Way back in 1990 I made one out of a 40-gallon oil drum, cut a quarter of it off as a hinged lid and had a stainless grill on it, but it was just a bit too good, it tended to incinerate most food rather than cooking it. Chicken wings would still be frozen in the centre with the outside looking like they’ve been inside a nuclear reactor
For a while we just used a big paella pan with a propane bottle, ideal for cooking breakfast for everyone at once....
....except there was only me & Jr camping at the time
We’ve also used the same kit for its proper purpose too
We bumbled along from there with disposables....
....small camping stoves....
....medium camping stoves....
....large camping stoves....
....industrial-sized barbecues....
....and any fire-pit that happened to be available on a campsite.
Then we stumbled upon the Rockford folding barbecue from B&Q, this was brilliant and designed by someone who obviously had barbecues themselves.
It was later featured in The Telegraph and The Sun to rave reviews....
....but when our third one died in Llangollen this year (that’s near Wales) they’re no longer available.
Meanwhile, in 2006 we were at a European Market in Manchester and there was a stall flogging Moroccan tagines. We got one, and the sales operative was keen on us also buying the brazier to go with it. I wasn’t convinced but she did have a persuasive manner so I got one of them too. Now most of these braziers (majmars in the lingo) are clay, I’ve never seen steel ones anywhere else.
We did a few tagines with it and it was good, but a bit limited. Then we figured we could use it with a frying pan instead of the tagine, and perhaps it would make a good camping stove. Then in 2011 I knobbled a barbecue grill to fit, so it could be used as a proper barbie too. This has since proved to be the best bit of cooking kit we’ve ever had, fits snugly under the rear seat of the Bongo and super-easy to deploy. And it does everything (that we need anyway)...
Lamb tagine
Quail tagine
As a chiminea
For your kettle if you’re not on EHU
For the perfect breakfast
Noodles, Spam & beans
de rigueur Burgers
Frikadellen (sliced in half with a slice of cheese inserted in the centre too
)
Donner kebab
Spam
The ubiquitous sausages
Chorizo
Merguez sausages
Bacon
Derbyshire oatcakes. Like Staffordshire oatcakes but better
Piri-piri chicken wings
Whole spatchcocked piri-piri chicken
Sirloin steaks
Ribeye steaks
T-bone steaks
Fillet steaks
Tomahawk steak
Belly pork
Pork loins
Pork medallions
Pork ribs in a variety of marinades
Lamb cutlets
Barnsley chops
Lamb Souvlakia
Kangaroo steaks – to give your barbie that bit of extra bounce
Moose leg steaks
Veal liver
Especially for Alison 01326 – Barbecued Cornish pasties
Frogs’ legs
Snails
Salmon, chorizo & prawns
Paella
Salmon steaks
Mackerel
Rainbow trout
Sardines
Sea bream
Pan-fried sea bass
Kippers
Lobster
Prawns
Octopus
Squid – and a big prawn
Steamed mussels in coconut milk
Fish Fingers
Barbecued Halloumi – nearly ok for veggies
Jacket spuds
Asparagus – for the tree-huggers
Polenta
Corn-on-the-cob
Vegetable kebabs
Mushrooms
Red peppers
Green peppers
Onions
Cherry tomatoes
Garlic
Little Gem lettuce
More defenceless vegetables being incinerated
Little Gems, tomatoes & mushrooms
For herby campsite aromas
Crazy campsite lighting
Barbecued pineapple with Angostura bitters & brown sugar
After-dinner marshmallows
Bananas with Flumps in the middle
Providing campsite ambience in the rain
And the piece de resistance – Toast!!
….
….and Croque Monsieur grilled under the barbie
Cheese & Spam RidgeMonkey!!
After-dinner coffee
Now I just need to get a new one made in stainless steel that will last forever!
The ultimate goal? – Perfection in barbecued bacon
