Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
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Re: Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
NOW THATS WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!!
Kiwiman....that looks so crunchy....oh yeah....
Follow the book if you have a copy...32 heat beads per side and take off at around 70-72c and let rest for about 20 minutes......great to see you have rejuvenated your kettle and become reaquainted with one of the best all round bbqs there is.
I've never used a komado but the moisture retention properties of ceramic will make crackling almost impossible as you need dry heat is what you need.
Keep up the great work kiwiman
Cheers
Davo
Kiwiman....that looks so crunchy....oh yeah....
Follow the book if you have a copy...32 heat beads per side and take off at around 70-72c and let rest for about 20 minutes......great to see you have rejuvenated your kettle and become reaquainted with one of the best all round bbqs there is.
I've never used a komado but the moisture retention properties of ceramic will make crackling almost impossible as you need dry heat is what you need.
Keep up the great work kiwiman
Cheers
Davo
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Re: Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
Davo,
Have ordered a book off ebay this arvo so will be getting right into it when it arrives.
Stewart
Have ordered a book off ebay this arvo so will be getting right into it when it arrives.
Stewart
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Re: Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
You won't be sorry Stewart, I still regard it as the bbq bible for Weber kettles because even with all the popular Yanky style bbq today, we Aussies are generally more tuned to the family roast. The way we cook in Australia is quite unique, while still encompassing the traditions of Brittain which we are still aligned, due to our marvellous alround climate, we have taken the roast from the family ovens to a device which has transversed Aussie backyards.
Considering that America bbqed completely different to Australians, in the 70's where the massive brick bbqs with a full hotplate donned the typical backyards, who would've thought a metal round bowl on tri-pod legs would had taken Australia by storm.
What I like about the kettle is that despite lack of modern day technology, this bbq is very forgiving and teaches one the art of working with live fire.
Cheers
Davo
Considering that America bbqed completely different to Australians, in the 70's where the massive brick bbqs with a full hotplate donned the typical backyards, who would've thought a metal round bowl on tri-pod legs would had taken Australia by storm.
What I like about the kettle is that despite lack of modern day technology, this bbq is very forgiving and teaches one the art of working with live fire.
Cheers
Davo
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Weber Q320
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Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
If you don't use smoking wood, is there any difference to doing a roast in the weber compared to the kitchen oven?
Re: Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
Of course! Just the fact that you are cooking over charcoal imparts flavour and a weber will burn hot at the start of a cook and gradually reduce temp naturally, that's hard to do in an oven. This seals the food then cooks it through without drying it out.
Re: Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
MrT wrote:If you don't use smoking wood, is there any difference to doing a roast in the weber compared to the kitchen oven?
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Re: Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
Technicaly , you are correct if it was just a straight out indirect bake apples for apples.MrT wrote:If you don't use smoking wood, is there any difference to doing a roast in the weber compared to the kitchen oven?
Some indoor ovens are fantastic cookers.
You mention Weber, and Take that to be a kettle?
Kettles are the exception, For some reason they give a colour and flavour on a indirect bake that an indoor oven can't do smoke wood or not. Pellet grills do it but they use wood so don't form part of your question.
With BBQ however, you can mix and match with things like two zone cooking where at some stage the meat gets to sear and drop it's fats and juices straight down onto hot Coles or flavour bars for gas and drip baffle for pellet grills. In turn getting the cue flavour that is desirable. This is also got a lot to do with hood down and keeping in those flashed flavours.
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Re: Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
You guys are killing me with the crackling roast pictures. You can't find a skin on roast in the States without going to a very specialized butcher, and I don't have one within hours of me that would have one. It's ridiculous. We eat packaged pork skin chips by the bag full, but flinch at the idea of cooking a roast with the skin on.
I found one skin on shoulder roast all of last year, and I ruined it in my Big Green Egg, cooking it low and slow instead of hot and fast. The meat was delicious, but the skin got like shoe leather, rather than puffing up and turning into crackling. Next time I find one, it is going in the Bar-B-Kettle or the Q.
