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Its our 50th episode! We cant believe we have got this far. This is a chat between us about what we have learnt during the course of 50 episodes, how our BBQ game has changed and what we look to do in the future. We have a sp...
Its our 50th episode! We cant believe we have got this far. This is a chat between us about what we have learnt during the course of 50 episodes, how our BBQ game has changed and what we look to do in the future. We have a special giveaway for you as well, so take a listen and get involved!
This episode was brought to you by AOS Kitchen creators of bespoke outdoor kitchens perfect to pimp up your bbq area. Visit AOS Kitchens today!
BBQ Bingo is sponsored by LumberjAxe Food Company, who have a fantastic range of rubs & sauces for all your culinary needs! Check out their range.
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For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.
Owen - Host:
Today's episode is brought to you by aos kitchens, the South's leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists
Dan - Host:
Welcome to a very special episode of the meat & Greet BBQ podcast. This is our 50th episode. I know I didn't think we'd survive this one either. But oh, and I just want to talk about a few things that we've learned over the last 50 episodes. And I thank you all for listening. without much further ado, here's myself and Aaron. Hello. Hey,
Owen - Host:
so if anyone dares episode,
Dan - Host:
we, for anyone who doesn't know who you are, would you like to introduce yourself?
Owen - Host:
Yeah, um, oh, in? No wrong.
Dan - Host:
We're definitely not anonymous.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, definitely no notice. 50th episode, man, can you believe it?
Unknown:
I know right now in what was it? Two and a half years ago,
Dan - Host:
kind of sitting there talking about things that we could do where we will be boring each other's wives to death talking about barbecue. And we came up with this. Crazy, right?
Owen - Host:
Yeah, well, we launched two years ago and end of February 21. So far, I think first episode, first week, second week of March. So yes, time has gone combined. But before we truly get into it, I think I wanted to tell everyone that because it's our 50th episode. And, you know, we want to thank everyone for listening and all the support that everyone's given us, we're going to do a giveaway for our 50th. So what we've got is a ticket to sizzle fest. We have got a 25 pound meat box voucher. And also we've got some meat & Greet BBQ podcast merch. So we've got mugs, apron t shirt. So stay tuned. We'll tell you how you can win that little bundle later on in this podcast. But yeah, at least we can kick off with with a nice giveaway for everyone.
Dan - Host:
wears. Where's where's Mommy box? Where's yours? Right away. That's how much we care though. Right? But yeah, we were still in shock that people are still listening 50 episodes on, which is great, but you know, full of content, aren't we? That's why I guess looking back at last 50 episodes are in what's really stuck with you.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, absolutely nothing. I'm to be honest with you, I think actually just how I probably wasn't as knowledgeable about barbecue as I perhaps thought I was when we when we first started. You know, I thought I've done a bit of smoking. I've got a Weber kettle I've been using that for for years. I know what I'm doing. And it's only when you start speaking to some of the fantastic guests that we've had that actually think. Yeah, these guys, these guys know what they're talking about. So you always feel like bit impostor syndrome. So certainly, when we first started, and we were talking to some people, and
Unknown:
it suddenly
Owen - Host:
Oh, maybe I don't know, as much as you. But, you know, it's it's been, I think I've taken a lot of tips from people, you know, and actually brought that into my own into my own cooking when you know when I can. So from that aspect, just from a personal point of view. I've learned a lot by doing this. So yeah, it's been it's been we've been fantastic. But what about you?
Dan - Host:
Well, first and foremost, it's pronounced Komodo, not Komodo. That was quite an important lesson for me, of course. But even even through to things like just considering the morals of like, the charcoal you're buying and what that's actually doing to the environment and meat quality, I mean, always used to try and go to butchers and things to get access to the best kind of local bits and pieces. But there's so many different options out there. And I mean, we've talked to people who are championing kind of grass fed, like briskets, for example, and talk about the differences compared to like some of the USA, USD stuff and things that would never have really considered before, you know. And it's changed not only what I'm cooking, how I'm grilling it, and also kind of evolution of barbecue throughout the time as well actually what I've owned rather than anything else, has it changed how you cook and what you cook.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, definitely, I think, again, the more but I think by doing the podcast, we've met more people than we probably would have if we hadn't been doing the podcast so hello. actually. So I think naturally what we've done by having those conversations by meeting those people face to face tasting their food, you know, live at festivals or shows or wherever we've been that actually, it makes you just want to go home and cook it, doesn't it? And I don't think I probably would have been as inspired by just looking at Instagram or Facebook or whatever. Just on its own.
