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 AS FEATURED IN THE SUNDAY TIMESThe Frontier BBQ smoker got a 4 out of 5 rating in the SUNDAY TIMES. Take a look at what they had to say.
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 Christoph Philipp - GermanyThis weekend it was finally time to try our new Frontier smoker and it was just lovely. In omparison to our old smoker this ProQ model is much much better. It was much more fun and the results were perfect. Thanks again for being so helpful with my order. I attached a picture of our ribs.
Have a nice week!
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The Different Methods of Cooking Explained
BBQ / Grilling
Barbecue abv. BBQ is grilling food on a portable device with metal grill. This method of cooking took longer to catch on in the UK than in other parts of the world, but now is a regular way of cooking especially in summer. Burgers and sausages were the most popular grilled/BBQ food, but now anything goes including: grilling chicken, steak, chops and vegetables skewered. Barbecuing is relatively easy once your fire is just right and the guest arrive on time. It is very much a hands on activity making sure you turn the meat before it burns and managing flare ups with a beaker of water which should be kept close at hand. Failure to do this will require you to rush inside, frantically filling anything nearby in which time the meat has been burnt beyond recognition. As a result indirect grilling is becoming more popular.
Indirect Cooking/grilling/barbecuing
Indirect cooking is very similar to barbecuing/grilling, the idea is that the meat is not placed directly above the coals and therefore is less likely to burn as with traditional grilling where the meat is placed directly above the coals. To cook your meat using the indirect method you will need to have your charcoal on one half of the barbecue and then place your meat on the half with no fire below it. This method also requires that your bbq has a domed cover which effectively turns your BBQ into an oven. Indirect cooking times are longer: the meat remains moist as the cover keeps in the moisture in as there is no direct heat to burn out the juices. Needless to add this is a much healthier method of cooking. You can also use a vertical smoker for indirect cooking as there is much more distance between to the coals and the meat, therefore the meat can't burn.
Food Smoking
Smoking meat, joints, ribs, fish etc. uses the indirect method of cooking with the introduction of smoke and requires a vertical or horizontal smoker or a BBQ with a lid. The results from this method is a tasty, moist and succulent food. Smoking is done at lower temperatures and therefore takes much longer - not a problem because once your fire is right you just leave the meat to cook/smoke, it won't need turning and the fire won't flare up - although you will occasionally need to check the meat and make sure the fire is producing the right temperatures (please refer to the food smoking instructions / recipes in "Food Smoker Tips / Recipes" section on this website). The smoke is produced by placing wood chunks (about 2" x 2") directly on the fire or wood chips / pellets placed in a stainless steel smoker box and placed directly on the fire.
Water Smoking
Please see Food Smoking above. Water smoking is food smoking with the introduction of a water bowl (supplied with the Amigo, Frontier, and Brinkmann vertical smokers). The water creates a moist cooking environment resulting in the most tender and succulent meat ever. You can add beer or herbs to the water for additional flavour. Water smoking can be done on a BBQ with a hood - you will need an old pan for the water, best results are be achieved with a vertical smoker.
Vertical Smokers
Vertical smokers like the Frontier, Amigo, ProQ Excel 20 and Brinkmann Smoke n Grill are likened to a vertical barrel and are used to smoke, water smoke, grill and roast food. It is this versatility that make them so popular. They all have at least 2 cooking shelves, a water bowl and adjustable vent to control the internal temperature. They use less fuel and are well sized for entertaining both friends and family.
Horizontal Smokers
Horizontal smokers are like a barrel with legs and are well suited for smoking and grilling in larger numbers. The side box is used to produce both the heat for slow cooking and smoke for additional flavour. Although you cannot see from the picture, there is an opening between the fire box and the main chamber, this feeds the main chamber with the meat in. Great for BBQing/grilling due to the large amount of grilling space. The fore box and also be used tp BBQ in. The Chargrill and Brinkmann are amongst the most popular manufactureres of horizontal food smokers. A must for those who enjoy catering for large groups of people.
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Some Facts about Food Smoking
DID YOU KNOW? You can food smoker on any BBQ with a lid, so try it out on your exsisting BBQ. All it will require is some wood chunks that you place directly on the fire or wood chips which will need a homemade tin foil pouch with 2 small holes on each side for the smoke to escape from.
