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mega_bassist wrote:

FITZZ wrote: The more I think about it the more I'm convinced that I should move to the UK and open a pit BBQ/Gumbo shop.
I want to run my own cafe...and it sounds like you folks across the pond are in need of good food.

Exactly what I was thinking. Imagine this - grilling pork steaks, brats, ribs, and chicken to the poor souls of the UK. And we can't forget red beans and rice, gumbo, crawdads, jambalaya, and other creole dishes ...getting paid to make my favorite food sounds good to me!

...Two bass players from America going to the UK to open a BBQ/Cajun/creole restaurant ....sounds like a sitcom set up.

We have a LOT of crayfish due to some brightspark introducing the american crayfish to our waterways and them breeding like rabbits.

Spices you are going to be a little hard pressed to acquire.

If you did set up this cafe/restaraunt/bar (come on it has to be part bar) then I would probably end up living there.

mega_bassist wrote:Well, I know it's quite rainy/dreary/cool over there, but is it like that all year? What's the average temp/rainfall for the UK?

beyond always cold and wet i couldn't tell you.

The weathers not so much an issue, indoor pit BBQ's work just as well as outdoor grills...and a hot bowl of Gumbo on a cold day would probably be something folks would enjoy.
However, food cost and cost of living might be problematic ...as I'd imagine many of the ingredients I'd need couldn't be found locally.

They could(maybe) as we have american import shops, but they are three times more expensive than a normal shop.

Nom

corpsesarefun wrote:We have a LOT of crayfish due to some brightspark introducing the american crayfish to our waterways and them breeding like rabbits.

Spices you are going to be a little hard pressed to acquire.

If you did set up this cafe/restaraunt/bar (come on it has to be part bar) then I would probably end up living there.

...Of course they'd be a bar, I'm a 42 year old sometimes musician from the South...how could there not be a bar at my cafe?
And your welcome to stay there, but you have to help cook.

It doesn't rain that much, it does half arsedly drizzle 90% of the time in the spring, autumn and winter though.

Temperature gets to 28C (84F) at midday in the peak of summer and down to -15C (5F) at night in the depths of winter.

FITZZ wrote:

corpsesarefun wrote:We have a LOT of crayfish due to some brightspark introducing the american crayfish to our waterways and them breeding like rabbits.

Spices you are going to be a little hard pressed to acquire.

If you did set up this cafe/restaraunt/bar (come on it has to be part bar) then I would probably end up living there.

...Of course they'd be a bar, I'm a 42 year old sometimes musician from the South...how could there not be a bar at my cafe?
And your welcome to stay there, but you have to help cook.

If there's a bar than i'm there.


Nom

FITZZ wrote: And your welcome to stay there, but you have to help cook.

And he'd learn something in the process

I cook and drink pretty regularly, all that is left to learn is the specifics of creole and BBQ

And music, but we don't talk about that.

This thread has made me hungry :/

Nom

corpsesarefun wrote:I cook and drink pretty regularly, all that is left to learn is the specifics of creole and BBQ

And music, but we don't talk about that.

Meh, my Great grandmother taught me how to make a roux when I was just a little Fitzz...I'm sure I can teach you.
...And between me and Mega Bassist we can at least show you a few simple chords...at least enough to play a few Ramones tunes.

Roux?

We talking the fat and flour type or the vegetable base type ?

FITZZ wrote:

corpsesarefun wrote:I cook and drink pretty regularly, all that is left to learn is the specifics of creole and BBQ

And music, but we don't talk about that.

Meh, my Great grandmother taught me how to make a roux when I was just a little Fitzz...I'm sure I can teach you.
...And between me and Mega Bassist we can at least show you a few simple chords...at least enough to play a few Ramones tunes.

you mentioned music and playing. can i move in to?


Nom

corpsesarefun wrote:Roux?

We talking the fat and flour type or the vegetable base type ?

Oil and flour my friend...low heat, keep it moving...any black bits show..toss it and start again.

@ Nom...Sure, more the merrier.

Yep thats pretty standard for a bechamel sauce.

From what I've seen from american cooking TV some people refer to a mirepoix or soffrito as a roux so I wasn't sure which was standard parlance

FITZZ wrote:
@ Nom...Sure, more the merrier.

Awesome.

Nom

corpsesarefun wrote:Yep thats pretty standard for a bechamel sauce.

