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This special episode is where Tom from BBQ life a guest from season 3 takes the reins and interviews Owen & Dan. Tom has had full control and neither Owen or Dan know what to expect. If you want to get involved and showcase y...
This special episode is where Tom from BBQ life a guest from season 3 takes the reins and interviews Owen & Dan. Tom has had full control and neither Owen or Dan know what to expect.
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Until next time keep on grilling!
Dan - Host:
Welcome to a special episode and the meat & Greet BBQ podcast. We are excited to tell you that today we are being interviewed. So Owen and I have been lucky enough to get Tom from barbecue life to come on board and ask us some questions. We know as much about this episode as you do right now. So without much further ado, here's Tom.
Tom - BBQ Life:
First of all, thank you for having me on guys. And let me host this special edition of the meat & Greet BBQ podcast. And for people that don't know me, I'm Tom from barbecue life. I was on the previous season being interviewed myself and I'm absolutely honored that you guys have asked me to come on and flip the situation around where I'm going to interview the guys and see if we can keep them on their toes. They've got no idea what's coming up on episode all the questions from myself, we're still gonna keep the barbecue bingo. We're still gonna keep barbecue failed as per every other Meet and Greet podcast. But all the rest of the questions are my own and the guys have no idea what's coming up. So the first question super nervous,
Owen - Host:
Tom.
Tom - BBQ Life:
You're gonna be fine. It's all gonna be good. First question I want to ask is what started your barbecue journey.
Owen - Host:
I'll go first. I've always I've always been interested in barbecue. And when my wife bought our first house 910 years ago, she decided to treat me to my first Weber. So I've got a Weber 57 centimeter kettle. It's still the Weber I use today. So nearly 10 years 10 years on, I make sure I look after it. And as most people I was just doing traditional British barbecue, you know, sausages, burgers, chicken kebabs. And I got a little bit more into it. As the as the years went on, I wanted to start to try, you know, to do new things locked down happened. And I thought, Oh, I'm going to be at home a lot more. Let's say what, let's let's try some smoking. Let's try some low and slow. I think more people were starting to kind of experiment with that. And it excited me that you know, the things that could be cooked. And yeah, here we are a few years later and doing a podcast and you know, social channels all about barbecue. It's just, I think the best way to describe it is it's kind of consumed me and Dan, if we're not recording something, we're posting something if we're not posting something with cooking something. If we're not we're texting each other three or four times a day about barbecue. It's, it's a little bit obsessive.
Dan - Host:
Yeah, our wives have become kind of barbecue widows, but I've never seen them so happy. Or at least my wife. She's after school to me, which she absolutely loves. And occasionally she gets nice food. But yeah, so for me, when I was younger, my dad particularly in the warmer weather would do a barbecue every single Saturday. Also, it sounds romantic and beautiful. It wasn't. But we had a river in the bottom of our garden because I grew up in a village in a valley and Wales. And quite often on the weekends, a guy would walk up and down the river using all the back cars and into the bottle of back gardens, but catching fish and then you could buy the fish off him for like stupid cheap. So we'd have wood like trout and stuff like that for like three pounds because he's just happy to be able to fish. And so my dad would do like fish on the brick built barbecue and stuff he'd do like Lumi do sausages, burgers, everything. So I was kind of brought up with that went to university and have barbecue pulled away from me. And then life gets in the way, doesn't it? But of course, like go in said locked down here and I thought well what else can I do? Oh, and he'd been banging on me for ages about getting a barbecue and doing some barbecuing as well. So I picked up I had originally a 57 centimeter fire mounting kettle that was reduced on Amazon that was originally 250 quid forgot to flog 160 and first year of all the podcasting everything we did, I just I clicked on that probably four to five times a week. And until it started slightly falling apart and maintenance and then I'd had my eyes on a Komodo for ages as people would have known from listening and got that and just haven't looked back really. It's been exciting and fun doing different things but very different from the barbecue I was used to growing up particularly as my wife hates fish so that's the one thing I never touch and get to cook ironically.
Tom - BBQ Life:
It's nice that you both started out on a kettle so it just kind of where my barbecue journey really took off was when I got the weather kit or when I did the open style grilling beforehand. Like what you guys have done but yeah, it's nice you both start getting In the same place and it's a really good place to start, it's such a versatile piece of kit that then you can then build on build your skills and then you know, whatever equipment you want to build on after that it's definitely the place to start.
Owen - Host:
I think so and you know, it's well documented because we've talked about it quite a lot on the show and with you personally, Tom, but I've got quite a number of different barbecues now and lots and lots of accessories a whole workshop full of them. And I'm still I'm still using my kettle very regularly. You know, I used it twice this week. He both days this weekend one with the rotisserie or did a chicken shawarma and then I did a you know a pork loin on the bone still so a whole rack and again, it's after 10 years of using that same barbecue still absolutely love using the kill well I've
Dan - Host:
moved across basically i i love i love the kettle I enjoyed it but I I've got limited space in my garden you know not all of us have what mini mansions and like an acre of space to keep them all in. And what I love about the Komodo Of course you can do pretty much anything on it. But it is very different from cooking on a catalyst you know and on the master over Tom. So it is very much a different art. And you know it's nice to be able to go over Owens and occasionally cook on the kettle even if it's only once or twice so far. But you know, wings on a kettle is a bit different than that compared to on the Komodo.
Tom - BBQ Life:
Yeah, in most different use. And I think that's something that I think the kettle itself nailed down. Better than anything else I've ever cooked on or had cooked for. You got a vortex in a capsule. Your chicken wings are far superior. Unless you want to smoke them beforehand. And then get your crispy skin afterwards and then I tend to do that on the Commando. But standard chicken wings in the Weber kettle every time in the vortex and I don't think you can beat them.
Owen - Host:
You know I don't have a vortex never used one.
Dan - Host:
Well guess what? Guess what? I recently sold my old kettle for space because my wife is finally said look if you get rid of the kettle in the space that has been living in because you haven't lit it since August last year. You can get like a big nice outdoor cooking area space to go with the card or like fine done. But I point blank refused to sell the vortex because I love it so much. I thought if I ever go back, or if someone like Oh, Ian might want it, then maybe I can rent it to him for a little while. And you can experience
Tom - BBQ Life:
it for a little while for you. babysit it until you need it back. Yeah,
Dan - Host:
feed it occasionally water, that sort of thing. But yeah, you can definitely grab that and have a play with that own
Owen - Host:
as an offer. I've heard a lot of good things about vortex so yeah, it'd be good to use but I've just never used to be honest, actually, I don't cook wings that often.
Dan - Host:
I absolutely love the vortex. And there's different ways you can use it as well. Like sometimes, I used to occasionally flip upside down and use it in a different way. And there's just so much you can do. You've got more control of heat, you've got more intense heat. If you want to set it up with a Blanchard.
Tom - BBQ Life:
There's loads of stuff you can do with it. So why don't you cook Wings of what have you got against him? Is it just something you don't do very often? Or is there a reason as to why you don't?
Owen - Host:
I'm not a massive fan of eating meat off the bone. As it goes.
Dan - Host:
This is a carry on episode.
Owen - Host:
Consider it a lot of things. A lot of things we cook right is on the bone. I even just said I cooked pork loin on the bone. Yeah, I just don't get me wrong every time me and Dan came over at Christmas or just after Christmas. And we actually cooked a shedload of wings because we were trying different rubs for different things. But yeah, they're just, I don't know, I don't dislike them, I just find them fafi For the return that you the meat that you get for the amount of fat that it is. It's just it's just not for me.
Tom - BBQ Life:
If you ever go in a vortex we could convert your crispy skin that you were gonna get. And then as you say all them different flavors. You just do a couple of wings with one rub and a couple of wings with another rub and I think we could easily convert you into being a bit of a wing freak.
Owen - Host:
I'm sure yeah.
Dan - Host:
Where is it Christmas. I broke up early from work for Christmas cards so much holiday saved up. And the first day I had in the house with the wife at work and My daughter's still at school. I cooked myself two and a half kilos of chicken wings. We just sat there eating them. happy, loving life for relaxing that, like you said it's fantastic as well to play with flavors on them because there's not many different things where you can have so many different flavor combos and quickly try them and enjoy them. You know you've got 20 wings, you could be playing four different rubs five wings each off you go.
Tom - BBQ Life:
And I've started using pork rubs on wings, which is a strange way to go, but it worked really well. Alton's barbecue world. He did a collaboration with ionann called Honey monster is research based orky style rubber and it's fantastic on ribs. Bet on some chicken yesterday. And it is absolutely fantastic that flavors do crossover really well. So push your boundaries on on your chicken wings as well. And if you don't like it, you're only going to chuck a couple of things away or somebody else is going to like them.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, I agree about testing different flavors. It's actually obviously before we started recording we were talking about rusty barbecue. We used hogwash. When Dan came over so we were using hogwash, obviously, which is supposed to be for for pork, but it did very, very well on chicken wings.
Dan - Host:
Yeah, my favorite rub to use on chicken wings is Pegasus. I absolutely love the kind of candied feel that you get with it. And I feel like it gives you that extra characterization and it brings out the crispness a bit more. I need to get more love rubs in my life though, because I absolutely love it.
