NZ barbeques

[Rillyrillygoodlooking]

So, what's the usual things served at a barbeque in New Zealand?

Is it sausages and burgers like your average UK one, or is it more fancy?!

We're in NZ, having a house warming bbq and I want to get it right

[WhatSheSaid]

The ones we have/go to are always the pretty basic stuff...sausages, steak, chicken etc for the barbie, with salads and some nice bread. Maybe some chips (crisps) and dips to start with. Maybe a dessert but not compulsory.

Other people may have fancier ones but that's the kind of thing we always have.

[PenguinNZ]

It may be because I am in a rural area, but I would say they're a little more actual meat based than UK BBQs. So a bit more steak, chops, gammon steaks, than burgers. But the kiwis are also mad for a 'sausage sizzle', so don't feel you need to spend a fortune. I also find the sausages over here awful, but no-one seems to mind.

NB: General practise is for guests to bring a plate (salad, chicken wings, slices). So don't feel you have to provide everything.

[thelittlestkiwi]

Most kiwi's seem to serve those weird pre cooked sausages- little boys. But apart from that everything seems similar to the UK.

Did you go for a gas barbecue? We've just mastered getting our charcoal one lit but now I'm sacred to invite any kiwi's in case they think charcoal is weird.

[Rillyrillygoodlooking]

We've spent the day going round Mitre 10, Bunnings and the Warehouse looking at gas barbeques, which wouldn't have even considered in the UK. So we haven't even got a Barbeque yet!

So far we were going to do homemade burgers, deboned whole chicken and sausages. And we have asked people to bring a plate - and a chair as we don't have much furniture. According to DH's work colleagues, being asked to bring a chair is quite normal...

I did wonder about having more cuts of meat than burgers etc.

[WhatSheSaid]

It's pretty relaxed here socially, I'd say in 99% of the country you wouldn't be judged for what food you have at a barbecue. Most Kiwis I know (especially the blokes) would be perfectly happy with a box of beers and a dead cow to chuck on the barbie

[YunoYurbubson]

Very relaxed and not fancy at all. Throw dead things at fire. Guests bring a plate. Eat. Drink. Done.

[BigChiefOrganiser]

Little red sausages littlestkiwi? Cheerios in NZ

[charmander]

Top advice I was given for bbq buying was not to spend a fortune- you end up not using all the fancy bits and don't get your money's worth. I went for a $300 one from the warehouse and so far so good. The even cheaper ones looked too small for a family of 5. Gas is def the way to go. i bought a gas bottle in the warehouse and it was only when we came to use it that we realised it was empty! We swapped it for a full one at the local garage.

Yes is all v relaxed, nothing fancy, all the many bbqs we were invited to when we arrived have been steak, sausages and maybe some other bits of meat plus salad and bread - with everyone bringing a plate. Your Chicken sounds fab.

[thelittlestkiwi]

Cheerios! Nothing is naturally that colour so I find them scary. Now I'm wondering where I got little boys from and what on earth they are.

We ended up, sort of accidentally, shipping a charcoal barbecue and spent last summer struggling to light it. I think it may be due to the high humidity as we never had an issue in the UK. I finally invested in a charcoal chimney and the problem is solved. But if we didn't already have it I'd probably get a gas one. But does the food taste the same or is it just like an outdoor cooker?

[charmander]

it is just like a outdoor cooker.

[Rillyrillygoodlooking]

The guy in Mitre 10 said it was just like a basic cooker. We will miss the excitement of lighting a fire (with petrol - that's DH's preferred method). I can't imagine that it will taste the same.

When we went to a kiwi family for dinner in our first week, they offered our children cheerios and we thought they meant cereal.

[charmander]

Me too, still have to think twice about cheerios. Mind you the first time I was asked to bring a plate, I did - nothing on it!

[HowsTheSerenity]

Oh cheerios! You used to get one from the butcher when you were little! Best party food ever.

And back to your original question. Salad, chips and dip (pack of french onion soup mix mixed with a think of philly cheese is always good.), bread rolls, lots of tomato and bbq sauce, sausages, rissoles, steak, kebabs etc

[thelittlestkiwi]

charmander- I've been tempted to do that a few times when feeling snowed under/lazy.

[charmander]

I had no idea. it was for a Cub end of term party. We were asked to bring a plate to the last meeting of term. So we duly did, and when we arrived I said to one little boy
"Oh, you have a pizza on your plate." He looked puzzled but agreed. The leaders all thought I was taking the mickey and laughed and laughed at me. When I whizzed off and can back with Tim Tams from 4square they realised I really had no idea what they were talking about.

[thelittlestkiwi]

lol. I have no idea how people manage to do so much cooking from scratch here and have such big families. I'm struggling to make dinner every night with one little DD.

[Rillyrillygoodlooking]

Been a while but thanks for the tips!

Am hoping people will bring a few plates (with food on them )

Its the home baking that I love in NZ. So many homemade cakes - its brilliant.

[buzzybee]

WSS - lol at dead cow on the barbie!! You're dead right!!

[WhatSheSaid]

[BeenBeta]

Is it essential to have a house warming BBQ when we arrive in NZ then? Will we be social pariahs if we dont? Is it essential even in winter?

[Rillyrillygoodlooking]

No BeenBeta, it was pressure from DH's colleagues in his team at work that made us have a BBQ.

And, out of the people who we did invite eventually, none of his team mates are coming. They all looked embarrassed and wouldn't look at DH once he announced it. Nice. I'm not bitter.

How's your visa application going at the mo? Have you got a moving date?

[wahine12]

My Dad called cheerios 'little boys' so I thought they were interchangeable. TBH I only bought them for a laugh once I was 'all growed up' and my friends lapped them up as it reminded us all of our childhood parties (that plus putting burger rings on your fingers).

I wouldn't say that having a housewarming is compulsory but it is a great way to meet people and generally no one cares if it's gourmet burgers or a packet of hutton's sizzlers. Paper plates are okay as are requests to help out. Probably best avoided in the winter months - but you can always send the men out onto the deck to barbecue while you sit inside in the warm.

[thelittlestkiwi]

We're on our third house and no house warming yet. BUT if we ever manage to buy a flippin house there will be the mother of all parties. (Have been trying for over a year but live in the only part of Auckland with a rising market).

[Rillyrillygoodlooking]

My DH wants me to add: he doesn't attribute the miserableness of his work colleagues on being New Zealanders - it could have happened anywhere!!

[BeenBeta]

Oh that is not nice at all. I would be really about that.

We have permission to go and we have school places and we are off in July.

When we arrive we will be getting off the plane with absolutley no knowledge of NZ, nowhere to live, no friends, no jobs and no possessions.

I guess a BBQ will be the least of our worries.