I found one skin on shoulder roast all of last year, and I ruined it in my Big Green Egg, cooking it low and slow instead of hot and fast. The meat was delicious, but the skin got like shoe leather, rather than puffing up and turning into crackling. Next time I find one, it is going in the Bar-B-Kettle or the Q.
Jeff
Medium BGE, Large BGE, 22.5" Weber Kettle and brand new Q3200
Medium BGE, Large BGE, 22.5" Weber Kettle and brand new Q3200
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Re: Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
From my understanding, if you cook a roast in an electric or gas indoor oven, yes if set at the correct temp at the beginning, you will get crackling on your roast but it won't have that bbq flavour and that is because in BBQs like the Weber Kettle, you have continous flow of air through the vents that goes up through the coals in order to cook.
The indoor oven might be fan forced, but that's basically circulating the already hot air that stays withing the chamber, there no venting like a kettle but it is a drier heat than a Komado style BBQ.
The Kettle has the perfect shape to allow the hot air to be drawn through the bottom vents, that means the heat of the coals literally sucks colder air from underneath, then the air hits the coals heating up instantly and rises hitting the underneath of the lid and gets thrown down in around the food.
It circulates for a bit till it find the top vent to escape....this is happenning all the time whilst the lid is on.
The heat is DRY heat even if it's moist air going up through the bottom vents, the fire will burn the moisture out anyway but it will always remain dry heat but in a Komado, due to the material used in it's making, ceramic keeps the moisture within which will give you rich moist roasts but it won't crackle the skin on.Maybe the experienced komado guys will tell you if you can or can't.....I personally have never used one.
To get crackling, you have to use about 32 heatbead briquettes per side giving you 64 total, you can add wood if you like but it will blacken the crackling alot making it too chard an unappealing (don't ask me how I know this ) but an actual roast I feel is better without the smoke and let the flavour of the meat speak for itself. with 64 beads, my weber thermometer is reading somewhere close to 500F at the lid but this soon dies down to around 400F but this is what's needed in order to evenly cook the roast and most is done by time rather than internal temp. although I pulled my roast off with an internal of 72C.....the meat was absolutely moist, delicious and tender....and between me and the Mrs, the crackling lasted less than 10 minutes and it was GONE
In Australia, for our overseas members, we use Brown Coal briquettes which gives a nice even heat,is of the same uniformed size per piece, no toxic fumes or smells and has been around for donkey's years and is my go to fuel for the Weber due to it's consistency. I usually don't use lump charcoal due to its non-uniformed size unless I'm high heat grilling.
Cheers
Davo
The indoor oven might be fan forced, but that's basically circulating the already hot air that stays withing the chamber, there no venting like a kettle but it is a drier heat than a Komado style BBQ.
The Kettle has the perfect shape to allow the hot air to be drawn through the bottom vents, that means the heat of the coals literally sucks colder air from underneath, then the air hits the coals heating up instantly and rises hitting the underneath of the lid and gets thrown down in around the food.
It circulates for a bit till it find the top vent to escape....this is happenning all the time whilst the lid is on.
The heat is DRY heat even if it's moist air going up through the bottom vents, the fire will burn the moisture out anyway but it will always remain dry heat but in a Komado, due to the material used in it's making, ceramic keeps the moisture within which will give you rich moist roasts but it won't crackle the skin on.Maybe the experienced komado guys will tell you if you can or can't.....I personally have never used one.
To get crackling, you have to use about 32 heatbead briquettes per side giving you 64 total, you can add wood if you like but it will blacken the crackling alot making it too chard an unappealing (don't ask me how I know this ) but an actual roast I feel is better without the smoke and let the flavour of the meat speak for itself. with 64 beads, my weber thermometer is reading somewhere close to 500F at the lid but this soon dies down to around 400F but this is what's needed in order to evenly cook the roast and most is done by time rather than internal temp. although I pulled my roast off with an internal of 72C.....the meat was absolutely moist, delicious and tender....and between me and the Mrs, the crackling lasted less than 10 minutes and it was GONE
In Australia, for our overseas members, we use Brown Coal briquettes which gives a nice even heat,is of the same uniformed size per piece, no toxic fumes or smells and has been around for donkey's years and is my go to fuel for the Weber due to it's consistency. I usually don't use lump charcoal due to its non-uniformed size unless I'm high heat grilling.