Tom - BBQ Life:
Yeah, there's so many out there to pick from and they could blow your mind the different companies is rusty barbecue company, they've got a fair few i&i, we've got a load. And then there's lots of little companies have been up that do three or four different rubbers as well. The options are endless. Now, obviously going as big as it is.
Dan - Host:
It's tempting to find something you like and then never deviate away, because you know, you're gonna love it, which is a dangerous game in itself. But there's so much out there. And like we already mentioned, it was so fun over Christmas to sit there and just be like testing. Rob, after Rob after Rob, I think we tested in total 707 Different rubs.
Owen - Host:
I think it was actually more than that by the state state. Yeah, thing. But yeah, I think we had a list of about 10 to 15 that we want it to get through. Good day.
Dan - Host:
Yeah, but better than wine tasting. But you could do both, I suppose.
Tom - BBQ Life:
Both. As a nice lead into another question I had a bit further down the list of Do you regard yourself as safe cooks? So do you tend to cook the same thing on a regular basis with the same sort of rub on there? Or are you in a more of an adventurous Cook, where you don't mind pushing the boundaries and trying to find something new and find a new flavors? Go first time.
Dan - Host:
You know, I try and think of myself as adventurous. But the problem is anything that's particularly low and slow and the amount of money that you put into buying some of these cuts, I find that I keep going back to beef ribs, because I know that I can nail it time and time again. And then you know, I I tried to put a slight twist on it every time like I'll use a different rub combo or use a different mustard combo. I'll try it with different sources and things afterwards once it's done. So I suppose that's how I, I vary slightly. But it's always with the sort of comfort of something that I know. It's to the point where if I have to actually say to myself that you have to try something different for this cook and force myself to go out and do something. But if I'm cooking for myself, I would happily just cook beef ribs every single weekend and just get fatter and fatter and fatter. I'd have no problem with it whatsoever. Particularly though if you're cooking for friends and stuff. You feel much more confident in getting something that you know what you're doing and sticking with it. I'd say I've probably got five or six stock BBQ meals that I feel I've got nailed I just fall back to them if I'm cooking for people, but on the weekend I cooked for 11 people. I went right on beef ribs on pork ribs. I'm gonna do Greek chicken kebabs and I'm gonna do spiced and candy to Lumi for something that feels a bit different. Because again, loom is one of the things that people go check on the grill. If different rubs bit of honey glaze, it'll change your the way you look at something like that. So it's whether you I think that's going quite safe but other People might say that that's a bit more adventurous. Does that answer the question? Or if I just said a bit of both? Yeah. Or do you do sit a bit of both. So
Tom - BBQ Life:
you've said, you fundamentally stay safe. But you do like to push yourself when the time's right, basically. So you stay safe when you put your friends and family around. But if you're by yourself, you're pushing yourself to try different flavors and different things. And then once you've pushed yourself when you really like think that will be the next thing. You're cooking for friends and family, isn't it? So?
Dan - Host:
Yeah, I hate experimenting when other people around or nearby or can try it. I'd much prefer to fail by myself and then work on it and get it right. But I think you are more adventurous in the type of cuts that you could go, I would say.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, again, I'm playing safe in saying that I'm somewhere in the middle, in that. When I'm cooking for the family, there's obviously just certain things that your kids won't try doesn't matter what you do with it, they're just not going to give it a go as much as we try and promote to try new things. So that sometimes restricts how much you try, depending on you know, if you're just cooking for you and the kids than that, however, what I do try and do, I've moved house just before Christmas, so I've got a new butcher trying to get making my new best friend. And every time I go there, I at least try to get something different is in a different car. So I went there last weekend, and I've just got a gamma knuckle never had it before. It was a really a lot of meat for a very, very cheap price. We're talking it was like nearly two kilos for free. 99. Wow. Yeah. So and it, I just thought, Well, why not just you know, give it a go. So what I'm trying to do is, again, every time I go to the bunches, try to at least get something that I perhaps wouldn't normally traditionally go for. I don't mind taking a risk when Pete like that the opposite to Dan. So for example, Dan is going to be coming over to my house with with a few people in his wife, and that in a couple of weeks time, I probably won't play it safe, I'll probably try and push myself because I know there's going to be a lot of people. And I want them to try and experience something different to someone else's barbecue, you know. So again, no disrespect to say we went round Dan's house, we know that we're gonna get some good quality ribs. But I think perhaps I'd like to push and yeah, I've got a whole stack of recipe books and things like that. And again, just trying to try to do something different. I think I've gone through a stage recently over the last few months where I've actually started to become a little bit bored of cooking brisket, because I've done it so much in the last two years. Same for pork ribs, they're actually a rarity. Now, you know, me cooking ribs. So even if it's trying something like chicken kebabs, but I might do a Thai version and make a peanuts dipping sauce and make noodle salads and all these other things. So it's, it's yeah, just trying to elevate something that's quite simple to something that's better. So yeah, again, I think I answered I answered the question in that. During midweek, I stick pretty safe at the weekends when I've got more time. And perhaps when I've got people over, I'd like to try new things to try and expand, expand the repertoire
Tom - BBQ Life:
is just brilliant. I like the way that you complete opposite. So you'll, you're quite happy to spare a bit more, you've got people in there. And if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. And Dan's two completely opposite, and he wants to make sure what he's giving people is perfect. But I think that probably comes down from listening to some of Ben's barbecue files over the previous episodes where he has entertained for people and the cooks not gone well.
Dan - Host:
It's exactly that exactly that I've got a barbecue fail for later from this weekend. That is a typical that I wasn't happy with it, but other people were but we'll go in more depth for that later. And it's
Owen - Host:
just out of interest.
Tom - BBQ Life:
I think I'm quite adventurous. My brains just full of random barbecue. recipes that I've got a big a4 book and I just say things in my head and I'll write it down. And then we go from there. As you know a lot of my burgers around the world series if required Ventress where I loosely take a cuisine. I'm not sure whether I kind of offended Dan with my Welsh further or leeks in there and things like that, but it's just pushing the boundaries and trying to eat something else. Especially in this country. We've all burgers, we just we take a crappy frozen burger. Yeah, we stick a bit of plastic cheese on there. We bung it in a cheap crap bun, with some lettuce and tomatoes a bit of ketchup. But in my oh my god, it's just fantastic. And it's not it's complete and utter rubbish. Oh retirement a place for eating, you're what I would call it a whopper style burger with that there's so much more you can do. And that that is where my passion lies about building fantastic cars really kind of pushed the boundaries of that thought this week we've done smash burgers, I've done some mushrooms, I put a little splash of balsamic vinegar in there, just to take the richness down and blue cheese melted that on top of the patties. And a bit of barbecue sauce. There's not a lot going on in here, but they all work together really well just make that sing. So that by Sami vinegar, just takes the richness and balances that richness out of that blue cheese that it is not quite so. So yeah, it's just trying something different. I love trying something different. Yeah,
Owen - Host:
I'd say well, I just have to say like, I'm all for buying quality. And I think good quality food you can't be hence you know, talking about going to the butchers, etc. And I try and buy as nice cheese as possible a really, really really enjoy cheese. But there is something it's almost like a guilty pleasure a bit of plastic cheese and a bit of plastic,
Tom - BBQ Life:
there is a time and a place for it. But week in week out the same the slicer tomato and a bit of iceberg lettuce in your eyes to six cook in the store that have so dense and dry and horrible, is you can just not spend a lot more money and have a much better experience. Yeah,
Dan - Host:
I'm gonna get on a soapbox now about burgers, which we haven't really discussed on the show properly before. I was very angry with myself, when we started the podcast journey and things about how easy it is to make burgers and why people just go straight to pre made stuff is easy to do. It's fun to do, it's cheaper, you have more control over the flavor. And you get a much better product from making your own burgers, like I've experimented with. But I did black pudding burgers that were really popular on Instagram when I did them. And they were amazing. I've made Sati burgers before we've incorporated Sati into the actual mix. And just like you said, something much, much different. And there's so much you can do with it. Please, anyone listening to this, don't don't buy a premade burger again, don't it's cheaper and better. And you'll have more fun than making your own. And you don't have to cut it with bread crumbs or anything like that. You don't have to do it. What I've been trying to do recently is experiment with different percentages of fat contents. And again, a lot of people will tell you not to do this. My favorite at the moment for my butcher is the Lean prime mints with 5% fat, but then I'll make sure I cook them in butter. So probably they get the extra fat content from that. But do you guys think about fat content in burgers when you're buying mints for it? Or do you just go for it?
Owen - Host:
Yeah, okay. I, I never think about the fat content,
Dan - Host:
it makes a surprisingly big difference. If you experiment with it. You'd be you'd be surprised
Owen - Host:
if I if I made my own burgers are you genuinely just get the again, probably the leanest and best quality mints and put whatever I want in and just grill. I've quite simple in that respect actually burgers is probably one of the one area where I don't actually spend that much time experimenting. I'll experiment in other areas. But normally if I if I fancy a burger, I am literally just going to you know make a nice salt and pepper. You know salt and pepper mix and just That's it. Keep it simple. Whack a nice bit of cheese and bacon on it. That's I'm quite happy with that, to be perfectly honest with you.
