You know when you have become truly Aussie-fied when you go out and purchase a BBQ!
Oddly, despite the all-year-round warm weather back in Malaysia, the locals there don't view toiling over heated coals outdoors as anything particularly pleasant. Leave it to the hawkers and to my local satay man they will say.
Perhaps it is the cooler weather in Australia or just mere fact that in true Caucasian style, they prefer the outdoors but owning a BBQ in the backyard is a very Aussie thing indeed. Throw in a man complete with tongs in one hand and stubby in another and you've got yourself the typical Aussie weekend.
I cannot remember how or why Leng and I decided to go looking for a BBQ but search we did. We searched all the internet BBQ forums and found that there was an Aussie fan base of the very American brand of barbecues (or as the Yankees call it "grills") i.e. Weber, in particular their very portable Q range.
If you are a BBQ novice like me, you will probably not know that the Webers cook with their LID DOWN. That's right. Dismiss all the pictures of yourself marsh mellowing away because one has to close the lid and simply walk away and allow the food to cook itself.
You may think this as odd and not for you (which Leng and I initially thought too) but we took the plunge and really, this entire cooking with the lid down is really rather liberating!
Firstly, there is much less smoke. Perfect for smoke-less hairs and clothes and small balconies.
Secondly, the BBQ is somewhat like a semi-grill, semi-oven so your food comes out cooked at a fraction of time.
Thirdly, our Weber uses a gas tank (you can easily get little 9kg gas tanks from your local petrol station) or you can purchase ones that use natural gas. If you have an electric oven like myself, you may just save that little bit by roasting chickens in the Weber as gas is much cheaper than electricity here in Oz. And yes, you can do an actual roast in it!
Finally, the Weber Q range is highly portable and smallish in size unlike those monstrous machines you see out in the suburbs. Handy for those of you that camp or have a holiday/beach house and perfect for balconies.
We are still getting to know our Weber but Leng who has owned a Weber BBQ that used coals previously, simply loves his new boy toy.
VERDICT: 10/10 Some people may not be able to comprehend barbecuing with the lid down on a gas BBQ but honestly, if you are after taste, efficiency and most importantly, something easy to clean up afters, this is what you are looking for.
Will I get the yummy, charcoal taste? Well, it is a gas BBQ with no coals in sight but you still get the smokey, BBQ flavour.
Will it be a hassle to clean up? Not at all. Be sure to purchase the Weber steel cleaning brush and all you have to do is use some elbow grease whilst the grill is hot and that's it. No water/soap needed!
Will the Weber get dirty out in the open/on my balcony? Not if you purchase the cover that comes with it. We also got the accompanying stand for it which has wheels attached to it so you could easily wheel the entire contraption in and out of say, your garage/storage area.
I am sold! Where do I get one? Leng and I highly suggest you wait till DJs has their 15% off BBQs and accessories because the savings you will get are pretty good and beat all other competitors (yes, we did our research!). Apparently Weber control their RRP so most retailers don't generally lessen their prices.
So what are you BBQing this weekend? :)
One just has to get used to cooking with lid down which really, isn't a hard thing to do. You just plonk all your food in, close the lid and literally walk away!
We baptised our new Weber with an impromptu dinner party for 4. Entrees consisted of a Rossini (Italian drink made up of champagne and pureed strawberries) and honeydew and prosciutto.
We had gorgeous grilled vegetables and sirloin steak from Prahran Market. I opted for the porterhouse cut just for comparison and the verdict is that the sirloin cut tastes much better.
The next night, we had grilled spatchcocked chicken and it only took about 20 minutes to cook. It got flipped once and that was it!
Sides (which we also cooked in the Weber) were roasted mushrooms, asparagus and this fabulous stuffed capsicum recipe which we saw Simon Hopkinson on ABC1 whip up and OMG! It was FABULOUS!!!! I will have to post a separate blog post just for that recipe because it was soooooo delish!
Finally, a picture of the boy with his new toy. He loves it, needless to say! I just don't get the entire Aussie boys and their BBQs but hey...at least I'm not doing the cooking this time!!! :):):)
6 comments:
It would be even better if this Weber Q came with a complimentary cleaning service. :) Or a pyrolytic cleaning function!
SERENE: Oooo, the pyrolytic function sounds good! :):)
The cleaning service IS complimentary - Leng!! :):) But seriously though, all you do is take this brush and just brush the grill down and that's all the cleaning required. I can see why the Aussies love their BBQs! There practically isn't any cleaning to do!
I have the exact same one. One of my first purchases with the apartment. I even bring it camping. As its outside the house, I just hose everything down.
GMAN: You are definitely Aussiefied man! :):)
Interesting about the hosing bit - does it not rust the burner thing? And perhaps put up a blog post about your own favourite Weber BBQ recipe? *wink* wink*
Hi,
I'm a bit confused...did you purchase the Weber in Malaysia? I've been hunting for it there but not found any dealer yet.
Would appreciate any leads...
BTW, how's the Weber going after 3 years?
Hi Rv Winkle!
No, I am living in Australia so purchased it here. Unsure as to whether there are any Weber dealers in Msia.
The Weber is still going strong after 3 years and still as easy to clean and use. Absolutely no regrets. If you can find one in Msia, it comes highly recommended :):) Happy BBQ-ing!
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