Dan - Host:
Yeah, I'd say a good example of that is if you listen back to the Cornish carnivore episode, and I was talking to him about pulled pork, and he was talking about I'd been doing it at like 105, maybe 110. He said, No, no, go like one to five 130 to have a different cut completely try pork neck, he finds it works much different and things like that we never would have learned just through looking at Instagram posts, you know. And I'd implore people if you know, people out there who love barbecue, talk to them. If you're speaking to people on Instagram, like or looking at things, reach out to them, so many people in the community lover chat, and they will get back to you and they will talk to you. And the more conversations that are happening, it's just going to help you and the person you're reaching out to go go speak to people about barbecue.
Owen - Host:
Absolutely. Is there been any particular kind of highlights for you over the last couple of years?
Dan - Host:
I would say things that we did at the time. I was so excited when we spoke to scale and Taylor, granted, we have to stay up till 2am. And funny story about that. So Oh, no, I got the timing drawn. So we logged in at one o'clock in the morning, having already done a record earlier that day, Mike Where is she? She promised she'd come checked nope, got it wrong. So had to wait another hour and started recording at 2am. But um, she was one of the first big kind of people that I started watching and following on Instagram, because of how often she was putting bits out but also the variety of things she was putting out. It wasn't just barbecuing, for barbecuing sake, it was actually feeding a family. And so speaking to her, I really enjoyed it. I thought cool, we're now talking to people across the world as well, that made a big difference. Was there anything that when we started doing it, or certain episode or anything that stood out for you that made you think about what we were doing?
Owen - Host:
I know, I've asked you to question but I'm finding it difficult to answer. Because I think this, we've done. I think what we've tried to do, and I hope everyone's enjoyed what we've tried to do in the sense that like variation of things. So it's, you know, I think, you know, we started originally, there was a lot of sort of backyard of barbecue, kind of, you know, enthusiasts, but naturally, we've started talking to businesses, you know, charcoal companies, manufacturers recipe book authors, barbecue school owners, so what. So I think, what we've tried to do, and I think that's kind of what I'm proud of, that we've done is just tried to keep it varied, to keep you know, given people different types of content. So you do hear from the people that are like us, you know, we're not professionals in any way, shape, or form. So we are, you know, we are those back garden enthusiasts, and but equally, you know, people that have made this their livelihood, actually. And it's really interesting how a lot of people have started in as, as that enthusiasts and then turned what is a passion into now a, you know, a career and a business for them. And I think that's been a highlight. And, again, I know that by the time this comes out, we just spoke, you know, we'll be a number of episodes into season five. And I think we've been talking about the mental health special a fair amount because of that was the last episode of the last season. But it's, again, I'm quite proud that we we did that one. I think that was quite an important message. Yes, it was absolutely about barbecue. But there was a, you know, a serious message behind that. And I think, you know, the kind of comments and things that we've received. And the queue together guys have received off the back of that it's yeah, it's kind of like a proud moment.
Dan - Host:
Well, one of the things that I remember you being most excited about before we did it was the summer specials that we put together and put out because I think we were both shocked that we managed to put together the small lineup that we did for that and the quality of that. But also, again, you guys might have heard this if you've spoken to us in person. It's so difficult to put together recordings particularly around kind of summertime because everyone's busy. Everyone wants to see their family. Everyone is enjoying themselves. And it's so much harder to Get people to sit down and speak to us even if they want to but the concept of that as well because it was you who thought right let's do these are some specials then rather than trying to change things do things different and just aim for those sorts of guests was a stroke of genius it felt like at the time but that's the thing I remember you getting most excited about
Unknown:
beforehand? Yeah, yeah, absolutely
Owen - Host:
yeah, I think you know, Genevieve Taylor trot out, you know, Adam Parnell, Shropshire lad, Marcus Borden, you know, the fantastic content creators, cooks authors.
Dan - Host:
Charles, they're great as well, kind of what he represents in barbecue as well. Great to have him talking in depth about his background as well, because you see all of these shops like Alton's as well with Jay we've we've spoken to, but the story behind how they came about and why those people are interested in barbecue in the first place. Can be fascinating. And you learn from that?
Unknown:
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. True. Is there
Owen - Host:
is there a particular kind of, I don't know feature or conversational topic point that we kind of, you know, go back to on most episodes that kind of stands out for you. Barbecue Bingo is brought to you by lumberjack food company, your ticket to flavortown.