Dan - Host:
I mean, I know you experiment, Tom. But did you think about the fat content and the meat you're getting for burgers?
Tom - BBQ Life:
Every time? Yeah, so if I'm doing a flying group burger, then I only use your lean sort of 5% fat because you don't get as many flare ups there. And it just makes it an easier cook for I'm smoking a blogger. So I want to get a bit more flavor in there. I tend to use 10 to 15% because it dries out too much. If you use 20% of time I tend to find that they're almost too juicy. Yeah,
Dan - Host:
I agree. I agree. Like you read a lot online about people saying it should be at 2020 but it just doesn't hold the same. The mouth feels different that carries flavors differently.
Tom - BBQ Life:
The only time I use 20% or above is smash burgers because you need that fat content. And I tend to use 20% on that. And what I did with my brisket trimmings from the dry age was to get that I picked up quite recently, I've frozen. And if you just take a grater, and it's still frozen, and you great that frozen, and then you mix that through, you add an extra bit of fat content in there, plus his dry aged as well. So it's absolutely fantastic. full of flavor. And that can make up about go from like hero from zero to hero, like easy peasy. And the rest of it just goes back into freeze. You don't need a lot in there. Just a few little shavings, and that can really elevate your burger. Yeah, sounds good.
Dan - Host:
So what three cups
Tom - BBQ Life:
would you say, are the best. So you can say, we can narrow it down a bit more or broaden it out a bit more even by making a specific dish like we were saying about kebabs and you wanting to put different things on there. Or you can just do three cuts that are the best cuts for people to try that they might not have tried.
Dan - Host:
And I'll tell you what I'll go for I would recommend people if you're first starting out. And I mean a bit of it'll be cut, but just things that I think everyone should get in their repertoire. And it will also disprove this fear of having a go at barbecue and thinking things are break. And maybe Oh, and could go a bit more in depth with cuts because a butcher is now his best friend. So for me three things to try and get in your repertoire. Whole chicken. Now you can spatchcock it or you can just get used to cooking a whole chicken on the barbecue. It will sing compared to just doing it in the oven, that there's something about the way that a whole chicken being licked by the flavors from whether it be like the charcoal or different words and the color and it holds the juiciness better. And again, if you're spatchcocking it, cut out the backbone, five minutes each side direct and then just stick on the right hand side and temperature probe it and to hit 75. And make sure you're checking more than one place on the chicken. You know, classically, the legs and thighs and things will cook much differently than the breasts. But then depending on your barbecue, you might have hotspots and things but just make sure that it's cooked all the way through. Once you've nailed that start messing about with rubs and things you'll have so many different types of meals you can do with that you'd be laughing for low and slow. Like I did a post about this on the weekend beef ribs. You don't even have to wrap them make sure you give yourself time. And there might be a bit of a stall but nothing compared to a brisket just looks the way it holds and the way that the bones will absorb the heat as well. No cooking. But you know, two and a half kilos worth of beef ribs, night before salt, pepper, you don't need anything else. If you're playing with rubs maybe mustard at first and that sort of rubs which staff salt pepper, get your barbecue till 115 Celsius 120 Celsius, stick the ribs on there with a bit of oak. After three hours check it just keep an eye on it, bring it up so 294 and then feel the problem. So it's like butter. Simple as that and it looks impressive as hell. And the final thing that I would suggest people mess about with is burgers because everyone loves a burger. Make your own burgers, play with it. Have fun and you can impress people with a burger. Particularly if you know you've made it yourself. And it's not difficult to do. Those are three things that I would recommend anybody starting out getting involved with
Owen - Host:
it just just on that Dan people may not feel confident enough to cook a whole chicken straight off the bat. I know spatchcock is is obviously easier and quicker and you know still taste great. But just to just to add on to your recommendation. If you're going to try to cook chicken for the first time, I'd probably go with a fine interesting wood if you think about it, I think a because it's a juicy a bit of chicken there's more flavor within the thigh and it's less likely to dry out it's probably just a tad more forgiving than a chicken breast and you know once you've taken a chicken breast over it's it's quite difficult to come back come back and still have a tasty bit of chicken so yeah, I even just think some thighs sometimes
Tom - BBQ Life:
subject How what temperature do you take? sighs to?
Owen - Host:
I would well, I mean, I cook any chicken to at least 75
Tom - BBQ Life:
Yeah, do you would would you take a fire? Past 75? No, I
Owen - Host:
know I don't think I do. I tend to I tend to take it off and rest is with any meat you should rest but no i As long as but what I'd actually know I'd say for why because by that time I like to cook my thighs skin down. So the thighs Chris at least the skin crisps up. I think if you'd cooked it the other way. It might need to go a bit further by wanting to make sure the skins crispy. I think Scott, thigh skin is not particularly pleasant. And you know, when it's not when it's not crispy. So I think it's one of those with chicken isn't it? There's no in between. You need to have good nice crispy skin or you might as well not bother eaten.
Dan - Host:
And so my wife ate me for saying this was true. was brought up in a household where she's used to stuff being overdone. Yep. So like steak, it pains me but she loves her as well done. Like she's been to restaurants and has been like, Oh, I'm not enjoying it sounds like a perfect what you're doing. But I've been told off before for chicken being too moist and too juicy. So yeah, so if I'm if I'm cooking for Steph, I mean, she's not a huge fan fan of meat on the bones, it tends to be breasts. But I will I'll take it up to more like 7778. And it just it seems to fill up a bit more particularly after the rest. Because if anyone doesn't know, like part of the rest is obviously the retention of moisture and it goes back in and it allows it to relax. But the temperature keeps going up for a little bit if there's still cooking going on. So you know, it just it means that if you take off at 77 or 78, you're going to reach a higher temperature and it's just going to firm up a little bit. Again, it really depends on the audience. But if I'm cooking for Steph, that's why I'm taking it.
Tom - BBQ Life:
We do the same here. Our chicken goes to 7778 before we rest it because my kids won't eat it. The missus doesn't enjoy it. So much. 7475 We've, if I'm cooking just fires, I take them to it great. Deer. Yeah, yeah. Because
Dan - Host:
find content, more protection as well with the way that it's set up and
Tom - BBQ Life:
the skin is still incredibly moist because the amount of fat that there is all the way through to me. But I find a fire at 7475 is much chillier than if you take it to 83. And then I think the fat just breaks down a little bit more. And I think it's a much more pleasant experience taking I do that with fives and with legs. And wings tend to go higher anyway because the smaller anyway, breast will go to seven fives and legs go
Dan - Host:
You You're very different cook to me. Oh and what three cuts would you recommend?
Owen - Host:
I really love pork. Pork is my favorite meat. And I don't mind sticking a loin on there nice loin joint. Really really, if you can get some good crackling with a nice layer of fat that kind of drips down into into the meat while it was cooking and I think that's that's pretty much pretty much a winner and it's really versatile as well pork you know, most of us we you know have that as a as a roast dinner. But you can do it in multiple ways I would always recommend try and take cooking Turkey and Christmas dinner should be cooked on a barbecue in my opinion. So don't be scared to get you know this rotisserie if you've got a rotisserie, get a turkey crown on there, get that get that on, you know rotating that'll go lovely with your Christmas dinner if you can get a bit cherry smoke into it as well and that kind of really sort of pinky dark pink that it goes fantastic. Even if it's just a full bird just like chicken. It's still really really good on the barbecue. And the third one it's not really cut as such. If you've a good sausage, right I know. I know. We've spent a lot of time saying about we want to do more than a British barbecue, which is burgers and sausages. However, we've just spoken about burgers. But I still think with all of the things that we've learned to cook on the barbecue and all of the different flavors and you know, tools, accessories, and that sometimes you just cannot be a very good sausage, high meat content, good flavor. Caitlin's got to be correct. You don't want a really thick skin. I think it ruins it. But yeah, just just good sausage. But if we if we're talking specifically about beef as another cut, obviously, brisket would be up there, but quite like a Jacob's Ladder or like a hanger steak or something like that, really. So there's, there's a few that I'm kind of torn between when it comes to beef. Depends what day of the week you ask.
Tom - BBQ Life:
Brilliant, good answers. I like that.
Dan - Host:
I love how Oh, in services, sausages at a barbecue as well. So I've not seen anyone do that before. And I do it now as well. But I don't know if we've talked about the podcast or what do you do if you have people over? And you're running a barbecue? How do you spell out your sausages? Oh, and
Owen - Host:
I've I mean, it's nothing special. I literally just probably, depending on, I would buy maybe eight to 10 over the amount of people that I'm buying for cooking for. But then what I'll do is, let's say I'm buying 20 sausages, I'd probably try and get about five or six different flavors. And all I do is just cut them up into little bite sized pieces, and almost have them as a spread with lots and lots of dip in sauces. And everyone just gets toothpicks. And you just literally pick which flavor pair it with your own source. And yeah, that's that's what I do with the sausages.
Dan - Host:
And that's how we start to barbecue as well. That's like that's the opener. That's how we're in starts which I've not known anyone else do that before in that way every time.
Tom - BBQ Life:
A little a moose Boosh. That's That's good. I might have to steal that. To be honest. I can't remember the last time
Unknown:
I just said yes.
Tom - BBQ Life:
It's been a long long while well and truly overdue. Something for this weekend.
