Great thread! BBQ Brian offered us a successful overview of bbq (pulled pork sandwiches) in Chef Tony’s cooking class last fall. He was also hawkin’ a tasty Apple Butter BBQ sauce that I was lucky enough to get a bottle of.
I have a Weber Kettle in Vancouver, and just purchased a Weber Bullet with my brother (although it will be located in Nova Scotia so I’ll only have access to it several times/year).
I recently purchased a rotisserie for the kettle called the EZ-CUE.
http://www.ezqueinc.com/kettle.htm185 US for the 6 “cradle set-up, so definitely not cheap, but worth the price in my opinion. It may pay for itself by 2010 - you have to think long-term. Anyways, this rotisserie and company comes highly recommended. I have been more than pleased with this product.
I find a great selection and better prices for woods, lump, bbq accessories in Washington (Bellingham for me). I don’t get there very often though. In Vancouver, Army and Navy sometimes has wood for a decent price. I’ve also seen some at Winners on occasion.
I would appreciate feedback on a Weber Chimney Starter: I presently use an electric starter to light my coals/wood for the kettle. It works great, but I wonder if I should I get a Weber Chimney Starter as well? For longer indirect cooks, say brisket and pork butt on the kettle (which I have not yet attempted), I’m thinking that it might make the process much easier. I did purchase a Chimney Starter for the Smoker, but as I mentioned, I have never tried it and won’t have access to it until next year.
A few random tips that I’ve learned/picked using the Kettle:
- Always keep top vents open, regulate airflow with the bottom vents
- A small terracotta pot makes a cheap and efficient ash catcher for the Silver Kettle Model.
- A hinged cooking grate is extremely useful for longer indirect cooks in which you have to add additional fuel ($10-$15)
- Cut big pieces of lump into smaller pieces with a hatchet so you have more consistently sized pieces.
