bbq - is it just me?

Totally agree about all the work involved. Love the idea of bbqs but hate the actuality. Food is never ready together, we eat in drive and drabs and everything tastes the same! Would sooner cook in the oven and all eat outside together.

We used to live in a flat and all summer we had the stench of BBQ in our bedroom every weekend and quite often on weekday evenings as well. When I suggested politely, I think, that the grill should be moved down to the opposite end of the property the following summer, all the neighbours looked at me as if I were mad.
I explained that we could not have the window in our bedroom open because of the smell and as we lived in the middle of town with the other rooms facing a busy street opening those windows meant we were deafened by traffic

Strange to say, the same neighbours who had no objection to the smell of BBQ, as long as it was under OUR windows, not theirs, objected to my husband smoking in our own flat and wanted him to do so outside in all weathers .

There's nowt so queer as folk!

Goodness, didn't rate myself highly as a hostess BUT now I realise how awful I am. BBQ for me is mixed bag of meats for self service on the grill with pile of rolls awaiting buttering by the consumer. Finger licking with kitchen roll is the order of the day. Sweet is a huge tub of ice cream with scoop - again self service.
Have to assume friends and family are okay with it because they keep coming back and haven't yet brought any additions other than ketchup.

I've been wondering about getting a pizza oven like Deedaa

My concerns are:

It won't get used once the novelty's worn off.

DH won't be interested because he's the barbecue king and doesn't 'do' pizza.

I'll be the one making loads of dough.

Can just as easily make pizza indoors and sit outside to eat it.

We used to have one about twice a year, many years ago. Realised what hard work and how expensive it was to do a family get together. Haven't bothered for about 15 years despite the bbq my OH built still being in the garden.

Our horrible neighbours have them from the first opportunity each year, sometimes three or four a week, smells disgusting. Plus they cannot manage to be outside without music blaring away. Cannot see the point of cooking cheap sausages and burgers outside.

i love a barbecue - although unfortunately haven't been able to have one for some time.
went with a group of friends down to a local beach a few years ago and, as we all took individual barbecues, we had a great time.
unfortunately my cast iron barbecue is broken and so i'm going to have to replace it. my little "bucket barbecue" isn't big enough for family cooking just for taking out in the country [or on the beach].
and i love the smell of other peoples' barbecues - even if it gets indoors.
although i just can't get any enthusiasm for doing anything outdoors in this ultra hot weather - i just don't do hot.

I was invited to a beach barbecue when I was working in Turkey. We went down to the beach at 2 a.m. I sat and chopped the salad whilst the lads went into the sea with a long net and netted some fish, they then cleaned the fish and onto the barbecue it went. A bottle of Efes beer, freshest fish I've ever had, salad and freshly cooked bread, I'm definitely a barbecue fan.

Haven't had one for years. DH not into cooking in any form! Sausages and burgers not a treat for me. I, like others, would rather do sandwiches, and other cold offerings. Useful to have cakes or cold puddings in freezer that can be defrosted fairly last minute - or just buy. Strawberries, meringues and cream will do.

Not keen. DH insists on cooking & as it is only time he ever does it is always burnt. So much clearing up afterwards too.

Much easier to cook it indoors & carry it all out.

Just a word in praise of DD and SIL who hosted a barbecue on Sunday. SIL helped with all prep and cooked a lovely piece of lamb on the barbecue, it was tender and full of flavour, plus sausages and veggie kebabs. Berries for pudding, lollies for the children. 7 adults and 5 children had a lovely time. They do have a nice big garden and patio.

Can't stand them, the smell makes me feel sick. The neighbours at the bottom of the garden have 3 or 4 a week in the summer. I have to guess when I might possibly hang the washing out and have to look out for the rising smoke so I can run and get it in. Next, have to go around the house closing all the windows. Sorry but the barby has never appealed to me. Also hate flies with a vengence, can't stand them buzzing about the food while trying to eat. Yuk

I love eating outdoors, I love fires, but no to BBQs. Every weekend and quite a few weekday evenings in the summer the gardens here fill with the stink of paraffin (because they are too lazy/unskilled to make a proper fire first), which lingers all day, and then the stench of burning flesh which as a veggy I find pretty disgusting, smells like a crematorium. Just bring a big bowl of salad, you barbarians.

And then the carousing into the small hours...

Tant pis, this is the joy of living in the city. Yes really.

I'm another anti-barbecuer. It's as Fireflies says - the women rush around like blue-a****d flies doing all the salads, accompaniments, while the husband pokes some chicken/sausages/burgers around, clad in a pinny and with drink to hand. Everyone praises the man, and he genuinely believes he has provided the meal.

It's the neighbours who barbecue right next to your fence and washing line I get irritated with, especially when they turn the music up loud so they can hear it at the bottom of the garden.

I've enjoyed going to many BBQs, but in these days of crowded housing, they can often be so anti-social.

Bah, humbug.....!

Since when is standing on a poky bit of grass,eating anaemic undercooked sausages and greasy overcooked economy burgers whilst swilling down supermarket-brand lager from paper cups (and overshadowed by a neighbours full line of washing and their kiddies screeching & whooping whilst bouncing themselves silly on their garden trampoline) a social occasion of any description?

But I suppose it appeases the caveman streak in the modern man.....