Owen - Host:
Yeah. So I said this this new butcher on you know the quality of the meats absolutely fantastic. But he does his jalapeno sausages and they are failed bang on. And they again he does borough halls as well. Which is fantastic, which I didn't have where I used to live. And you know, I'd have to walk them online specially but he makes his own four of us. Really quite happy with
Tom - BBQ Life:
that. So one thing Have you cooked, you would never cook again. So either you really didn't enjoy it. Or the cook just went so bad that you will not go back there are straight off
Owen - Host:
the bat oxtail. And it's quite, it's quite recent, actually, I could have seen the post. But the thing is that post that I put on social media, obviously I very much highlighted it was a barbecue fail. But actually the oxtail where I'd smoked it, it looked, I thought the actual picture looks quite nice. But it did not taste nice. So I think a lot of the recipes online are very much about oxtail shoe. And it's, you know, it's. So I thought I try and do a barbecue version of that. So I smoked it for a couple of hours. And then made it essentially a red wine stock, and then simmered it down for about four to five hours. So it had a good six, seven hours worth of cooking. But it was tough as old boots. And I probably had maybe just over a kilos worth. And I just didn't feel there was an appropriate amount of meat on there. And that meat I couldn't pull off the blooming bone. I just I think I just didn't take it far enough. We I did the classic of not doing what we say that we should be doing actually on this podcast. And most people in barbecue I cooked time. I didn't cook to temperature, which was really silly of me. But yeah, it was so disappointing that it was one of those scenarios where and I also made some homemade dumplings, which I'd never done before as well. So again, we're talking about experimenting. So I've made some homemade dumplings. I thought I'd try something completely new never done oxtail before. And we all sat around the table me my wife and my two kids and the looks on their faces was just priceless. And you know, like, you want your kids to try things, but it was that bad I just had to go. I'm really sorry. Yep, we have a frozen pizza. So I get my body's waiting dumplings. So I thought they're all right, but no one else like them either. But I didn't want to waste them. I'm not a big fan of food waste. And the oxtail wasn't particularly cheap. And that was the bit that annoyed me the most that I had to throw it away because no one was going to eat it. And I don't have any pets or anything like that. So yeah, that that's I'll probably won't go back.
Dan - Host:
I have to, and I'll preface both of them. So the first one I love Yorkshire put in. I like cooking them on the Komodo as well. And I've taken a while to perfect them and get them to how I like to on the barbecue. I still tend to go to the oven to do it. Because once it's in your cooking area, you can't do anything else with it if you want perfect Yorkshire puddings. And that's a bit more difficult with something like a barbecue, I find more than one barbecue. Well, yeah, that's the other way of doing it. However, toad in the hole on the barbecue I did not enjoy at all because it takes that much longer because a lot of batter and I personally felt that the extra flavor that it takes on doesn't complement the batter, right. So it looks beautiful. And the sausages were good. But to me, the actual battery itself tasted just a charcoal. It wasn't burnt or anything. It just it was too. I can't even say I was smoking wood in there with it. It was just it took on that flavor too much. And it just it lowered the dish. So I wouldn't do that ever again. Because you know if you do isn't like a toad in the hole, I might be in there for like 4050 minutes. And there's something about the way that batter absorbs that charcoal flavor. And the other one, I'm like going Christmas dinner is on a barbecue now for life. I love doing Turkey crowns on there. I love doing whole turkeys on there. However, I did a tour and this might be my fault. I did a turkey leg on there a while ago and it looked beautiful. And when it had the skin on it and the sauce that I'd put on the skin as well that it tasted great as soon as I actually got down to when it was just the turkey meat. I don't know if it was because it was too samey. And I didn't have it with anything else. And the fact that I was having a whole leg to myself. I couldn't finish it. It just got to see me and fatty in the mouth and the texture started feeling weird as I started going through it. So if I was serving it with other things, I would still either buy a whole turkey or crown rather than just cook a leg.
Tom - BBQ Life:
I wouldn't do that again. What about you Tom? I do
Unknown:
pizza cheeks
Tom - BBQ Life:
used to go. And like what I'm saying I just couldn't get them right. It was tough as old boots, or smoked him to begin with them wrapped in a bit of barbecue sauce, bit of news bit of apple cider vinegar. And I just couldn't get them to work. I took them off. They were tough. Put them back on for another hour, hour and a half still tough. Get on with them and I've never gone back. So that's probably mine it's probably something that I should go back and have another go at now that I'm a bit more experienced in what I'm doing. And they're not something I'd see about anymore. They were quite popular at one point and now I think they've kind of dried up a little bit.
Owen - Host:
I had I had the same with ox cheek. I actually found ox cheek a bit of a bit of a no go as well. They were soft. I got the consistency, you know, almost like a brisket. You know, it just pauses you know quite soft, but it had just like a horrible congealed texture. There's not jelly. Yeah, it was like yeah, probably the same as a pig cheek. So I probably wouldn't do that again either. It was almost like I tell you what it was. It's almost like the I don't know whether I took it too far but the fact that was coming out of it. I could only liken to wallpaper paste. Yeah,
Tom - BBQ Life:
that's exactly it. So maybe that's it. Maybe we had both taking it too far. So because I've seen other people do beef cheeks and they've been absolutely fantastic. Maybe it's just something we both need to revisit a little bit more research, revisit and see where we're at and give it another go.
Owen - Host:
I said maybe we can do it together Tom get a bit cheeky hashtag cheeky boys.
Tom - BBQ Life:
I'm going to jump in to barbecue. Bingo. So let's share my screen. And let's see what we can find for you.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, so I think what's exciting about barbecue bingo Obviously, everyone knows well hopefully knows by now what what the barbecue bingo isn't obviously, we have no idea what the ingredients are Tom has picked these. But what me and Dan have decided to do is once we have found what our ingredient is, or our meal to cook, we are going to do a almost like a bow in verses down battle. And then we'll put it out to a vote and to do something on Instagram, live cooking. So we'll see how that goes to be confirmed.
Dan - Host:
We're also quite different cooks like Well, I think we're both better at cooking different things. So this will separate us definitely if we're not going to have a similar outcome is my point. I'm liking some of the options on there.
Tom - BBQ Life:
So it has popped up for you guys, that's great. First thing I want to say is that I've got two tabs open on one screen. And because they've reloaded they both Now same thing, which is really annoying. The first time our heads were completely lamb top to bottom, every different car
Unknown:
does not do live whatsoever. And I thought that it just be really funny. It's quite annoying that he wouldn't load
Owen - Host:
I would have given it a go as well just you know, for the sake of not shying away from a challenge. I'd hated every minute of incursion. But I've had a go.
Tom - BBQ Life:
It's good. It's good fun, but I didn't put any love on this list. So I've been quite nice. So is there anything on there that intrigues you guys?
Dan - Host:
Um, like, for me, I don't get to cook fish on the barbecue, because my wife hates it. So like the sea bass, the salmon gives me an excuse to have a go at it. The other thing, which I think would be quite interesting is I personally don't like peaches. But then I think I'd have fun trying to come up with a meal that I'd enjoy using peaches. If that makes sense. What about your
Owen - Host:
pigeon, for me, would be the one that I think would be quite good. I actually recently recently did a Marcus border recipe with peaches, which was which was pretty nice. I don't actually like fish. So that'll be quite interesting. Although, I wouldn't mind getting salmon purely because I've just bought cold smoker. And I've got a salmon curing kit that came with it. So I'd quite like to smoke, consummate my own salmon and then cook it so yeah,
Dan - Host:
I'll try it as well, because I love smoked salmon. So what about
Tom - BBQ Life:
signature dishes for you both? And I'm going to presume your signature dish is beef Shelties.
Dan - Host:
Yeah, that'll be my go to Yeah, so I'll do for that.
Tom - BBQ Life:
And then what about you? I mean,
Owen - Host:
I want my signature tissues.
Dan - Host:
You do? Like I think you do a lot of pork loin and pork neck compared to other people.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, I do some it Porky, although I don't know what I don't know what that would be something pork based.
Tom - BBQ Life:
Brilliant, right. Let's spin this wheel. And we'll have a look and see where it come up. So we're gonna say yes. So I want to say something really special from your blog
Unknown:
called a little burgers. Soy
Tom - BBQ Life:
bean and that is my explain what I would class is my forte, it was my signature dish for you guys was burgers, wasn't it? More pork burger. So we could even really the boundaries here. I want to see something really impressive. From you both. This is going to be really good to watch. I'm pleased that I'm up. To be honest. I was hoping it might be that I was hoping it might be pigeon, because it's not something that a lot of people try it and that is something that I massively celebrate. It works incredibly well on the barbecue and I would encourage you both to give it a go if you haven't already.
Dan - Host:
And you know I need to do I need to do just more gamey stuff anyway. So I'll definitely take you up on the pigeon. I used to duck more as well. It's not something I've really played with on the barbecue and I love duck. It can
Tom - BBQ Life:
be a pain in the ass to get the skin right unless you're doing it in a cast iron pan where your staff tend to start off with a coat and skin inside down let that pain come up to temperature and then that helps render the fat out wireframes coming up and then you get a nice crispy in but then to me if you're cooking it in a cost I'm paying you and not getting the
Dan - Host:
best at your barbecue. So I was I was thinking about doing it using a planter, and starting skin down on that, and then flipping it indirect on the other side.