Dan - Host:
Barbecue Bingo is something that we funnily enough has been talking about stripping back. And then as soon as we actually talk to people face to face, and through Instagram, get people's feedback. I think we're both surprised how interested in how people were, because Oh, and I were quite afraid that a it was getting stale, and be people don't always have the time to put it together in the way that we initially thought that maybe they would, and maybe would latch on to it. But it seems to have encouraged people to try different things as well. Because when they listen, and they see random things popped up, think I haven't tried that, I'll give it a go. But my back catalogue, barbecue fails as a special place in my heart. Because without them, I'd have nothing to talk about.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, again, that's that's a favorite thing for me, mainly, because actually, you know, obviously, we started it because we want people to learn. But, you know, more often than not, they're quite amusing stories, aren't they? And I can imagine, I certainly can almost relate to most stories, you know, perhaps not the serious ones where people might have set their shack on fire or something. But you know, for most stories where you've burnt this or burnt yourself or done whatever. I think people can relate, which is, which is quite nice. But yeah, more often than not, they're quite funny stories. Because everyone
Dan - Host:
cooks up no one Oh, it's very rare that people put their mistakes on Instagram. And that can be very intimidating. When you first log on. I know when I first kind of made a BBQ account and was looking around and doing bits and pieces for why the hell am I doing this, and I'm looking at what other people are putting together and doing and firstly, everyone feels that way about what everyone else is doing. So if you're first starting out, or you're thinking, Oh, maybe I want to kind of take photos of these things. So I can even if just for yourself. It's like a personal diary so you can remember them and scroll back. And you think well, what's the point if when you see what other people doing, everyone feels that way. And everyone feels a bit like a charlatan when they're putting stuff up and looking around. But when people then go further and tell their stories about how they've messed up how they've accidentally burned their foot because they were in sandals and charcoals come down how they've melted like fire guards and staff how they've caught fire to their shacks, as you said, how they've served raw meat because there's been like heat bleed onto thermometers and stuff. It makes you go well, I can definitely do that. So why can't I do the other side of it, you know, and that in itself is sometimes more inspiring. I think then talking to geniuses like Bourbon Street real spice punch about how the hell they're at the level they are.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, what for you? Are you looking forward to? I mean, the plan is right, unless you're about to drop a bombshell on this, but we we do another 50 episodes. You know what? What do you think we? What do you think we can do for the next 50? Much of the same? Or do you think we we should be trying some new things.
Dan - Host:
Most importantly, even if we put tweaks on I think it's important that we don't change what this podcast is and what it's about. I think we've both been maybe mistaken in the past where we're worried about going over similar territory or too much of the same. But again, once you actually He talks to listeners and you see how more popularity we get as the podcast goes on and looking behind the curtain a bit now as well for people listening. It's not like we have we have one or two episodes that are have gone through the roof compared to others, but we still have people listening to the first set of episodes that we did, it's not like people have just moved on from it. So I think it's important we keep the essence of what we are, I would like to try and get a bit more diversity. I think that we have that with this upcoming series that people would have started listening to by the time they've they've On this episode, as it were, because we have tried our best to get more female BBQ is on and trying to kind of reach out across the globe but I think maybe is there more that we can do because with the more diversity the more different stories you get out of it as well. What about yourself? Yeah,
Owen - Host:
it's quite an interesting point, isn't it? Because
Unknown:
we've, we've no
Owen - Host:
I think we've quite openly said that, you know, this is a is a UK barbecue podcast, it's about you know, we've had butchers on we've spoken to many people about you know, the virtues of buying local law you know, using British wherever possible and quite quite rightly so. But I suppose at the same time, you know, we don't want to not we don't a pigeon set pigeonhole ourselves into just only speaking to people with it within within Britain. Because again, you know, there's obviously some fantastic barbecue is across the globe and actually you know, whilst we've spoken to a great set of people there's still a lot of a lot of barbecue is and barbecue businesses and recipe but you know, creators etc. That we have yet to, you know, we've yet to speak to I'd love to get an aim and you know, that I've been trying because I do all the guest bookings generally Dan Dan's the editing man would really love to get a celebrity of some sort that has a passion for barbecue not saying that we don't haven't spoken to celebrities, because you know, in the barbecue scene, they are celebrities, but you know, a real big I'd love to get star on you know what I mean?
Dan - Host:
So someone like Chico from Chico time. Yeah. So someone someone like that, you know, when the cheeky girls on?
Owen - Host:
Yeah. So. So when someone got to pop idol semi final to 2001.
