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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3881
Registered: 2-9-2004
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"who is going to 'swab' down their greasy BBQ each time they use it camping?" The same person who will swab down the grill that comes with the
Weber. Propane gets just as messy.
I just pack and re-pack a grate in a heavy-duty plastic bag. lays flat underneath other boxes of supplies. Most of the messiness burns to a crisp
after cooking. Otherwise, just a scrape with a knife, wipe-down with papertowels and rinse with some water. And as HotSchott says, I too try to
find a fire ring already established to use.
And for some recipes, you don't need a grate at all. Make a bed of coals - either from charcoal brought from home or dead matter laying about - and
wrap your fish or meat or sliced potatoes or vegetables in heavy duty aluminum foil; place amonst the coals to cook. Turn once.
There are grills with long handles that clamp the food between two grill faces too - good for smaller items like hot dogs and hamburgers. I like
those because you can place it over the flame at its optimum position.
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Mood: undecided
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Propane provides just the right flavor, it also burns really well!
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surfer jim
Super Nomad
Posts: 1891
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: high desert
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The BBQ I am looking for has a big "latch" that will hold the top lid securely to the bottom part...it goes over the carrying handle and snaps in
place....no mess for transport....
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pappy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 679
Registered: 12-10-2003
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Jim- for years now i have used the keg-a-que(as mentioned by mexitron).it is a pony keg cut in half , so it is plenty deep to hold mesquite and not
burn the food(as shallower, rectangles ones i've used had a tendancy to do).the lid clasps secure and it only takes a couple chunks of mesquite to
cook a tri-tip or chicken, in the wind with lid on.it has cooked for groups of 4 to 8 people no problem.start with some linguice sausage and
jalapenos on grill sook and slice, wrap up in tortilla for starters. then throw on whatever ya want-potatoes, onoions chicken whole or parted,tri-tip
halibut, sea bass,etc. etc. i paid $55 bucks for it years ago at a local sport chalet.i built a plywood box to hual it around in-carries the keg,
spices, bbq tools and lighter fluid.(it originally came as a propane unit but use mesquite only, though kept the propane innards in case we ran out of
mesquite).
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Packoderm
Super Nomad
Posts: 2116
Registered: 11-7-2002
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I have both the square propane Weber and the Weber Smokey Joe charcoal with the handle. I like the Smokey Joe better because the food tastes better,
and it is more fun to use real coals/mesquite, but I end up using the propane one pretty much exclusively because of the convenience.
Weber Smokey Joe Gold:
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jerry
Super Nomad
Posts: 1354
Registered: 10-10-2003
Location: loreto
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i have a BBQ that i have had for years and years it looks like a metal tool box and has 2stainless griles one for the coal or wood to sit on the other
to cook on there are 2 tight fitting vents on the sides on bottom i can use coal or wood and when i finished i slam the lid and hasp tighten the vents
and it seals up dustless ready for next time i got it from the boyscouts or some organization its a little heavy but has lasted at least 25 years for
camping out and moterhoming the decal has long since disapered
jerry and judi
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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Chimney charcoal starter
One of the more pleasurable aspects of Baja camping is sitting down with friends and family to a barbequed meal...which must be eaten around the
campfire.
Ah..the delectable aroma of barbecued chicken, grilled steaks, burgers, hot dogs, fish, shrimp, frogs, lizards, snakes, roadkill, spam..wait, hold the
phone...no spam.
If you, too, are a fan of fine-cooked outdoor fare, you might want to put together a homemade charcoal chimney. This handy device, which can easily be
made from common household items, will produce a glowing bed of briquettes in about ten minutes ... a definite improvement over the time required to
generate embers when using the more conventional "lighter fluid" method. Please, no lighter fluid taste on my food! You can light these chimneys
easily with a wad of newspaper...no muss, no fuss.
If you are handy and want your own make one from a 8" scrap of 6"-diameter single-walled stovepipe...
Or...simply buy one for about 10 bucks from your nearest hardware store...like the one below from Weber.
Combine all this gear with your own homemade charcoal and you are good to go.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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soulpatch...let's face it, the old days are gone...sigh.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Tomas Tierra
Super Nomad
Posts: 1281
Registered: 3-23-2005
Location: oxnard, ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tengo Flojera
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smokey joe, chimney starter, wood chips, 20 lbs. of briquets(loose) all in a 60 qt rubber made tub with lid on snapped. self contained, and clean(on
the outside anyway).
even the small dome of the smokey joe is far superior to the retcangle rig.
versatility in cooking techniques is key with the dome...
now I'm hungry for some slow smoked something......
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craiggers
Junior Nomad
Posts: 42
Registered: 3-2-2007
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Life is too short
Life is to short to debate the advantages of propane vs charcoal or vis versa. the truth is they both have their place in a proper camp setup. I'll
agree that or some or maybe even most food there's nothing that is going to beat the tast of a charcoal BBQ. For this I carry an old round grill out
of an old webber, I think. For quick roadside or late night cooking or early morning coffe & breakfast its hard to beat propane. for this I carry
one of the little rectangular grills already mentioned. Call me anything but late for dinner.