Owen - Host:
So I cooked a whole duck, I did it on the rotisserie. And basically they've own duck pancakes made the pancakes from scratch with, you know, made a hoist and sausage and that type of thing. The problem I have with duck, and whilst I don't normally talk about the cost of things for me, I love dogs. When I go to the pet, you know, the Chinese, I'll always have duck pancakes and I wanted to replicate it at home, I spent 15 pound on this dark hole duck. And I just think for the same 15 pounds, you could get three times the amount of meat on a turkey or on a chicken. And yeah, so for me, I was actually a little bit disappointed not with the actual duck itself, the flavor was nice, I just think I was trying to feed a family of four, actually five were and you ended up getting like three strips of duck. because there just wasn't that much meat on it.
Tom - BBQ Life:
What you need to do is find a local game dealer. So move away from getting that from the supermarket, find a local game dealer and it will be considerably cheaper. I'm really lucky that I've got a bloke at work that shoot say he works with another guy who's pest control. So I get my hands on venison, pigeon, breasts, duck breasts, things like that, because they're all animal controlled for when it comes to farming. So yeah, if you can get hold of a game data and there is a Facebook group called giving away giving away the game I believe it is. And these are people that go out and shoot. It's just the more sustainable ways that shooting farm lands and things like that. And if they've got too much it goes on the Facebook group for a very small cost or free. If it's in your local area, you can go and pick it up. You might have to put a bit of work in and maybe pack it yourself things like that, but it's a good way to get hold of some really nice quality food at a much cheaper price for the game dealer is definitely the way forward for when it comes to things like that because your Bucha Arj through the roof because the pain the price that you can pay the pain and the knife you've got then got sticker profit on the
Owen - Host:
top. We probably wouldn't be as hygienic but I've got lots of pigeons in my garden. Spot God or Pitbull or a cat about
Dan - Host:
what sort of say usually use it do use a spud gun.
Tom - BBQ Life:
thing we've we've pigeon is that a lot of people when I say pigeon, people automatically think to our square. And these millions of pigeons are going around in the bits of McDonald's chips and burger bands that people have dropped and subway rolls and wherever else and then mangy pigeons. So presume that you are going to get either buying it from a butcher or from a gang dealer is proper wood pigeon that's been eating crops. So yeah, it's a much better experience than it used to be shooting the ones in your back garden.
Dan - Host:
Plus, the thing is it's always more exciting buying anything from a dealer in it.
Tom - BBQ Life:
Yeah, it is.
Unknown:
Oh terrible done. I was like the worst drugs joke ever.
Dan - Host:
If they don't work, it just makes you worse.
Owen - Host:
On we based on now
Tom - BBQ Life:
let's move on. So who are your top three fluencies let's start with Alan.
Owen - Host:
And frankly I just think his American style barbecue the what he does with briskets I just think it's magical. So you know I follow this YouTube. I've watched as many programs that he's been in and when he's been judges on you know, you know, the American barbecue competitions. He also had the masterclass series which is a subscription based thing. And you literally spend 45 minutes to an hour watching him just make a fire, but there's something there's something beautiful about that, too. He's one I think from the UK Marcus Borden I think is just got off you know, fantastic depth of knowledge around barbecue. He's really, really nice guy. And he's got some fantastic written fantastic recipes in his books. And then from non there's couple of social media people that I think's really fantastic is the someone who we've interviewed a lady called Cara from scale and Taylor sort of Canadian mum that just cooked some fantastic barbecue for a family. So, you know, I think she, she, she does some fantastic stuff, but she makes it very funny. Like she makes it really engaging. So she's definitely worth a look. I know you only said three. But there's, there's a couple of other female accounts that are actually fantastic. And I do believe that we should be encouraging more is predominantly a male hobby, certainly in this country. And yeah, I think we should there's there's a lot of fantastic female barbecue ism, they should be celebrated as well.
Dan - Host:
Yeah, I wholeheartedly agree. And Marcus was when I was gonna mention, but as you've mentioned him, I'll mention some other people. So one of my favorite ones, I watch a lot of his videos on the YouTubes is smoking dad barbecue. Yeah, he is I really, I really like his stuff. He go, he can go really, really in depth, he can also keep it simple. And he walks you through everything warts and all, to to the point where I watched on the other day where he was talking about, in his opinion, the differences between the Big Green Egg and the Komodo Joe and even to the point where he was going through the warranty aspects of them, and how easy it is to sort that out if anything goes wrong. Which other people aren't doing, it's all the food is important. But the thing about barbecue is there's so many other elements to it and things can go wrong. And he'll go through all of that with you. So I really like that. There's an accounts that I really like on Instagram woman's called BBQ by Maisie. She does bits and pieces occasionally with Cora from scale and Taylor, but um, she weirdly, she was one of the first barbecue Instagram accounts that I found, and really enjoy stuff. And it's funny as well. Like, she'll do some great cooking, but then she'll also just do random Q and A's talking about, like anything and everything. Like it's not always barbecue. So it keeps it happy and light German. And there's always something to see there. Yeah. I, from my point of view, I felt we were very lucky because I absolutely love urban street trees feed. Like the flavor combinations, the colors he's got going on there. It's very different from a lot of the other accounts that you see and what people are doing with barbecue. I mean, I could have talked to Dan for another two, three hours, just about why pickling and using pickles to offset some of the fat content and things like that which you don't really hear that many people talking about as much like on on Instagram and just cooking in general. And it's a fourth like go inside. But I also want to give a shout out to foster feasts. Really, really, really good Instagram account cooking is another female account because I'm finding that they are. You don't see as many women barbecuing on social media. But quite often if you find their accounts are the best. They do some great stuff and her accounts amazing as well. What about you? What sort of influences do you go off Tom?
Tom - BBQ Life:
I'll probably put my number one is Greg from ballistic barbecue and ballistic burgers.
Dan - Host:
Okay.
Tom - BBQ Life:
The burgers side of things. Ballistic burgers is a new channel for him. Used to do his burgers just on ballistic barbecue, but he's got so many that he does. He's got his own separate channel for that now. And it's his style of videos and his style of cooking that really inspired me to to move forwards. Burgers are impressive Jesus. They're brilliant. And he said take a look. Yeah, ma'am.
Dan - Host:
Now it's not an account that I that I'm aware of. So I want you to look at it straightaway.
Tom - BBQ Life:
He's absolutely fantastic. Someone that isn't active anymore. And I don't even have any contact with anymore is James from barbecue. So he's account still there, his YouTube channel still there, but he doesn't put anything on it. I don't know what's going on. But if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be doing YouTube. Because I followed all his stuff. And just comment on new stuff and saying how I'd like to give it a go. And if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have had that encouragement to just go, you know what do it. So he's got to have a shout out for me. I know he's not active anymore. But 100% He's got to have a shout out from myself, Marcus, as you've said, the young lads, Aston and Alfie, they are blowing me away with what they
Dan - Host:
feature on they they embarrassed us, frankly, they're so good at what they do.
Tom - BBQ Life:
Unbelievable. And then there's Tom from all things barbecue as well, who I've always loved. But now that I've got my trigger myself, I need to really start going back and watching some more of his stuff. And picking up some more info about the tribes. Yes, definitely more than three.
Owen - Host:
One of the one of the accounts that are the channels that I watched a lot of was adjusting from baby back maniac. I think he's got a fantastic channel and he was really, he's really likable. And I think he does quite a good set of talking through barbecues doing some awesome fantastic cooks. But what I quite like as he always he does a lot of this kind of versus so that you get a good indication of actually cooking the same thing what what the differences are, you know, between the kit that you use, so he was another one that I spent a lot of hours. You know, watching this channel.
Tom - BBQ Life:
Do a review to guys watch Sam the cooking guy. Yeah. Yeah. I wouldn't have a look at Santa's cooking guys. Not all barbecue.
Dan - Host:
He does some amazing stuff. He also the stuff that I don't know if it's the American style, but feels quite off the wall flavor wise with some of the things he does. But he's loved that. He's so charismatic. Like he's one of the most interesting people to physically watch cooking. And the way that he interacts with the camera and what he's putting together. Yes, he's he's, he's fun as well.
Tom - BBQ Life:
Yeah. And I don't even have to watch him. I can have a light if God put him on while I'm doing the washing up so I can kind of flit in and out of watching it. But I could listen to that fella all day long. Who just keeps me engaged just by hearing his passion for cooking? Yeah, if he's not seeing that channel, anybody listening, then definitely have a look. And I mean, you need to check it out yourself. Yeah, definitely.
Dan - Host:
But watch it when you have the time. If you can only listen, listen to this again.
Tom - BBQ Life:
On the subject of toxic raise, if you could cook for any three people alive or dead, who's coming around for you to cook for? Wow.