Dan - Host:
Exactly tip one out for Darius. But that sort of thing. You know, it's also someone who's over in what we would call Central Europe or mainland Europe as it is. I mean, a year ago, we had a fantastic conversation with you again, while he was living across in Ireland, or was in Northern Ireland. He was in one of the two. And he's moved now across back into a kind of more central Europe. But be great to speak to some of those other grillers as well, because like German barbecue is absolutely huge. And I follow some German accounts, and maybe we should be doing more work. On that side of things, you already would have seen that we've got more Americans on for this series as well. Which is nice. And some people more people have appeared on TV. To be fair, you could argue whether or not they're celebrities. But it's nice to be getting those sorts of names. But just to keep enjoying it. I think the problem that both own and I would have is if we ever got to the point where we begrudged doing these. And we're nowhere near that point at the moment. But I think if it gets there, we've started doing something wrong. So tell us as well if it starts getting crap.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, I think that's uh, I know that we say it at the end of every episode. And for a while, we did get a few people sort of messaging in and caught, you know, comments in about what they want us to talk about. And certainly if we weren't covering certain things that we got some we got some feedback. I really want that to continue, you know, I want it we can only get better and keep doing what we're doing. If, if we know that what people are interested in. You know, as much as we kind of do our research when we talk to people. We just want to know what you know, what our listeners want want us to talk about. So you know, anyone that is listening, I really would encourage you please just get in contact with us and let us know, even if it is covering old ground, but we put a different spin on it or if it's something completely, completely new or I mean, even if it's just loosely related to barbecue, you know, that's fine too or, or food in general. I think we can hear about that. I think what's quite good again, by the time this comes out, we'll be some way into our fifth series, which I think what's making this one Quite fun for us is that almost all of the guests have been recommended by by our listeners,
Dan - Host:
that was a nice tweak for this series as well.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, absolutely. So there was a couple of you know, that we'd already had in, in, in kind of setup and in play. But yeah, you know, majority of the guests have been chosen, chosen by our listeners. So fingers crossed that that's, you know, again, the ones that we've recorded so far, I think, have been some of our best
Dan - Host:
on that point as well. If you want us to talk to someone, what we've learned from the production of this series is reach out to them, comment on one of their posts, but tag us and that makes a huge difference. If you think quite, I'd love to hear someone talking in depth with this person. If you just go on one of their posts, particularly one of the more recent ones, be one of the first commenters and be like, Look at this, you should speak to meat & Greet BBQ podcast. That helps a lot. And if we can be getting you to do some of the workload as well, we're never going to say no to that right. Behind the curtain again, what have you learned over the last 50 episodes about putting this podcast together? Because we do get asked about more behind the curtain stuff when we speak to people
Owen - Host:
that it doesn't take much to start a podcast show
Dan - Host:
we don't want competition.
Owen - Host:
Competition is good. Actually, you know, running running a podcast is fairly inexpensive. It's got a fairly inexpensive entry point. So you know what, in reality, what did we spend 40 quid on a mic each. And we, you know, we pay for the zoom and the hosting service or whatever. So all in all, it's not a huge, huge expense. So that was that was the first thing obviously, we both came into this completely blind. A lot of it has just been trial and error. And I think as I think what we did is that, looking back on that first season, we didn't have anything YouTube based. We didn't have, we didn't really focus on the accessibility side of the podcast and having transcripts and those types of things. You know, I think we're more ofay with the kind of the stats and perhaps how we market market, the podcast through social and, and YouTube and those types of things. So I think, probably from that side of things, and I know that's talking more about the stuff that I do. But, yeah, I've learned a great deal in that respect. Weirdly, I think the only thing I haven't really got involved in is, is the editing in any way, I haven't gone anywhere near that just as much as you don't, you wouldn't know how to upload an episode to be to be put out to Spotify and all that type of stuff. So, you know, I suppose that's why that's why it works. But
Dan - Host:
yeah, I'm also one of the first adopters ever of AI, I'd argue with otter on board helping us with this transcribing. You know, that's nice. What I think if you go back and listen to the first series, we were far too ambitious with what we were recording and the length of time that we were recording. You can argue whether or not all of it was interesting or not. We certainly learned from it, and it launched us so I'm never going to criticize what we've done in the past. And we had some fantastic guests season even early on talking to Mr. Beats, for example, classic episode, go back and listen. But we changed how we record so it tends to be between an hour and an hour and a half that we record. And it means we get, I'd argue far more juicy stuff out of our guests when they know there's a time limit. I think that makes a big difference. It makes it easier to edit. But also I was a lot more obsessive with cleaning up the audio in the first series. And it sounds great, but I think it sounds less fluid and real and like a conversation. If I go through and spend six hours cutting out every or stumble or little coffee. It takes away actually from what the conversation is, and the flow of it. Those are the main kind of technical points that I've learned from a podcast. That and listening back to yourself talking about the mistakes you've made over and over again can be slightly demoralizing. I mean, I don't know about you, but I hate the sound of my own voice when I have to listen back and editing is a long process, or it can be anyway. And so having to listen to yourself for like five hours particularly in some of those earlier episodes for editing was Not fun.
Owen - Host:
No. Yeah. Yeah, that that first season like trying to listen to yourself. Yeah, it was awful. But I think now, you know, obviously, once you've edited it, I always proof listen to the whole episode before, you know, before we put it out. And now it's fine. You just You just use to your own voice and obviously seeing yourself and watching yourself on the telly or wherever, you know, when we when we're putting the episodes out for YouTube. You do get used to that in the end.