DID YOU KNOW? Although smokers are specially designed to smoke food, they can also be used to BBQ (Grill), Roast Water Smoke and steam food.
DID YOU KNOW? Smoking food is easier and requires less hands on time than traditional barbecuing. This is because once you have the fire going the smoker does the rest and your meat can't burn as it is too far away from the fire.
Which Food Smoker is right for me?
If you are new to food smoking then consider the Amigo Vertical Smoker, not only a great smoker it can be used as a BBQ, roaster or water smoker as well. It also has enough cooking capacity for both family and friends.
What about Horizontal Food Smokers
If you want to BBQ most of the time and smoke occasionally, then consider a horizontal smoker / grill as horizontal smokers have a large grill area and are also great for indirect cooking, (this is where you have your fire on one half and you meat on the other). Indirect cooking is also much healthier as the meat won't get burnt.
For the expert smoker we have recently introduced the Rumo Special Edition Smoker which is similar to the Cimarron Heavy-Gauge Charcoal/Wood Smoker & Grill, made in Germany to exceptionally high standards and is in a class of its own. Please feel free to call us on 01483 550694, we will do our upmost to help you.
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Tips on using your ProQ Smoker for Roasting, Grilling or Smoking.
Using the ProQ as a Grill
To grill your food on a ProQ BBQ you will need the base unit, charcoal basket and one of the grills. Start the charcoal in the charcoal basket until the charcoal has no more "black bits" visible.
Place the grill on the brackets just inside the lip of the base - you are now readt to cook. Use the lid if the flare ups get out of hand or keep the lid on if you want to use it like a Weber "Kettle".
Using the ProQ to Roast
To roast your food on a ProQ BBQ you will need the base one or both cooking chambers (dependent on how many people you want to feed), the water pan and the lid. Start the charcoal in the charcoal basket until the charcoal has no more "black bits" visible. Whilst you are waiting for the charcoal to burn down, you can prepare your cooking chamber. Fill the water pan with water. For extra flavour you can add beer, wine or some herbs of your choice. Some people think that the water pan has no effect on the end results, but I always use one - it will catch the dripping which can be use to make a tasty gravy. If you don't want to use water, fill the pan with clean sand, as you still need to have a buffer between the food and the fire. Place the food on the grill, just above the water pan and once the charcoal is ready, place the cooking chamber onto the base unit. Place the lid onto the cooking chamber, sit back and enjoy the party. A medium size chicken should take about 3 hours, but it's always best to use a probe thermometer to be sure it's done.
Using the ProQ as Smoker
To roast your food on a ProQ smoker set up the unit as if you are going to roast, the only difference is that you will be adding some wood chips, chunks, pellets or dust to create smoke. The amount and type of wood added will determine the amount will determine the smokey flavour, as each variety of wood, imparts a different taste to the food. Experiment by mixing different wood types together. The smoking wood is usually added at the begining of the cooking process, and if a very slight smokey taste is what you're after, just a handful of chips, should do the trick. Add more chips if you want a stronger flavour. Smoking is easier than barbecueing as once setup you need only check the fire every 30 minutes or so. It is a good idea to have lit charcoal ready in case you need to add more.
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Customer Comments - Martin Allen - DorsetI would first like to thank you for your excellent service and advice when I ordered my ProQ Frontier food smoker. Since taking delivery back in April I have hardly stopped using it as right from the first cook we have not had a disappointing result.
The day we received the smoker I hot smoked a whole chicken with a bacon joint which were both delicious. A few days later I progressed to a full blown BBQ for a group of 10 people. Aside from the oohs and aahhhs there was silence through the meal which included pork ribs, kebabs, fillet steak and sausages. We like our steak rare so that went in last but everything
else was cooked evenly and to perfection. I placed foreign sweet corn on the spikes of the rib basket and have never tasted corn like it. We now use our ProQ Frontier more than our oven and that includes cooking Sunday roast be it beef, pork, lamb or chicken. The spuds go in as well.
Keith Erlandsons Home Smoking and Curing (ordered on your advice) explains further how simple smoking can be and I would also recommend it.
I am now ordering the ProQ Cold Smoke Generator to complete (for the moment) the list of accessories I need to achieve my desired results. I intend to wait for slightly cooler weather and cold smoke over night.
I wanted you to know how pleased my whole family are with the ProQ Frontier and to wish you continued success in your excellent business. |
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