Dan - Host:
I don't mind going first, if you want time to think going. Like, off the bat. Like I'm a big football fan. Also in particular, but I just think Ian Wright is such a personality, I would love. I mean, I would love to sit in a pub with him for even if it was half an hour. But like he's funny, there's a lot of personality going on the stories. He's got all the stuff from like, the Tuesday club where they used to go and like drink all the time. And things are just and he's passionate. And I think that you know, we have a proper laugh with him as a guest. The funny thing is when it comes to food, as I've said before, I almost wouldn't want to invite round a chef, because I feel like they would be criticizing and they're not criticizing but you know, it's difficult to impress them right, Jeremy? Because again, I think Gordon Ramsay would be a laugh and I think Tom carrier should be a laugh. But no, thank you. I'm not cooking for them for frankly, as a music fan, I think that Steven Tyler from Aerosmith would be someone interesting to sit down have a meal with and talk to you. Because the amount of stories that he must have, and the fact that they've been a band for what 5060 years, you know that there's going to be a lot of interesting things going on there. Um, and who would my final person be? I think the last person that I would like to have over is I would like to have over Leonardo DiCaprio, but specifically when my wife isn't over because she's obsessed with him. And it'd be great to say that I've cooked for Leonardo DiCaprio and we had a great time. Oh, did you miss it? Fine. You know? I'd go All right, so Ian writes Steven Tyler lean on to the characters. Oh, god knows what we talk about, well, we'd
Owen - Host:
have a good time. So I can I'm trying to think of a third one in my head, and I can't, which is annoying. So I'll try and think of it as a talk. I'm the, again, complete opposite sit down, I'd be calling Aaron Franklin over. Because if he says that I can do a good if I imagine the sense of achievement if Aaron Franklin said that your brisket is good. Equally, if it's bad, he would tell you why it's bad. So it'd be a learning experience all the same. And I think you know, striving for perfection, which I like to do. It'd be very scary, but I think equally rewarding. And just also just to try and get as much knowledge out there as possible. Huge rugby fan. And whilst he doesn't play for my team, he does play for England. So that's good. But Joe Marla, I just think that guy's hilarious. He's such a character. And I think a dinner party wouldn't know what he was going to do, which would be quite funny. I really can't think of a third that's not perhaps there'll be boring.
Tom - BBQ Life:
can be anybody. Anybody like alive or dead? Friend? Yeah. Celebrity. Anybody like
Dan - Host:
a proper rugby player. Oh, in and ask Neil Jenkins to come over.
Owen - Host:
More. Equally, again, talking about rugby, whether he's interested in barbecue or not, I'd really love to meet Sir Clive Woodward. Yeah. Obviously what you did with England winning the world cup, you know, absolutely fantastic. I've read his book about it. I'm also listening to his audio book about being a leader and winning and etc, etc. So I have a lot of questions for him. So yeah, that would be a third person.
Dan - Host:
I like I couldn't think of two more like one of which I think we should force on us just for pure chaos. Can you imagine Brian blessing and blessing, which rip apart the whole place? You know? So he'd be amazing. I've actually paid to see him give talks before and he went over by an hour and a half. And it was amazing. So that would just be pure chaos. Plus, I love red dwarf. I should have said Craig Charles in the first place. But you know us that that's just that's just me. I want more people over. Why not? Like,
Owen - Host:
I forgotten this guy's name. But what was you know that on Netflix, there was the American barbecue. Yeah. Competition down shotgun. Shotgun. Yes. Is that was his name? Oh, yeah. Oh, no,
Dan - Host:
I have talked about this before he would be fine. Oh, we got a bit worried. But I would love for us to reach back out to shotgun. I'd love to have shotgun on on the show and talk to him. Like, I know he didn't do particularly well on the show. But the amount of passion and charisma behind that man is like that. Everything that barbecue should be from a charisma point of view, gentlemen, even if he thinks 56 is the right temperature for chicken.
Owen - Host:
So what about you?
Tom - BBQ Life:
I knew he was gonna say that and I forgot my answers. Number one would be my late grandfather. 100% not that he had anything to do with barbecue, but just sit down and have another chat with him and cooking up some nice food would be absolutely fantastic. So that would be my number one. Celebrity wise, maybe Liam Gallagher. I've been a big Oasis fan for as long as I can remember. And I think that that would be a pretty wild. Yeah, that'd be around. And then I've always said you know, this discussion generally comes from if you could sit down and apartment you could have a pint with three people who really be and the person who's always on my list and it is controversial. Love him or hate him is Boris Johnson. Yeah, I don't necessarily agree with everything that that he does. I think he's just such a bumbling idiot. And I think you could have real good fun. I'd get him up there flipping burgers.
Unknown:
Just because finally
Dan - Host:
that Alaska when in my head, it works differently. If I was picking people to go out and have a drink with I'm guessing on you wouldn't have Aaron Franklin, if you're going out for pints, for example, that you don't want his personality. You just want a skill. That's what you want at the table.
Owen - Host:
On the off chance that he hears this. He's got a fantastic personality and I'm available if you were to come over
Dan - Host:
Just a short flight refine brilliant, right. So
Tom - BBQ Life:
next question is If money is no object, what is your next piece of equipment?
Owen - Host:
Or Yoda, which it's a huge I don't know if you've seen it before. It's a huge offset smoker. You know, on wheels. It's proper proper piece of kit is fire. You have to get them. I don't think they sell them in the UK you have to get them imported. Last time I checked, but obviously the cost of living has gone crazy since it was about over five grand to buy. Yeah, yep,
Tom - BBQ Life:
an offset would most definitely be mine. I don't know enough about them to stick a brand on it. But the an offset would be my next thing if I was to pick what are you done.
Dan - Host:
There's two things in my mind one of them. I've been eyeing up for a little while. Like I'd love a savage barbecue. Like the you know, the fire cages. I'd love one of those huge fire cages on a wall and the amount of fun you can have with live fire with that I think would be amazing. I've always been blown away watching the skill that people have when you see them at the shows. Like if anyone goes to a barbecue show in the UK this year and savage barbecue there, you will get so much out of just going to them to the lovely people, they will invite you on the back to have a proper look proper talk it through and everything you'll learn so much, just for 510 minutes with them. So I'd love a savage barbecue. For ages I've been really tempted by could I fiable set up. I just think that the you can do you can do a lot with it. It feels a bit different. It's a bit of a centerpiece. You could also use it I mean you could if you wanted to, I'm sure you could set up like an asado if you wanted to. You could do like paella and stuff on there. You could have it just as a really interesting looking firepit as well. So those are the two things that I've kind of been toying with in my mind one of them I don't have the space for the other it's do I take the plunge or not? Really.
Owen - Host:
I agree about the five cage. I do like the five cages.
Tom - BBQ Life:
Five cages do fantastic, but I like the idea of the fire bowls as well. Yeah. But my garden is artificial grass and decades. So my biggest worry about that is embers. Yeah. And then I've not got a lot of patio area or standard grass that isn't going to catch fire so I just think I couldn't go there soon as we get a lot of firepower in the summer when we've got fringe around on forever stamping out embers so it just kind of puts that I'd be worried to go down that route as much as I would love to go proper open fire cooking
Dan - Host:
past experience will do that to you to be fair, okay.
Unknown:
I was just shocked by the way
Tom - BBQ Life:
has this student arrived. I think it's gonna need to get a bit bigger now that we've got the trigger. So yeah, it's gonna need to extend but it's not as easy as extending my gardens not big and the checks already a big part of the garden. So I don't really know what to do. I need to do something that the missus wasn't particularly happy when I we've got at the back I've got a decking of a covered pergola and I put the trigger there when I was cooking some Moroccan lamb last week and it's a good three meters away from the back door but the smoke in the house was unbelievable. Just could not stop it so it cannot live there. I've got a fine space because she will kill me. So I've got a little bit we've got a lot of car pulled down the bottom so I've got a little bit of space next to the shed where I could have like shack to a lot more of a lane to where the triangle could go and then the other thing I probably should have said that all I really want is a cosmic pizza oven.
Dan - Host:
Yeah
Tom - BBQ Life:
we played with him we was sizzle fest last year I don't know whether you to either YouTube into their little competitions they had
Dan - Host:
no we had a watch but we didn't neither of us jumped in
Tom - BBQ Life:
front i i entered the veggie rounds and one wow. And then went through to the final at the end which was which was pretty good. I've got to play on him twice. And afterward. I've been looking at Oh knees and the Freshco chef embargo which just runs off wood, but I think I've got about mostly so that that could probably fit down there with the Drager but they And he's out in the way and I like to have one of the shack where I can entertain. So yeah, but the greenhouse is in the way so they need to move the greenhouse. But I don't trust that down the bottom with a little extra MDF throwing stones. I don't think the glass would last very long. I don't I don't really know what I'm gonna do. I need a magic wand thing.
Dan - Host:
Do what Oh indeed move.
Unknown:
Yeah, if I would really be
Tom - BBQ Life:
fun. So I want to talk about barbecue files. Know when, when you guys said that you'd like me to come on and host I went back and I listened to 95% of the previous interviews all over again. And what I've worked as a rule of thumb is that Dan, you're really forthcoming with your barbecue files. And now in not quite
Dan - Host:
so much.