Dan - Host:
Plus less is more. That's the other thing that we've been conscious about trying to do. More and more as we go along is when we're putting these together, if we've spoken for more than 25% of the record, have we done too much? Oh, I yeah, I think exactly. And we weren't doing that in the first series. Versus Oh, yes,
Owen - Host:
it'd be even more than that. I think most of the time between the two of us, we're less than 15%, generally of an episode now. Apart from this one, we're 50.
Dan - Host:
But what a 15%, I like to know is more from us, people want to hear what is it and maybe we need to do more of these one off episodes, that the two of us that is something that has been suggested to us when we've been speaking to people in the past, maybe that we drop in occasionally 1520 minute episodes of just the two of us talking about one topic, maybe that's something for the future. But again, more feedback would be loved.
Owen - Host:
Just Just before we move on, just going back to another thing that that's changed over the over the, you know, over these 50 episodes is, this is going to make me sound so bad. But those first few those first couple of seasons, I think again, probably more so the nerves as we tried to speak to different people is that we'd be able to, I'd be able to three beers an episode just to kind of speak Dutch courage, right? Because you know, you've never spoke to a certain person or whatever. And some of those episodes, you know, certainly in the ones that lasted two, two and a half hours, three hours, even though we might have only put out an hour and a half, but we actually recorded for three hours, you're off cut by the time we come to the end of it. You know, that's a big difference. Now, obviously, we're recording during the week where I think initially we started the weekend. And I think that was a problem. Most of the time. Now I just drink I drink water, or a cup of tea, I always feel like I don't know, less professional by having a beer, if that makes sense. Speaking for yourself, I know you're literally sat there drinking a wine, it's a Monday night, finished a
Dan - Host:
wine. And people know and I still get people talking to me about my Irish coffees. But I think the other point on that we were drinking a lot more in those episodes, to the point where we're even talking about beer in each in each episode. But also you've got to remember that was still in the height of the pandemic, there was still a lot going on. And on that point of Mental Health and the Mental Health special we did I think anyone can go back to then and look at the units they will probably put in down compared to now hugely different, hugely different. But if I'm having like a long, borderline personal conversation with someone, I always find it's easier if I've got some sort of drink with me. I know you're slightly different on that point. But I just mean to have a better time and it also means that I care less about making a tailor myself by asking questions that maybe you'd be too afraid to ask or think yourself silly for asking without them.
Owen - Host:
So yeah, to be honest, so one of the main things is that I just can't stop burping once I've drank beer. I don't want to keep doing it on the podcast. Again, most people won't see it because I'm not I won't be talking at the time but I'm trying to like stop myself from Silent burping.
Dan - Host:
Oh, we love a mute button off oh it's not doing that there's a life hack for you. And if you need to purple cough mute yourself. Game Changer. absolute game changer.
Owen - Host:
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Dan - Host:
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Dan - Host:
Moving on, so we've learned a lot about cooking and barbecuing over the last 50 episodes. But is there still anything that intimidates you, or you feel that maybe you're not good enough at yet that you either want to put more practice in or you just struggle with?
Owen - Host:
I've still not I've still never used an offset. smoker, I really want to use an offset smoker. We've again, we've spoken to enough people in these episodes that, you know, kind of say to that, you know, say to us Oh, yeah, well, my first, my first offset was a Landmann, this or, you know, job or, or this, etc, that was held no heat and all that kind of stuff burned through so much fuel. And I've now gone to X Y, Zed, you know, I've spent 1000s of pounds on this one or that or whatever. I really want to try it. But I don't want to spend, I don't want to go into those entry level ones, because you're not going to get the best, you're probably not going to get the best results. And we're going to be using so much fuel, it's not really that economical to I also don't drop five grand on an offset smoker that I'm potentially going to be proper shit out
Dan - Host:
and use three times.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, so I yeah, I've got to try and find something that's that can still give me that experience that will then either I'll go fully in and just be one of those offset guys or what, but I definitely have the itch to buy something. And it's getting stronger. Obviously, I haven't bought one for a little while. And mainly because I haven't needed to obviously, but again, you know, by this time, it will be ages ago since the time this comes out. But you know, we've recently just gone to the ultimate BBQ launch event. Yeah, walking around the showroom, you know, I'd love to have walked away with two or three, two or three barbecues there. It was. Yeah, they look magic. But even you know, when we've been to sizzle fest, and he walked around Charles's showroom, and you know, you see these TMG pits and all these kinds of fantastic looking barbecues, and even some of the guests that you know, some of the barbecues, from the guests that we've spoken to, even though you know, elevators and smoky oak barbecue, and all these other brands that we've been speaking to, I just, I really want one I just want to do more with fire is probably a really long winded way of saying I want to do more with live fire. Actual wood? Yeah, more so than charcoal or wood pellets? Or what about you.
