Anybody got any tips and/or info on the kind of BBQ coals available here in Hua Hin and the best way to light and use them.
Bought some Kingsford Original for 194b (enough for 2 small barbies) from Villa yesterday. Couldn't see any cake type firelighters that I'm used to so tried some lighter fuel (very carefully) but it didn't last long enough to light the bricks. Eventually got it going with tealight candles but chow was about an hour later than planned. The coals were great once they got some steam up. Saw they had some self lighting Kingford too but expensive at 215b for 1 barbie max. bag.
Appreciate any guidance of where to get the import stuff at a better price or where to get, use and light (quickly if poss.) the local charcoal which I assume is a whole lot cheaper.
Also any winning BBQ recipes would be welcome. One very simple marinade I do that is always a winner is pork loins, HP, hot chilli powder and a snozz of honey. Garlic too if you like. Used the ready minced stuff in UK but not seen it here yet. Simple but tasty.
I'm no expert on charcoal, but my daughter says she would buy a similar amount of charcoal for about 40Baht. Thai charcoal tends to light easier, so doesn't need any fancy lighting aids.
I'm sure you can buy a bag big enough for two BBQ's for just 25 baht from most of the small mum and pop shops and as BB said, it lights fairly easily especially if you use some kindling to get it going.
If you are going to use kingsford you will pay more than using the local stuff. Both work fine but the local stuff burns quicker. Take your unlit coals and make a pyramid shape mound. Gather some dried small sticks and put them on top of your coal. Spray lighter fluid on and let sit a couple of minutes to soak into the coals. After a couple of minutes light. The sticks will burn and make some hot embers to help keep things going. You can add more if needed but that should get things going.
Another thing if you don't have lighter fluid or don't want to use it is twist up a couple sheets of news paper. Drizzle some cooking oil on them. Put some sticks on top and coals on top of them. Drizzle a little more oil on coals and light. The oil slows the burning process down on the paper so it burns longer and will get your coals going.
Works for me here. If you Google what your asking you will find some other ways. Good luck and enjoy.
Get yourself some nice king mackerel steaks about 1 1/2 inch thick and stuff them in a bag with sea salt, chilli, beer, black pepper, brown sugar and mayo. Leave for 30 mins then toss em on a flaming BBQ and sear both sides quickly then take a can of beer and shake it. Spray the BBQ with the shaken beer to kill the flames and get a nice steam going on. Flip them a couple of times then pour bourbon on the coals to get a flame (Watch your eyebrows) and crisp em up for a minute or so. Any spirit will work but JD is my choice. Whilst you are eating toss some bananas on the grill whole then split the skin and serve with tia maria and vanilla ice cream all over.
As others have said, the local Thai charcoal works fine. A small carrier bag costs about 10 or 15 baht, and if that's to expensive, you can a massive sack of it for around 250 baht.
Don't try to impress me with your manner of dress cos a monkey himself is a monkey no less - cold fact
Yes, my partner does this sort of thing as they're still cooking everything by barbeque in her home village in Issan and she can get the local charcoal to light with about half a sheet of screwed up newspaper which is not something that I would be confident of doing.
Incidentally, up there they're still making there own charcoal which is an interesting process, you dig a hole about a meter and a half across and tightly stack small wood in a circular pattern until it's about a meter above the hole. Then you start a small fire in it and pack earth over the pile, poking four sloping holes into the earth at the bottom to let air in. You let it burn for about 24 hours and after that you've got a large mound of charcoal.
If you tell them that you are prepared to pay 200bt for a small amount of imported charcoal, you'll get some interesting comments!
STEVE G wrote:
Incidentally, up there they're still making there own charcoal which is an interesting process, you dig a hole about a meter and a half across and tightly stack small wood in a circular pattern until it's about a meter above the hole. Then you start a small fire in it and pack earth over the pile, poking four sloping holes into the earth at the bottom to let air in. You let it burn for about 24 hours and after that you've got a large mound of charcoal.
If you tell them that you are prepared to pay 200bt for a small amount of imported charcoal, you'll get some interesting comments!
Now and again they get nicked as it's an offense to chop down trees without paying tea money
They sell a large bag round the villages and local towns for 20bht
RICHARD OF LOXLEY
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