Unknown:
So I want to know your barbecue fails then no disrespect to you I know you've won to add them at the end of the end. For our five minutes of our in telling me what is messed up I feel is
Owen - Host:
well obviously mentioned the oxtail and the cheeks. I have burnt myself twice within the last week. Barbecuing so I have now got a big burn blister on my leg where I wasn't paying attention after putting the chimney after I've just lit it down by the side of the barbecue and then basically putting my foot there. So I was using my Weber and I kind of have a row so I've got my Weber my Broil King Keg and then my Weber Smokey Mountain. No placed it in between the Weber and the Broil King and then leant over with the stepped into it forgetting it was there and just obviously just burned my legs and said I got a big blister on that. And then this weekend, after a few beers, he says air quotes I have burned my arm I could probably can't see it or across because I've covered in tattoos but there's a big burn mark and I can't remember how I got it. I know it was from the barbecue so it was either side don't know if it was perhaps when I was trying to when I've lifted the lid up to get the chicken shawarma out. So just that's to within a week, some pretty basic, basic things around burning myself. What else I've done recently. I'm not sure I've got any other files, I can think of top of my head,
Dan - Host:
I can think of one which you rectified. But Christmas when we had a few drinks and you to hang a steak and you were not happy with how the middle of that turned down.
Owen - Host:
Again, it might be a common theme and perhaps that's why I don't promote it because it makes me sound like an alcoholic but under the influence of a number of beers me and downward drinking through the day we towards the end of the night. We had a nice pizza hanger steak and we cooked dirty.
Unknown:
And we both wanted it rare.
Owen - Host:
But I don't know if it's again, perhaps my eyes were deceiving me after I said beers, but I thought it read about 50 for for getting towards rare to medium and it was it was still moving.
Dan - Host:
In your defense. A third of it was moving. And I would say it was blue. It wasn't like completely raw. Are both the sides. I mean, we ate 130 Each both sides before you decided to do something else with the rest of it. So but you were not happy. Which is always fun to see. Oh, in in a mood. I love it.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, so yeah, there's where they go. There's there's three fails out. Does that suppose Tom would have to think of some more?
Tom - BBQ Life:
I'm happy with that. How about you, Dan?
Dan - Host:
So again, this is something we've talked about before on the podcast in the fact that we're always our biggest critics whether people actually realize that or not. So I did I did the beef ribs on the weekend, which were great. I also did some pork ribs. At the same time I was trying to do three to one method. And I don't know if it's because of the way that the deflector plates were set up. And where I had the pork ribs on the barbecue, but I put everything on three hours. Walked away as I normally do came back beef ribs really happy where they were pork ribs. First look done, which I'm not happy with considering that we're at 115 Celsius, they shouldn't be done after three hours I need to be brown too grim, but I'm wrapping them and the bottom of the ribs, it wasn't burnt, but it was basically jerky and the top of them just had the color as if like they needed pull in so i i quickly wrap them by actually change like instead of having the normal side of the foil to have out I tried to reverse it, try and give them a little bit more protection than also putting the butter and the sugar in and just kept an eye on the temp and it held and it felt like it was getting softer and softer and softer. And then I glazed them gave them another 1015 minutes with the glaze just so it kind of set a little bit pull them off rest of them for hour, hour and a half and they went but the two bits that I had I was like these are far too I'm not happy with easy to chewy and I know that I've now cooked for like 11 people but then they were asking for more I was like well you've eaten them all but I it's that thing where where you're obsessed with barbecue and you get a normal person who's used to quote unquote British barbecue with the use of that sort of dry meat but I was not happy with what I put out for people and in hindsight I actually would have been dead I wouldn't have given out even though that everyone eat it and that's probably more me than everyone else.
Owen - Host:
I just remembered another file I had recently actually I bought a plancher for the for the Weber and I thought right we're gonna make some smash burgers and rather than using beef, I did pork smash burgers instead support mints. I can't remember which flavoring I did with it. But anyway, first and foremost, I forgot to season the blooming plancher because I was just too busy to get in. And I was trying to make again always thinking about content for social media I was trying to make a real you know for tick tock and what have you. So the first one I smashed works quite well the second one it's stuck to the top which then ripped apart which then obviously basically messed up the real although I still posted it anyway with a BB you know with a bug you fail. But what I found is that they stuck because I didn't season it and also now I've got a planter that I've only used once that's got like six rink buggering marks that I can't that I can't get rid of. So yeah, remember to season your season your tools guys.
Tom - BBQ Life:
Aren't you're over for a few cooks. These in your other side, and over marks will burn out if you've got it hot enough. Yeah, yeah. I can't get pork burgers. makeovers. Right? The fat contents not right? In raw media by supermarket mints. But the fat content is not right. And I find there's too much water in it. So it just doesn't work. I think the only way to be doing it is to be rewinding my own meat and making sure that I've got enough fat in there.
Owen - Host:
Yeah, they were definitely drier than any beef Smashburger that I've done. And you know, we're talking what four minutes four minutes aside or something like that. It wasn't like I was cooking you know, cooking them for very long because you don't need to obviously because of the how flat flat they are. But yeah, so that was that was a fail.
Tom - BBQ Life:
It's something I can't nail down right yet, but it's something I definitely want to get my head around future. I'll add a fairly while I'm here. So the video will probably be out by now because obviously we're filming there. We're recording this in advance. So I done I bought some brisket from a local ish. They went to Ashford so 36 minutes door to door it was about a brisket flat and a brisket point. The point I cooked it and I put there for about two and a half hours low and slow. Then I cut in half and I froze half and then the first video I did was beef brisket burnt ends and they were absolutely fantastic rules. Brilliant. couldn't have gone any better process of a half and then I was like what am I going to do with it? And I needed a cook that I knew that I wasn't going to have to reheat again afterwards. Initially I wanted to do like Cornish style pasties which you can't say from Cornish pasties because I'm not from Cornwall. Open and I thought I've got to heat that up with my carrots and everything else that's going to go in the Squamish capacities, call it down, it's going to pay streets that completely rolled out, which annoyed me, because I'm going to do a beef Ragu. So, pop this in with my mice, standard bolognese sauce that we've now done in the south, everybody loves. It's not traditional, but it is packed full of flavor. And I think I'll put these in with kind of cover over the top with some tin foil build up a bit of steam in there with a bit of gap so that things can still reduce down in after sort of an hour and a half, two hours, these are going to really sort of tender up and I'll be able to pull them. Nope. Tough as old boots. Don't know what gone wrong. But I ended up having to fish out these sort of inch cubes of brisket. Chop them up as small as I possibly could to put them back in for another half an hour where these small pieces then tenderized up and then it was then edible. But yeah, it didn't go cut I suppose kind of if you're oxtail. If I'd have left it for another few hours, then maybe it would have been all right. But I was up against it with time. It's a family dinner for everybody started cooking it mid afternoon. It's now getting into the evening, and everybody wants to eat, including me who's smelling all these flavors. And it just weren't gonna have it. And I was getting to the point where I had to keep adding a splash of water source because the source of thickened up so much. Yeah, but this brisket still hadn't tend to be enough I was at they were to kill, give it a splash, loosen it up a bit to reduce it down again further, which was a bit annoying, but yeah, that's a fail for me. Final question for you guys, then is what piece of advice would you give to a beginner starting out barbecuing, start with your den,
Dan - Host:
cook to temperature. And don't be afraid to give it a go. Because everyone starts from the same place. You know, even Aaron Franklin at some point didn't have a barbecue. And do anyway he's got to where he is, is by trying and failing. And don't be embarrassed by your feels worse comes to worse you have a beer and you laugh about it with friends. But if you don't have a go, you'll never experience top quality food. Because some of the stuff that you can create with a bit of time and the enjoyment of doing it. It's quite a few mental health as well getting out there having some time by yourself. If you're doing like a 5678 more hour cook the amount of time that you're going to be spending outdoors by yourself relaxing and enjoying fire. There's no negatives to be had. Throw yourself at it but cook to temperature not
Tom - BBQ Life:
time. Yep, completely agree about your own.
Owen - Host:
I think I'd say if you're if you're an absolute beginner, don't feel the pressure of looking at Instagram account. So YouTube channels and think that you need that you need to cook briskets and that you need to cook short ribs and all these things. There's nothing is as much as we want to elevate British barbecue from burgers and sausages. There's nothing wrong with cooking those things if you do them well. So I think whilst you're getting used to your barbecue, and actually probably the first devices invest in a decent barbecue, if you've got a lead, yeah, it has to be something with a lead, you shouldn't be going to buy an open top 20 quid barbecue from b&q. It just won't give you any longevity. So but apart from that, keep it simple. Do something that you're comfortable with and build yourself up. You don't want to set yourself up to fail straight away by doing something too. Too ambitious and then not and then just be disappointed. You've wasted a lot of money time and then you're less likely to continue so that that would be my do something good. Do something simple but do it well. And then move move on to try new things.
Dan - Host:
Do you know what? absolute beginner because I didn't know about this stuff before I looked into it. Like indirect will change your life if you've never done a barbecue and then indirect cooking it will change your life and going really simple here if someone's listening to it because they like food and they've heard us talk about it before. Indirect is simply keeping the food on a surface that's not directly on top of the heat. It gives you more control allows to you to cook in similar sort of ways you would in an oven but you get the extra charcoal flavors and cooking out way and to temperature will change everything you cook on a barbecue, you're not gonna get the experience of the burn outside and a row inside of a sausage again. But at the same time, you're gonna get so much more flavor from how you're cooking it. That will change everything for a complete beginner. Indirect gonna fun.