Dan - Host:
So mine's more about the actual meat that I'm cooking. So I've only really done one or two briskets. In the past with mixed results, both of them I wasn't particularly happy with. But both of them, I got decent reviews of the second one in particular, you know, there was, you know, there was a bit of Chico and stuff there. But it's not the level that I want. And I'm intimidated to go out and drop a lot of money on like an American brisket effectively, which is the main feedback I've had when I've talked to people in depth about it is you can get amazing results from grass fed, and you'll get the best flavors from grass fed, but it's so much harder to nail it. Whereas if you spend a lot more money and get one of those green fed big ass American cows flown over and cut up right for you, it's easier to get results and and almost start there and work your way back. But I don't want to drop like 8090 quid or more on a piece of meat and mess it up because you can go into the hundreds, right?
Owen - Host:
Oh, yeah. And some Yeah. I just I just I've gotten I don't really have that interest in trying USMC a mainly because of I don't want to spend the money and I just think you know, you know, and I've spoken many times to you about it that the my local butcher does exactly what I want and I've had some really good well you've tried some of it you know, I've had some really good pieces of brisket out of it. Sure. It might not be as as good as in terms of, you know, the bend or whatever from Because a grain fed, but still moist, still tender, taste good. And it's, you know, a third of the price. And it's local. It just ticks all the boxes for me.
Dan - Host:
Yeah. And Miles is another big reason why I've kind of held off doing that. I think at some point, I probably probably inevitably will. But when I don't know, are also on that point. I would love to try a proper
Unknown:
good grade A five Waygu. Yeah,
Dan - Host:
I've never done that either. But again, you don't want to chuck down all of that money, and then cook it up. So do you pay someone to do it for you? If you do, you're paying way more on top of something that's already expensive. But I want to do it at some point. And against the intimidation factor of it, I think, again, you don't drop that much money and cook it up, right?
Owen - Host:
No, but again, I suppose it goes back to everything that we speak about. You only learn from your mistakes. And you're never you're never if you could afford to do it, first and foremost, then you've got to try it at some point. Otherwise, you never you never know.
Dan - Host:
But the other point I want to make on that is why? Why would you want to do that when on the flip side, you can have phenomenal reverse seiad thick cut steaks that you know you're gonna love and enjoy. And there's still so much other types of barbecue food that you can do. So is it actually worth dropping hundreds of pounds on these things for one off experience? When you could still be nailing everything else? I don't know that. Those are the things that kind of intimidate a stopping me.
Owen - Host:
Well, you can you can have any answer that you can.
Dan - Host:
Again, love to hear people talk about it if you guys want to message us or drop comments and things. You know, it's the sorts of questions that I think I need to be answering for myself over the next three, four or five months.
Owen - Host:
This has got nothing to do with the podcast. But
Unknown:
But barbecue.
Owen - Host:
I can't move if we had this conversation the other night where we met up but I'm far more conscious about fuel. Yeah, and how much I'm using. And I'm perhaps not buying it as frequently as I was. I suppose I've just been more cost savvy in terms of what what I'm buying how much I'm using? And it's certainly Yeah, you know, obviously, again, we're in an economic downturn. You know, I think I'm just trying to be more cautious now. So there are some times where I want to do something or I want to use a particular piece of equipment. But then I look at the size or how long I'm going to be using it. I think mine is not a perfect example. I wanted to put something the other night and I thought I hadn't had any Trager pellets for quite some time. And you know, I got a voucher, I ended up buying using the voucher to buy some pellets and stocked up again, and I was only cooking something for myself. And I thought, I don't really want to I don't want to fire up a massive Treyger eight iron with 854 porkchop and five protective wedges or whatever it might have been because of the fuel costs. So I ended up I think I use something else where I only use like two to three pieces of wood or four or five pieces of charcoal in a small corner smaller barbecue. But previous to that I wouldn't have cared. I don't know what what I don't know really I don't know what's changed, but I'm just more conscious about a the fuel I'm using, how much I'm using the cost of the fuel, and just the appropriate using the appropriate equipment to what I'm actually cooking on.
Dan - Host:
See, that's why you are talking about the Ranger so much of the day when we will go around Alton's because it's set up in a way that you're going to be doing much more personal, smaller cooks and using less pellets. Similarly, I always wonder if like the master builds that have like the gravity fed charcoal, would you even read? Do you think that it would use less charcoal? Or would you do you think you'd even realize how much you're getting through? If the difference was every so often you just have to top it up from the side rather than actually. Okay, I'm lighting the chimney starter, I'm only going to use half a chimney. Can I get away with a third of a chimney and then top it up, etc? Does that have a difference on the fuel economy? I'd love to know that as well if someone's been doing the two because you're right. Not only I think, are we in the cost of living crisis, but again And I mentioned it earlier, both of us have learned a lot more about the ethics of charcoal as well. And I think that also plays on your mind, particularly got kids and looking at everything else going on in the world at the moment. Do you really want to be setting fire to it as badly as it is? You know, that kind of comes into it? But I do like that damn good food?
