast category...America really has no sausage of its own...maybe a Texas Hot Link...

Regarding Lincolnshire, that is where I live, not necessarily what sausages I cook. For a breakfast sausage, I think I prefer Cumberland (shhhhhh, don't tell the neighbours) or even Lorne (square) sausage, which is what you can get in Scotland.

"Hot Dog" means so many things over here, and probably different things to different people. If you are having a hot dog from a van, or at a cinema, it will almost certainly be a frankfurter in a bun. I went off franks for a long while as most of the common brands over here are dirt cheap and contain mostly mechanically recovered meat, and even chicken (i.e. slurry). However, I have discovered some decent reliable brands that are proper meat, and beef and/or pork.

A hot dog cooked on the average british home BBQ will almost certainly be a variant on a British breakfast sausage, stuck in a bun. It is not quite right, but it is what we understand by the term, and can still be tasty. But to my taste, the British "banger" (sausage) has too much fat for this - it is fantastic on a plate with a breakfast (or - allowed to go cold, sliced and in a sandwich with sauce, it is wonderful), but in a hot-dog bun, it can tend to spray you as you bite into it. 

So while I will serve those (and my friends like them), I do try to get Brats or similar when I can. They are not so available in our regular supermarkets as in the US, but some of the better ones stock them. However, it will never stop my friends turning up to my BBQ with a packet of British bangers!

I think the thing most in demand from my friends is pulled pork, which I have gotten quite good at cooking (for a Brit). Over the last couple of years, pulled pork has become a big thing in the shops  - pulled pork sandwiches, potato chips etc; so when I tell first-timers that I am doing pulled pork, I often get a "yeah, ok" response, as if it isn't interesting food. Until they try my pork, and realise that what they sell in the shops is nothing like proper pulled pork! 

With pork more or less under my belt (it can always be improved), I want to perfect my brisket. I've done it before, with both good and mediocre results, so I need to work on getting it consistent.

[Bentley]

Thanks for that knowledge my friend...and now for the Monty Python type responses...

Even after you posted on PH I guess I did not realize that...probably why I failed at Detective school.
Seems like a silly statement, but also the reason I am 25 Stones I guess! (I do know what you mean!)
King of the Who...I understand U.K., I don't get the difference between English and British...but that is for another time.
Let me know when you do, I started in 2002 and am still trying!  They tell me it can be done...

Regarding Lincolnshire, that is where I live...
But to my taste, the British "banger" (sausage) has too much fat for this...
which I have gotten quite good at cooking (for a Brit).
I want to perfect my brisket.

[Jcorwin818]

Welcome Chris from Kansas.  Good to see you on the new site.

[Chris__M]

While saying hi, I'll give you a little bit more about me. I'm from London originally, but after college lived for about 15 years on the south coast (Brighton, my university town). Then I moved up here, to a more rural town, in the middle of the countryside, but still only 10-15 minutes from the nearest city.

I originally got into BBQ because I am a board-gamer and frequently (at least monthly, and sometimes more) end up hosting a dozen to 20 people for the day, playing games. I am also an amateur musician, and - similarly - often have large number of people over to make music. Because I like to lay on a good lunch, I found I was spending more time in the kitchen and actually missing the fun.

Then I had a couple of trips to the US, the East Coast in 2004, and the West Coast (mainly SF) in 2011. That is when I first encountered proper BBQ (I know, neither are really known BBQ regions, and nowhere near the south, but it was still more authentic than anything I had eaten before).

After the East Coast trip I decided that BBQ might be a simpler way to feed a horde, and would move food preparation and dishing up out of my very small kitchen. To my surprise, it worked. People who had never come up to me in the kitchen and said "Do you want a hand?" were only too willing to do a spell at the grill. The first few years were straight grilling over charcoal, with a Weber Kettle and a Weber clone. I also started doing some low and slow, as well, doing the slow stuff a day or so in advance and reheating while the burgers cooked on the Weber. I still do a lot or pre-cooking.

The Lil Tex arrived in 2010 and was a revelation. Temperature control! Then came my trip to California; by then my American friends knew I was into BBQ, and so each friend I visited ended up taking me to a different BBQ joint (that whole marvellous trip, I mostly fed on BBQ or sushi). I came back with lots of ideas and started work on getting my pulled pork right, first with a Kansas-style sauce which I always associated with BBQ, but later with a South Carolina sauce, which I prefer (but I often revert to Kansas, for variety).

The Kamado arrived in 2011, and the Weber went to live with a friend. Then the Davy Crockett arrived in 2015.

Here's a couple of the pictures of my garden, where we eat



And here's the kit.

[Bentley]

So more questions...is pellet heating available over there?  If so, the infrastructure is there for the pellets.  Is there anyone making them there or the continent?

[Chris__M]

I understand U.K., I don't get the difference between English and British...but that is for another time.

No time like the present. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are separate countries, but (mostly) under one government. Wales, Scotland and NI all have devolved assemblies that deal with things like health and education and such, but Parliament, in Westminster, is still top dog regarding things like the economy, defense etc.

The confusing bit, I guess is the difference between Britain (and me being British) and UK, so lets break this down.

Great Britain is a purely geographic entity, and is simply the main island we live on - technically it only includes England, Scotland and Wales (and some of the surrounding little islands), it does not include Northern Ireland.

The British Isles is another geographic entity, being a group of islands including Great Britain (i.e. England, Scotland and Wales), the whole of Ireland (which includes both Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic), and also little islands like the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey.

So being English, I am also British, as England is part of Great Britain.

The UK stands for (deep breath) "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". It is a political entity comprising of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Because it is so awkward to say "I'm a UKian" or "I am a citizen of the UK", we all tend to muddy the geographical with the political and say "I'm British", or "I am a British citizen". Which tends to get up the nose of some people from Northern Ireland (with good cause) as they are UK citizens, but do not consider themselves "British", and lord help anyone who calls them that.

I bet you are still confused!