Owen - Host:
I yeah, I agree that I, I reckon probably the vast majority unless I'm cooking steak. I pretty much do everything else indirect.
Dan - Host:
Depending on the steak, you you might even receive it. Of course, yeah. What about, okay, as someone who has done the world's supply of educational videos for people on YouTube, walking them through everything, even from lighting a barbecue, to how to save your shack, if you set it alight? What would you say, Tom? To? Like, what advice would you handle
Tom - BBQ Life:
is everything that you've both said to zone cooking. So making sure that you've got an area in your barbecue where you've got coals and area and your barbecue where you don't have coals or you have like a deflector plate so that you've got an area that doesn't have that direct heat radiating straight up from that goal. That is the most important thing. If you're just dumping it straight over them hot coals, then you are going to burn things, as Ben said, into temperature, rather than time. So you're not overcooking things. We've discussed all sorts of temperatures on the podcast, right earlier on in the episode. Chicken 74 is where you need to be 75 Stay alive is the rhyme to remember in your head, that's what I'm installing in my son now who's really intrigued in the trigger, because it's easier to use for him, he can set the temperature and off he goes, Oh yeah, these are the things I'm installing him indirect cooking. Obviously, in the triangle, it's all indirect anyway, because you've not got that direct seat, heat. So look into temperature, making sure that you're monitoring the temperatures on your barbecue airflow is massively important, the more air you've got going in there, the hotter things are going to be. So you can restrict the amount of air with the way air is coming in and where air is coming out. If the temperature is lower, is better to click on a lower temperature from a longer time than a higher temperature for a short period of time. You're gonna get the same a better end result by cooking it a little bit lower for a long period of time. Yeah, your chicken skins not going to get as crispy, but it's not going to dry out and be a nasty rubbery bird. So, yeah. temperature, temperature over time, indirect cooking everything we've already said. Yeah, well said. Brilliant, right. I've got one little thing left for you guys. So I'm gonna have to not look at the screen because I've got to look at my notes, though. I've got a quick fire round for you guys. So I want to do I want to start with one of you. And then question two, we'll go to the other one of you. So who wants to go first? I'll go first. Why he's old. dies. lift people up. So then you've got come straight in on the second question. Yeah. No hesitations. Straight in your answers. Sasha. So first, first question is lampholder care. Briquette. Day or night, night. light or dark? Light. Chicken ribs, ribs.
Dan - Host:
pork or beef. Pork. hot and fast the low and slow, low and slow.
Tom - BBQ Life:
Beer or spirits? Beer wet drips or wet or dry ribs can't speak.
Dan - Host:
Wet everyday.
Owen - Host:
Yeah.
Tom - BBQ Life:
Wrapped or unwrapped?
Owen - Host:
I can't remember who was answering this one. I'll go rats.
Tom - BBQ Life:
brisket or shorties. We're going to know the sweet or savory savory foil or butchers paper. Foil. Your role brilliant butchers paper.
Dan - Host:
Depend depends. Depends what you're cooking or putting in it. And you could do more with foil than you can with butchers paper.
Unknown:
Yeah, I can make it to that.
Tom - BBQ Life:
Keep the aliens away.
Owen - Host:
Yeah. Daddy government as a whole as a new podcast. So that's it from me.
Tom - BBQ Life:
I've got no other questions. I hope you have enjoyed me taking over your podcast and turning things around on you guys. I've certainly enjoyed doing it. And it's been a great honor for you to invite me on, and have some form of you guys interviewing. Yeah.
Owen - Host:
It was really good time. It's actually really refreshing and strange, not knowing the structure of what we're supposed to be talking about. So that's probably why we seen that we didn't took us a few seconds to answer certain questions. Normally, we're obviously more far more prepared and have a bit of structure but knows it was it was quite refreshing. So appreciate you coming on. Brilliant.
Dan - Host:
Don't get any ideas either, because that was good. Right, don't talk to other people. Don't watch other people don't do a podcast.
Tom - BBQ Life:
I have tried on my channel, and it just doesn't work with my audience. So I interviewed Ross from the rusty barbecue company. I've interviewed Marcus, when he's barbecue school first took off. And now um, no one watches and listens to me interviewing people. So it's nice to come on to a structure that's different, where people are tuning in to listen to this side of things where I think on my channel, they're more interested in the cooks and the information side of things. Yeah, he's been really nice. And if you ever want me back again, whether it's as a guest, or to mess about with you guys, then I'm more than willing to come back I very much enjoy about your company.
Owen - Host:
But at least now I know when I've booted down off, I know it's cool to help me out. And I mean, as a co host.
Tom - BBQ Life:
I'm Danielle and I can fit it in, then by all means on an Instagram message away.
Dan - Host:
But one more time
Owen - Host:
becomes ill becomes quotes
Dan - Host:
gets shot by an ocean shaped bullet. For everyone listening, Tom, tell them who you are one more time.
Tom - BBQ Life:
So I'm Tom from barbecue life. So with fundamentally a YouTube channel, Commando style cooking with a Weber kettle, we've now got a Treyger pro 20. So so we're gonna be doing information on that I'm going to be learning along with you guys. I don't know anything about it. Smoking is completely new to me. It's something that my son wants to run with. So we're looking at maybe running a feature within the channel. His name's Charlie. So we've set up in minutes to ban countless child drills. Where he's, he's already claimed his struggle as his own. So I think we're going to be doing short, snappy style videos with him doing that. But yeah, we're barbecued off on Instagram. We've got barbecue live Facebook page, barbecue life community group on Facebook as well. Come along, share your cookies if you want any advice. We're nice, friendly bunch. Yeah, that's basically it. That's me. What about you guys? What are your handles for the people to download?
Dan - Host:
So my personal one is Welshman barbecues. I still do quite a few bits and pieces on there. Particularly if I'm worried that it's not quite right for the pod page if I've got something wrong or done something a little bit different. But oh, Ian has now focused most of his bits and pieces to the podcast page, right?
Owen - Host:
Yeah, so I do have a personal account, which is back garden BBQ. Although predominantly that I've stopped putting stuff on there and I'm kind of using that as a vehicle to grow the podcast and put it all up it's pretty much exclusively putting on my Cookstown and the meat & Greet BBQ podcast, Instagram, Facebook, tick tock and we are moving more into YouTube so we have you know, all of the guests like this episode will go up onto onto YouTube. But we're starting to do things like how to prepare ribs I've just done a cold smoke cold smoker unboxing and I've got some videos to upload around actually cold smoking and so a little bit different. We also have a meat & Greet BBQ podcast Facebook group as well to try and you know, get people to share their cooks. And I think that's about it, isn't it, although we do have a merch store for podcast merchandise that we are building at the moment. So we've got some T shirts and mugs and aprons and things like that that are available with some more stuff to come on, which you can find on our website.
Dan - Host:
We'll eventually push that a bit more as well. But at the moment, we can't take photos of each other that we're happy with.
Owen - Host:
We tried we tried to voc it It's just not working.
Dan - Host:
We broke one camera. We're taking photos of each other. So you know, we're worried about breaking a second
Tom - BBQ Life:
right? You need to get one of the wives in get one of the wives anywhere in your apron that will sell them.
Dan - Host:
On that point Have you thought about doing a special called barbecue wife?
Tom - BBQ Life:
So there's a video that came out a couple of weeks ago. From my kebabs lot beat the kebab shop series. And the flat rates video. That's actually my wife's hands, making them flatbreads. And my mum did actually comment on that and
Unknown:
they're not your hands.
Owen - Host:
I didn't think they were very manicured. I thought you just looked after yourself to
Tom - BBQ Life:
it. I've normally got bits of grease in line from work and things. But yeah, she's, we were um, in an hour in with doing a novel bit on the channel, barbecue life split on the sides where she knows side dishes. Although she's not my bit on the side. It works quite well like that. But it's it is something that's up in the air. And same thing with with the boy and child rules, you might decide to run with that. We might do one and he goes nine interested in that anymore. I'm going back to my ex box. I'm hoping I can keep him intrigued. He does love cooking and he loves being outside. But he's autistic. So if I can't keep him 100% engaged all the time. He's off looking for the next thing to keep his brain going. So
Owen - Host:
yeah. Great stuff. So yeah, thanks. Thanks very much for guest guest hosting the show. Great. Thanks, Tom.
Dan - Host:
Thanks so much Tom.
Owen - Host:
Cheers. That's it for this special episode of the meat & Greet BBQ podcast what an episode that was not knowing exactly what was going to be happening. It was fantastic to have Tom guest edit and I hope you enjoyed the episode too. As ever, we we do want to hear from you. If there's things that we're not talking about on the podcast that's really important to you around barbecue. Please get in contact through our social media through our website through email at meat & Greet BBQ podcast website is meat & Greet BBQ podcast.com. We have a new podcast merchandise shop on our website where you can purchase T shirts with our just keep grilling. strapline there's mugs and also if you want a meat & Greet BBQ podcast apron they're available too. So this has been a special episode we're in the process of recording our fourth season. So keep your ears and eyes peeled for that fourth season. We've got some great guests lined up and until next time, keep on grilling
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