Owen - Host:
Yeah, of course, you know, the environment comes into it. I mean, first, I think it's more first and predominantly, it's a cost thing. But then I suppose if you're burning less fuel, A, it's more cost efficient, but also, it's better for, you know, for the environment. But again, just just something I thought was worth discussing is certainly something that's changed. In me over the last sort of six months or so just really more conscious,
Dan - Host:
was better quality fuel tends to last much longer as well, it may look more expensive to buy, but you know, similar charcoals, so much hotter, burn for so much longer. And actually, you're saving money by doing the research and looking into that. So it's always worth spending 1520 an hour looking into the different options before making that purchase. Yeah,
Owen - Host:
I mean, the perfect example, right? I think I said to you, the other day, I bought some vintage Chan. Charcoal Owlboy. About a year ago, a big box of it, it was fairly pricey. But because it was like two to two and a half times the price of the normal charcoal that I bought. So a year later, I've hardly used it, because I didn't have it all. If I'm only cooking salt, Cutler sausages, I don't know use the expensive charcoal. Or, well actually, I want to use this charcoal because I'm cooking a brisket rather than the bento chat. So it's lucky yet. And I've been so like, conscious about using it only for like something so specific that I still haven't cooked within a year. So now I'm just I'm giving it a go. But he's just really, you know, going back to that whole cost point. It's silly. Now I'm stopping myself using something because of how much I paid for it. And then actually not getting the value of it, if at all.
Dan - Host:
So is that your barbecue fail for this episode? Or do you have another one to share with people that maybe either you haven't mentioned yet on the podcast or something that you may have mentioned before, but as your most embarrassing or biggest one?
Unknown:
I don't
Owen - Host:
know. I don't necessarily think that's a fail. I mean,
Dan - Host:
what buying expensive charcoal to not use over a year. I don't know.
Owen - Host:
Stupidity
Dan - Host:
is a costly ornament in your shed and
Owen - Host:
pretty much well, I decided to use the money the other night and cook some burgers. I thought I'd give a give that a go. So I put it in a cast iron skillet. I don't know if you can't probably can't see this and definitely people listening can't see it. But I definitely sliced my finger out with using the bread knife to cut my hand. So that's that's my fail for this time. Not even actually the cooking part, cut some bread.
Dan - Host:
I still think like for me, one of my biggest fails, which we talked about a few series ago, but I was so excited when I got the monolith about getting the pizza stone and doing pizza stuff on there. And literally the first pizza I did a brand new pizza stone, all hot and everything. Got the appeal haven't put anywhere near enough flour or like semolina, whatever on there, you know, cornmeal to try and get the pizza moving. So um, they're shuffling, shuffling flick, and the pizza just flips facedown on the pizza stone. And it immediately everything just melts and burns and destroys his pizza stone. Obviously, you can still use it. But like just how it looks, the smells and stuff. I need to try and burn all this stuff off because I couldn't get it to scrape off and everything. And you think we're excited for this and I've just ruined or at least for me ruin this whole evening and possibly two days and I'm trying to sort out and you get so angry at yourself for these things. You know? That's the one that sticks with me the whole time.
Unknown:
I have thought of
Owen - Host:
a barbecue fail, which I can't remember if I did mention it because it was Christmas at the time and we weren't recording. I think by the time we started recording in January, I'd forgotten about it.
Dan - Host:
All that alcohol at Christmas. Yeah, I get that.
Owen - Host:
Well that's it. I was outside cooking and I can't remember which equipment I was using. But I was also using the gas for frying something on the gas while I was cooking something else. And without even thinking I think I was serving a lot of dishes. So I was running outside into the kitchen and I just happened to pick the pan up of whatever I was frying at the time and just put it on my kitchen so died whilst I ran back outside to get something else and obviously that pan was extremely hot it's been sat directly on a gas gas fire and I've got wooden kitchen worktops so I have burned a massive ring basically a massive pan ring into my into my kitchen worktop Much to my wife's displeasure it's gonna say popular. Yeah, we, we absolutely can't get out is its proper burnin because it was there for maybe two or three minutes before we realize. So yeah, that that's a pretty, pretty silly one.
Dan - Host:
Yeah. Fun, but you just need to stand out when you can be bothered. Okay, get the soft hands working. I know we've got non workers hands, but you get on it. And so, right?
