Cobb BBQ System - just got one!

[arpie]

Hi Guys

I've just invested in a Cobb BBQ system and will test it tonight with a Roast Chicken & hope it turns out OK!!

I usually buy the flattened marinated chickens, so this will be the first 'clean' chicken roast in years!!

It will come in very handy when we are camping in areas where open fires are not allowed, so I am looking for as many 'proven' recipes that I can find, to test prior to using it in a camping situation!! You can even pick it up & move it whilst it is cooking, as the design is so user friendly, it is 'cool to the touch' on the base!

Who's got one? Do you use it much, even when not camping? Have you got any recipes to share?

Many thanks

Roberta

Edited July 13, 2012 by Roberta

[Singers83]

Great invention!!!

I always take mine out on the the boat, esp on those long cold nights... Nothing beats smelling your dinner cooking while you're fishing.

I usually do roasts in it... You only need 8 heat beads (the self lighting ones are very handy for when you're away), about an hour per kilo. There are frypan and grill attachments too, so you're not limited to just roasting. I have mates who've done pizzas and all sorts in them. Great for smoking too!

Thoroughly recommend them.

Cheers,

Singers.

[arpie]

Thanks mate - have you ever tried the bigger brickette thingy? THey last longer, but are quicker to heat up than the regular beads, apparently.

Do you wrap your veg in alfoil & add beer to the moat, or leave the veg exposed so they go crisper?

I will even have some apple pie to throw in after the chook is ready, as they reckon the beads are good for a lot more heat, once the main dinner is cooked. I will just need to practise using it!!

cheers

Roberta

just googling under different terms & I found this site! It has lots of interesting bits to add to the experience, including using a portable gas stove (got them in the campervan & kitchen) so good to know they work with it! Check out their other ideas too!

http://www.campertra.../cobbprimus.htm

http://www.campertrailers.org/bush_cooking.htm

Edited July 13, 2012 by Roberta

[arpie]

Hmmmm, well, dinner didn't happen for tonight!! It should be OK for tomorrow tho! Maybe I put too many veges in - and hadn't heated the Heat Beads enough to start off with! I ended up adding another 6 to the original 9 & altho it started at 5pm ........ is still going & a long way from cooked!

I'll wait for an ad break on tele - and check it out again!!

Roberta

Just as well I had some pasta & salmon that I could grill!!

[ack]

Yes, Roberta, I'm just getting going with heatbeads for camp oven cooking and seems the trick with heat beads you MUST wait till they are real hot

before starting to cook. They stay hot for ages so there's no need to rush things. Better luck tomorrow. Regards, Alan.

[arpie]

Thanks Alan - I really think I overloaded it too!! Even tho the chicken was 'on the bottom', closest to the heat, it was covered with veges - this afternoon, I will put the veg in the moat & just leave the chicken on the plate for the best heat. I will turn it over this time round, as it was virtually raw on top (no doubt because it was covered with veges) , even after all 15 beads had died down!! I put it back on again at 6pm & didn't take it out till 10pm ........ The juices from the bottom bit tasted really lovely tho!!

Can't wait to taste it, fully cooked! A bit of cleaning up - but they reckon you can put most of it in to the dishwasher! (when at home, anyway - the automatic dishwasher (Keith) is used when we travel! )

cheers

Roberta

Edited July 14, 2012 by Roberta

[Yowie]

I found with mine that when I did not turn the dead chook over, the bottom (over the heat) was cooked too much and the top was not quite cooked, it needs to be turned once, and I would suggest the breast side will need a bit longer because of the thicker meat. The vegies were turned once (when I turned the chook over) the 2nd time I tried it and they cooked O.K. A bit cripsy on the outside, which is good.

I used the Green Fire BBQ Fuel, which is the large round heat bead made of coconut fibre, and it was still burning after the chook was cooked. Have not tried the small heat beads, however, am happy with the large coconut heat bead. I left the vegies beside the chook, did not put them in the moat. Just added some water to the moat.

Have only used mine when away in the van, next time I will try a leg of lamb.

As you said, it needs a bit of trial and error.

Had people in the caravan park walking over to us and asking if we had any to spare, because the smell was so good!

Dave.

Edited July 14, 2012 by yowie

[arpie]

Yeeha!! I put the chook on again this afternoon at 4pm ....... got the beads all fired up first - about 12 of them ....... and having started cooking the breast last night ...... put the 'back' side down this time - with the potatoes around the moat & the sweet potatoes & pumpkin around the chook! By 6.30pm i STILL wasn't real happy that it was cooked (tho I could hear sizzling etc) as the sweet potato was still firm .....so I ramped up the oven & chucked everything in there for 1/2hr, to be sure (it smelled & looked LOVELY even before it entered the oven!)

Keith reckoned it was the nicest tasting, most moist chicken that he had eaten in YEARS!! The skin was so crisp & yummy yet the flesh so moist & tender (this was after him laughing at me when I bought it .........ie. what have you gone & bought THIS time??) SO we have spares for dinner again tomorrow night & looking forward to it already! It was a fairly big chook - a 2kg one, so maybe I'll go smaller next time, too. This one was so big, there was no room for veges around it, essentially, without piling them on top!!

Thanks for your info, Dave - I used more beads (12 or more) tonight & even after 2hrs, they were all still virtually intact (and burning down now!! The heat was never enough that I couldn't leave my hand on the lid tho - so what why was that, I wonder? I DID have an alfoil dish below the bead pot ....... next time, I will remove that, so there is no impeding the airflow.

I have some Loktii brickette thingies ........ I will check out the local BBQ shop for other brands - I only got the ones that were in COles.

I shall persevere & get it right!! Some folk reckon it always takes 3hrs, whilst others say 90 mins! So far, I am leaning towards the 3hrs +!!

cheers

Roberta

[Yowie]

Roberta,

I would leave the foil tray out next time.

2kg is big for a chook, a smaller one is better if there is only 2 of you. We use a smaller one for the 2 of us, and enough vegies fitted around the outside of it.

Another thing to remember, if you put the chook into the Cobb straight from the fridge, it will stay cold in the middle for some time while the outside is cooking. Better to leave it out of the fridge for some time before cooking, however, not all day, as bacteria numbers may build up on the inside. Salmonella bacteria are sometimes found in chooks, but if it is cooked properly on the inside, there is nothing to worry about. (modern day processing of dead chooks is better than it used to be, however, it is one reason not to eat raw eggs)

Dave.