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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You bet, craiggers...I think most of us carry each kind, too. I know we do.
But you are wrong about thinking there is no benefit to discussing the merits of charcoal v.s. propane.
Do the Yankees equal the Mets? Does mustard belong on a hotdog or does ketchup? Crunchy or creamy peanut butter? (creamy) Will a bluegill fight as
much as a perch? Do blondes really have more fun than a brunette?
You can see where these important questions take you....
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
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Mood: mellow
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I think these guys have what you want.
http://www.cajunoutdoorcooking.com/portable_grill.htm
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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Packoderm
Super Nomad
Posts: 2116
Registered: 11-7-2002
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This is a really cool Mexican BBQ. It is made out of a tire rim, re-bar, and some scrap angle iron. When I was in the Yucatan, they were selling these
for under $15.00 U.S. I don't see why they couldn't make the same thing in Baja.
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AmoPescar
Senior Nomad
Posts: 835
Registered: 7-15-2006
Location: North San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Need a Fish Taco and a Pacifico!
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Hey Jim,
What about something like the one below. It has it’s own case and is a good size for traveling. Might try shopping at a Barbecues Galore. I think
they might have something similar in stock.
IMHO…Propane is the way to go. I own a small Weber Propane and it’s easy to use and cooks everything well.
Check it out at…http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=333477
Here's more info. on it...http://www.cobbq.com/
Good luck in your search!
Miguelamo
[Edited on 4-19-2007 by AmoPescar]
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
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Charcoal v.s. Propane
What is your preference?
Flavor I sure can't deny that charcoal delivers fantastic flavor, but I believe that you can do just as well with gas by using a
medium to low heat. Our own taste tests with other campers in Baja using both gas and charcoal have shown no difference between the two. This might
be due to improper lime/beer ratios, though.
Convenience In this, gas grills are the clear winner.
Style & Fun Of course, the important thing is to have fun cooking and prepare great tasting food. Are you a traditionalist
who loves to watch those briquettes get white hot.. or a fan of convenient modern technology? I have to admit, I become a “Keeper of the Fire” holy
man using charcoal. But if it's not a matter of superior taste, (and I am not saying yea or nay) why would anyone fool with charcoal? Admit it, you
love being Master and Commander of the Coals. On the other hand, a gas grill lets you spend more time correctly adjusting the lime/Pacifico ratio.
Cost Charcoal is the clear winner here. Charcoal grills are simpler and less expensive.
Which one do you prefer? Hey, it's all good!
We do a lot of offroad camping, but also like to boatcamp wherever we can. For this, we stow aboard a compact folding gas grill in a compartment with
other cookware...works great for a shore lunch with no danger of starting a forest fire up north..or scrounging for firewood on a bare Baja beach!
[Edited on 4-19-2007 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Paulina
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3812
Registered: 8-31-2002
Location: BCN
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by soulpatch
Pre-woman in my life and me getting soft period all I ever brought down was a grill and charcoal...... rocks for a nice deep fire ring was all it took
for days of fish cooking, pancakes etc. Whatever meal it was was cooked that way. |
That's how we still do it. After dinner the bbq pit becomes the campfire pit. We have different sized grills depending on who's invited to dinner.
P<*)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Tomas Tierra
Super Nomad
Posts: 1281
Registered: 3-23-2005
Location: oxnard, ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tengo Flojera
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
Admit it, you love being Master and Commander of the Coals. On the other hand, a gas grill lets you spend more time correctly adjusting the
lime/Pacifico ratio.
[Edited on 4-19-2007 by Pompano] |
definately admited.....and charcoal/wood fires all the way
but true master and commander of the coals will have a beer fetcher/ lime ratio expert waiting close by in hopes of a tid bit of wood smoked
wonder....
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9011
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
Member Is Offline
Mood: Inquisitive
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I've owned all of the smaller Webers in all forms of combustion. The Smokey Joe is the most versatile, as you can build coals up close to the food or
create enough distance. The rectangles dont have as much latitude on that.
The maintenance of propane units sucks; it's the bottom grate that needs constant replacement.
Any unit must have a lid, so you can go "indirect", if need be.
I saw a newer Smokey Joe (mines a few years old) and it looked like they had eliminated the aeration holes below the coals and just had ones on the
sides and lid. That would be a bad decision on their part, IMO.
I use a chimney at home but for reduced space of camping, I buy bags of Matchlight and mix it about 25-75 with either regular briquets or the mesquite
charcoal. Works fine. Actually use this mix at home, too. One sheet of newspaper is all you ever need whereas most chimney owners know that they can
be temperamental in low wind sitchs.
I have also used the cubes of flammable starter by Weber to great advantage for avoiding bringing the chimney, even without using the Matchlights..
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
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Here a fire starter for you, Hook.
CHARCOAL FIRE STARTER
Charcoal briquettes
Cardboard egg carton
Paraffin
Place a charcoal briquette in each compartment of the egg carton. Pour melted paraffin to soak charcoal and carton. Allow to harden. Tear off
compartments as needed and place within charcoal or wood to be lit. Light carton to start fire. Simple and easy.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
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???they still make cardboard egg cartoons???
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