Owen - Host:
No, my hand that I have definitely got. I've got thinking hands not doing hands.
Dan - Host:
Do you know I would love to do an episode coming up. And I think again, we might need our listeners to help us with this. You might disagree with this idea. I would love to get an episode that I don't even edit properly. I don't listen to it back, I just put the intro and outro on to it. Get our wives to sit down and record half an hour just talking about
Unknown:
basically what tools we are
Dan - Host:
learning about what they've had to put up with, like a barbecue widows podcast, or one off episode just to get them to talk about the hills of living with us. Like, even as like a special
Owen - Host:
would be terrible.
Dan - Host:
But I bet there's so many fails that we haven't we don't remember or I bet both of us are probably asked is when trying to concentrate on the barbecue and sort stuff and been asked to do things. And I think it'd be interesting to hear. For people to see that side.
Owen - Host:
Speak for yourself. I'm an absolute delight.
Dan - Host:
I know. from years and years of working and doing stuff with you, I know you're an absolute delight at all times you never get stressed or upset by anything. I want to hear more about how people can win things. Oh, and tell me more about how people can win these prizes that were given away with this special episode.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, absolutely. So just to refresh, we've got a ticket for sizzle fest, we've got a 25 pound meat box voucher and we've got some meat & Greet BBQ podcast merch. We're actually going to keep this giveaway off social media, specifically only for people that you know are our followers or listeners to the podcast. So what we want people to do is basically tell us what their favorite moment is in the last 50 episodes. And why you can message us on Instagram, you can email us at meat & Greet BBQ podcast@gmail.com. submit a form on our website. And just all tell us who the guest was, and what that favorite moment is and why you love it so much. And what we'll do is we'll collate it all we'll read through, pick our winner, we'll probably get our wives also to help us choose. So there's a bit of impartiality there. And then we'll get in contact with you. So please leave your contact details. And we'll get in contact with you let you know if you want.
Dan - Host:
I think one of the easiest ways of doing it. If we've got your Instagram account is the easiest way for us to be able to get in contact with you and direct message you of course, you can enter on our own website and, and we'll have your contact details that way. But it's easiest for us if it's through something like social media, or it's one click of a button or in hate when you have to open a separate window to put something together. And I've got a listen to a moan about it, which is not fun for me. And if anything, this will be all about making it more fun for me. So yeah, there's there's my word of advice.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, but we're not going to be posting about it. We're going to keep this one off social media. So
Dan - Host:
it's for you listeners, because when we've done bits and pieces before, luckily, it seems to be listeners to the podcast that have won it. But we've had lots of people into stuff we've done before that do not know about the podcast do not care about the podcast. And once the competition's closed is, quite frankly, buggered off. What's the point? That's not for them? That's for you guys. So thank you very much for listening to 50 episodes. And hopefully, that's our that's our treat for you all, or at least for one of you,
Unknown:
you know? Is there anything else
Dan - Host:
we always like to ask at the end of an episode of a podcast? And if there's anything that we haven't covered, or if there's anything that you'd like to be talking more about? In the barbecue community, what would you like to discuss? No,
Owen - Host:
I just want to actually this is our sort of my cheesy commercial plug.
Dan - Host:
If you always tell me all For doing this after episode, always
Owen - Host:
I do I want to say that, you know, obviously, we've been working with Jodi from iOS kitchens, you know, over the last couple of seasons. And again, by the time this comes out, you realize that we're working with him again for for season five. We've met him a few times, we did some cooking down at his showroom.
Dan - Host:
By the way, some of the equipment that he has is phenomenal.
Owen - Host:
Absolutely, and the doors that that's open since so, again, just a shout out to God at aos, kitchens. Also just a new partnership that we've got with lumberjack food company. So Brendan, and Jaden, you know, created some fantastic rubs and sauces. And it's a brand that's really kicked on over the last year or so. So we're excited to be working working with them as well. So anyway, that's my cheesy commercial plug out the way but you know, in all seriousness, we are absolutely excited to be working with those two those two brands in terms of anything else I think we we kind of cover everything that we want to everything I think we should be doing. So yeah, it's just his his to another 50 episodes, and this feels like it's been quite self indulgent. But hopefully it's it's a good episode to listen to.
Dan - Host:
And you didn't think we clock up 55 minutes with the two of us talking Hey, oh, no, cringe. I know what you can bang on and so the listeners but we got there in the end, but here's to another 50 Guys, thank you all so much for listening. And yeah, just keep
Unknown:
on grilling right.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, definitely contact us on socials. usual places at meat & Greet BBQ podcast and like Dan says until next time, keep on grilling Today's episode is brought to you by aos kitchens, the South's leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists
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