From what I've seen from american cooking TV some people refer to a mirepoix or soffrito as a roux so I wasn't sure which was standard parlance

Getting a nice blonde roux is pretty easy, but doing a proper brick roux ( which is the heart of most Gumbo) is tricky, real easy to end up scorching it...last Christmas I had to start over twice because I was trying to do to many things at once.

So I guess you guys would think me crazy for how we BBQ in Canada then? We've done pork back ribs in december - only a light snowfall and it was a balmy -4C at the time! We've done BBQ's in light thunderstorms to -10C...

Weather? Bah, bring it on!!! Rain dries up eventually, snow looks pretty, wind is a pain but want can you do? If we waited for perfect weather, we might get to BBQ once a century or so!

One of the things me and my dad learned a while back is that you have to apply the sauce after the cut is done cooking...do it before and the sugar in the sauce burns and ruins it...

Not surprisingly, my dad has nearly burned down our house trying to BBQ on multiple occasions...he never inherited my grandad's cooking ability...or his nice smoker either...

Brick roux?

corpsesarefun wrote:Brick roux?

..The longer you allow the roux to cook the darker it becomes and the more flavorful...a brick or brown roux has a very " nutty" flavor and is the base of most gumbo's.

FITZZ wrote:

corpsesarefun wrote:I cook and drink pretty regularly, all that is left to learn is the specifics of creole and BBQ

And music, but we don't talk about that.

Meh, my Great grandmother taught me how to make a roux when I was just a little Fitzz...I'm sure I can teach you.
...And between me and Mega Bassist we can at least show you a few simple chords...at least enough to play a few Ramones tunes.

Brats, roux, punk rock, and 40k? All under one roof?

Here in SE Georia, I BBQ all year long. Today in honor of it being my wife's last day home on mid-tour leave I have a rack of ribs on the smoker.

The UK at least has better weather than New York...

Experiment 626 wrote:So I guess you guys would think me crazy for how we BBQ in Canada then? We've done pork back ribs in december - only a light snowfall and it was a balmy -4C at the time! We've done BBQ's in light thunderstorms to -10C...

Weather? Bah, bring it on!!! Rain dries up eventually, snow looks pretty, wind is a pain but want can you do? If we waited for perfect weather, we might get to BBQ once a century or so!

i did barbeque in a tropical depression once...

To our UK friends. Well if you don't have a BBQ culture then be the first to get it going. Need grill, charcoal, lighter fluid, and meat. Believe UK like rest of europe as they do not allow perservatives in their meat? I loved grilling when I was station in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The meat was better but lack shall I say mass for price range. All it takes is acquiring experience. Trust me...grilling becomes an art form...and chicks dig guys who can cook. In your all cases she be all doey eyes watching you play with fire and throwing meat on the grill. Just remember to keep the lighter fluid container away from open flames.

I make my own BBQ sauce for chicken....

I did BBQ during tornado watch warning while at Ft Campbell.....Typhoon in south korea....

Jihadin wrote:To our UK friends. Well if you don't have a BBQ culture then be the first to get it going. Need grill, charcoal, lighter fluid, and meat. Believe UK like rest of europe as they do not allow perservatives in their meat? I loved grilling when I was station in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The meat was better but lack shall I say mass for price range. All it takes is acquiring experience. Trust me...grilling becomes an art form...and chicks dig guys who can cook. In your all cases she be all doey eyes watching you play with fire and throwing meat on the grill. Just remember to keep the lighter fluid container away from open flames.

I make my own BBQ sauce for chicken....

I did BBQ during tornado watch warning while at Ft Campbell.....Typhoon in south korea....

The trick is getting that puppy lit (ok someteimes the truck is not being carried off but hey priorities)

We have plenty of meat but to us a barbeque is an outside grill.

All the smoking, slow cooking, flame roasting and whatnot is lost on us.

Well don't be sad our UK cousins, at least you have delicious beer

corpsesarefun wrote:We have plenty of meat but to us a barbeque is an outside grill.

All the smoking, slow cooking, flame roasting and whatnot is lost on us.

Thats ok. Proper grilling is barbeque's kissing cousin. You're still part of the team (if you use charcoal of course).


Automatically Appended Next Post:

mega_bassist wrote:Well don't be sad our UK cousins, at least you have delicious beer

I'm sensing the need for an international gathering here.

It is politically acceptable to have queso around as well. Just saying.

The trick is getting that puppy lit (ok someteimes the truck is not being carried off but hey priorities)

Truck a bit easy to secure with the grill bolted down on the tail gate. As for liting it....flare works great. Then wait for a cow to come by.....