[opfor]

But I thought that this first Q lesson would be interesting to those in Europe. (Spain has their own spin on this.)

For example, how many Americans here know that in England, they don't sell ice? Like, if you wanted to pack a cooler with stuff, there's nowhere to buy ice for it? When I first learned this, I was shocked. I'm not talking about finding a 7-11. This is about the fact that the country just doesn't sell ice at all.

Dude, you're a little out of date. The nice folks over here are trying to catch up. You can buy ice these days and some nice person over here has taken the trouble to gather info from a bunch of US Q sites and put it here; britishbarbecue.co.uk
Down here in the southern part of the county you can even find some 24 hr stores, not many, but there are some out there.
The big problem they have over here, IMO, is with the beef. Most stores sell Irish(?) beef which seems to have a strange after taste. There is one grocery chain called Morrisons which doesn't, but your only other option his hitting up a local butcher. Their idea of ribs here needs a lot of work as well...

[Ira]

Ira, even in the States bbq has different meanings. Many consider a real Q as a combo of smoke and heat. Many consider yours as smoking foods. Made a lot of smoked eel as a kid.

Anything over gas is just grilling. Nothing special. I love cooking over oak, citrus, apple, pear and a few other woods. They, however no longer like me.

Yep!

I have a six-foot propane tank that's converted to a smoker and on a trailer, with a jerry-rigged side firebox. The box has a removable, sliding dual propane burner with grate that pumps 112,000 BTUs. (That's a lot.) And I use a large can with wood chunks to provide the smoke.

It's not the optimum rig for heat retention, but it was cheap to put together and it can take up to about a hundred-pound hog. Also, propane isn't really the best, but it's efficient. Plus, I can use straight wood when I want.

The main problem with this unit is that it's too big for most smoking, so I wind up usually using my small, square vertical Brinkmann smoker. Want to get a Weber Smokey Mountain one day too. That unit seems to be the best all-round for home use.

[Ira]

Dude, you're a little out of date. The nice folks over here are trying to catch up. You can buy ice these days and some nice person over here has taken the trouble to gather info from a bunch of US Q sites and put it here; britishbarbecue.co.uk
Down here in the southern part of the county you can even find some 24 hr stores, not many, but there are some out there.
The big problem they have over here, IMO, is with the beef. Most stores sell Irish(?) beef which seems to have a strange after taste. There is one grocery chain called Morrisons which doesn't, but your only other option his hitting up a local butcher. Their idea of ribs here needs a lot of work as well...

Thanks for the update! I built a Teardrop Travel Traveler a few years back--there are a ton of builders in England--and they were always complaining about getting ice.

As far as the ribs go, can't you guys find the Danish babyback ribs? Denmark exports a ton and they're all over the place here.

I'm not a big babyback guy myself--prefer full spares or country style for pork--but my specialty is BEEF ribs. They're huge, and we call them "Prime Rib On A Stick."

[opfor]

As far as the ribs go, can't you guys find the Danish babyback ribs? Denmark exports a ton and they're all over the place here.

I think almost all the ribs here get exported to where ever the Danish ones go...

Anyone have a good recipe for chicken liver pate?