MawBroon you've got that just right. It's hard work, and I hate the cleaning of the grill afterwards. Ours is about 25 inches wide, so it doesn't fit in the sink or the dishwasher for a soak. So I have to put a towel in the bottom of the bath and leave it in soak for a couple of days, then I'm on my knees scrubbing it clean, then cleaning the greasy bath afterwards. I would chuck the whole thing away, but it was a present from my son and I think he would be upset.

I think they are overrated.I believe it was James Martin who said he had never tasted anything cooked on a barbecue that would not have tasted better cooked in the oven I do tend to agree with this.However we have just returned from a caravanning holiday in Wales and the smell of everyone cooking on their barbecues in the evening was lovely.!

Sorry for the mistakes- for, people, ten etc.

I had two barbecues at the weekend and both were fine fior some and awful for others.

The Saturday one we were invited to and eleven people attended. The hostess had bought, prepared and slaved all day to get things ready for the table and the fire. It was lovely for her guests to sit drinking, eating nibbbles and chatting but it transpired that the host wasn't even going to do the cooking. The poor woman stood in front of a flaming fire for an hours and a half and cooked the meat for eleven other adults. It was so unfair. And then the host let his wife clear up too.

The Sunday barbecue was our own and nearly caused a divorce. I had suggested steak and chips outdoors but the young peole wanted a proper barbie. I shopped for and prepared all the meats, salads and accompaniments, laid the table and organised the drinks on my own. The meats, dishes and cooking implements wre all laid out for the chef so all he had to do was cook.

The chef was affected by the heat (and failed to acknowledge that it was the same for the rest of us), failed to get the barbecue out of the shed on time or test it (it only had one outing last year). He was in a furious temper and sulk about this, about the barbie failing to light first time and being hot. He ruined the evening for everyone with bad grace and humour and then took an hour to clear everything up when we all wanted him to sit and socialise. The barbecue took two and a half hours from start to finish for an overabundance of cooked meats most of which were left.

I had foreseen all of this happening but was shouted down.

The good thing to come out of it is that we have had a calmer conversation about it all and are going to get rid of the barbecue. If anyone wants ribs, sausages, burgers, pork, lamb, steak and pork on one plate in future I will do it in the kitchen where it will be properly cooked and not burnt outside and raw inside. Needless to say there will not be seven meats on any one plate in future because this is unreasonable from many points of view.

So al fresco=good, barbie=bad.

oh I am so glad I am not in the minority. BBQ's are a recipe for a huge amount of work. I can prepare and cook a three course meal in the time my husband faffs about with two pieces of chicken. Temperature too low, chicken cooked for far too long so dried out and he thinks he is doing me a favour! Plus the kitchen door wide open for hours so all the local flies gain entry while I try to keep salads, bread, salad dressings, fruit etc., in a hygienic condition.

Not finding charcoal reminds me of when visiting D and family with S and his wife and GD.
They were living in Antigua and we had the most wonderful selection of fish.
Another expat said his gardener produced his own charcoal soSiL went over to fetch it. I can't remember exact times but if it was lit at 6pm it was ready to cook on by 11ish, by which time we were all under the weather, the coals were so hot the fish just dried out and was like shoe leather and no- one wanted to eat any way
S fell asleep and the mozzies had the feast of their lives on him.

Never have been a fan. Never organised one. Have been invited to many but never go. Much prefer cream teas al fresco.

We recently moved, and bought a new bbq, which i wanted to try out when just us, so I would feel happy entertaining with it. So we were going to have a little one on Saturday evening, until OH decides he wants a ready meal curry instead, but why don't we do a bbq on Sunday for his Pa & family to celebrate Father's Day! So, not only no dry-run, but now running round madly IN THE STINKING HEAT trying to get all the meat and fish, plus get the salads and pudding done, plus find the one place on the Island which hasn't run out of proper charcoal. Then of course OH can't actually do the BBQ (big girl's blouse who is terrified of fire), plus can't be trusted to do last minute salad-y things either, so i ended up serving charcoal sausages because I was busy making a salad, while he and his family sat around drinking wine and eating all the snacky things up, then starting on the main event while I was still tending the fire and finishing cooking. It wasn't what I had planned at all! At least nobody reported food poisoning the following day ?

I totally agree with all of you about who does all the work. Just recently though I was going out for the day on a Sunday and my other half decided to ask some members of his family over for a BBQ. "I will do everything" he said and true to his word, he went out and bought the lot (except the beers as we already had some in). I told him how much it would cost and he said "ridiculous".
I left him to it. When I got home just after all the visitors had gone I discovered he had spent "far more" than he thought he would have to and he had "only bought a few burgers, sausages and chicken" and salad, and bread, and soft drinks for the kids and some white wine, as he didn't have any in, and some crisps etc etc. And, wait for it, he was so busy doing all the things I normally do that he burnt the lot. And it mean burnt. Totally incinerated. That apparently was the fault of the charcoal - it got too hot.
He had cleared everything up and put most of it away. The house was full of little bits of garden - but no matter! He looked totally exhausted. Next time I think I might he appreciated a bit more. ?

If it's the husbands/partners/other family members who love BBQs then tell them it will involve them doing all the other side preparations and cleaning away too as you will consider it your day off taking responsibility for the meal. Don't make a martyr of yourself and then complain. Nothing makes you do it if you don't want to.

That sounds like a great alternative Anya, I don't mind barbecues but hate sitting outdoors when its hot.
No sun tan for me. My daughter is much the same and says our only concession to summer is to let our skin go from blue to red.