Cheers
Davo
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Re: Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
Davo
If you use 32 beads a side you will end up with burnt ends of the crackling as depicted in your photo. The ideal set up is 27 heat beads a side both vents fully open and a cook time of 3 - 3 1/2 hours. Meat at room temp and use the boiling water poured over the skin then patted dry and rubbed with a neutral oil (not olive) and salt.
As I said if you use 32 beads the fire is too hot and burns the edges of the crackling making it un-appertising.
Captain
If you use 32 beads a side you will end up with burnt ends of the crackling as depicted in your photo. The ideal set up is 27 heat beads a side both vents fully open and a cook time of 3 - 3 1/2 hours. Meat at room temp and use the boiling water poured over the skin then patted dry and rubbed with a neutral oil (not olive) and salt.
As I said if you use 32 beads the fire is too hot and burns the edges of the crackling making it un-appertising.
Captain
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Re: Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
Yeah Phil, admittedly there was some burning on the ends but not too bad, they must've just got a bit more heat than the rest and I'll try less beads next time but with this cook, I just wanted to go back to basics as per the book which dictated the large fire which in the book was 32 beads per side.
So, I wonder why they didn't get burn't ends if they used this same principle, they had an even crackle although their book, the skin was marked a lot finer than I had it.
I did do the boiling water on the skin, pat dry, salt & pepper, and a good solid rub of ricebran oil...so it might've been the oil too?
Next time I'll try it with 27 per side which is only 2 more per side as their ordinary fire. maybe 29 beads ps is more refined?
Davo
So, I wonder why they didn't get burn't ends if they used this same principle, they had an even crackle although their book, the skin was marked a lot finer than I had it.
I did do the boiling water on the skin, pat dry, salt & pepper, and a good solid rub of ricebran oil...so it might've been the oil too?
Next time I'll try it with 27 per side which is only 2 more per side as their ordinary fire. maybe 29 beads ps is more refined?
Davo
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Re: Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
Davo & Captain,
With 32 beads per side i did find it was too hot (sitting at about 250c) and i had to foil the crackle fairly early.
Still tasted bloody good though.
Also the cookbook arrived this morning from Brisbane after ordering on Sunday. Great service.
Lots of interesting recipes.
Stewart
With 32 beads per side i did find it was too hot (sitting at about 250c) and i had to foil the crackle fairly early.
Still tasted bloody good though.
Also the cookbook arrived this morning from Brisbane after ordering on Sunday. Great service.
Lots of interesting recipes.
Stewart
Re: Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
I've really (temporarily) got the bug for Weber cooking. Lamb shanks cooking away nicely to take on my upcoming tip. Hence temporarily have the bug. I'm heading off tomorrow for a couple of months in the motorhome, so the Weber will be back to the shed until I get home. Will probably be taken out again for roast pork Christmas dinner.
Stubby.
Stubby.
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Re: Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
Get a Go Anywhere to take with you!Stubby wrote:I've really (temporarily) got the bug for Weber cooking. Lamb shanks cooking away nicely to take on my upcoming tip. Hence temporarily have the bug. I'm heading off tomorrow for a couple of months in the motorhome, so the Weber will be back to the shed until I get home. Will probably be taken out again for roast pork Christmas dinner.
Stubby.
Chris
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Re: Getting back to basics with the Weber kettle
G'day Chris, I'm very limited for room, so I just have a BBQ plate, made by me, which fits our 2 burner gas stove, and works very well. All things are somewhat compromised when travelling, ie. too big to get into small parks, too small to have everything you would like to travel with. We have everything the bigger rigs have, our's is just more compact and quite comfortable.
Stubby.
Stubby.