to think barbecues just aren't worth the effort?

[GulesMeansRed]

First barbecue of the year today.

Retrieve barbecue from back of shed, give it a good scrub because although it was put away clean (or DH sys it was) and covered, it's sticky and mucky after 9 months. Search for charcoal. Search for firelighter thingies. Get the thing going. Stand around while it gets to the right stage for cooking. Start cooking the stuff. Constant debate about whether it's done or not. Multiple trips back into the house to get salad, salad dressing, cheese slices, another beer, tomato ketchup, another plate, another spoon, forks. Then all the clearing away and disposing of the charcoal.

Total faff.

YANBU. I like being a guest at a bbq (and will happily offer help), but I have no interest in hosting…. Too much of a faff!

I have wonderful childhood memories of my parents doing bbqs.

I suspect it was one of those things that's more fun when youre not the one doing the work!

hate the salads that scream food poisoning to me. and the potatoes that are raw inside and burnt on the outside.

What the hell are you doing? How do you get food poisoning from fresh salad and who cooks potatoes on a BBQ?

We BBQd a beef sirloin and butterflied leg of lamb the other week. Both perfectly cooked. Yes, it takes a (little) bit of prep, but so does any meal. Salads were all prepped freshly that day - and frankly involved more effort than the BBQ, but we were entertaining. We usually eat inside as we have a big dining table and French/bifold doors. A BBQ doesn’t have to be burgers/hot dogs in buns. Fresh trout or sea bass is fab BBQd.

@VeronicaFranklin ha, ha- that's exactly how I feel!! And I feel barbecuing kills the taste of very good quality sausages!!

My H also spends all his time poking at sausages in particular or pork steaks or chicken and saying 'does this look properly cooked to you' !!!

I can't be arsed. I'm happy enough smelling other peoples, siting outside and doing nice fish and salad inside and bringing it out

I used to not like them but have grown to like them since dh got a gas one. Less washing up for me as dh sorts the bbq. We have chicken thighs in various marinades and burgers usually. Food put on table inside and you can choose to eat indoors or out

We have a food probe so no guessing about whether things are cooked

We have perfected our routines over the years. Can’t beat a good bbq.

I feel that way about so many things, not just BBQs. Christmas, Halloween, and Bonfire night for starters, all seem to involve hype, expense, planning , the raising of expectations that can never quite be met.

Always part cook the chicken in the oven first too. BBQin doesn’t necessarily equate to eating outside for us - drinks outside while cooking is taking place and then bring meat (or fish/halloumi/veg) in and have a lovely civilised meal sitting at the table. A BBQ isn’t a picnic!

Love a good BBQ! Totally family fun

Worth the faff

Totally agree OP! I roll my eyes everytime my DP says he's doing one. That I end up cleaning up after

We have a gas barbecue and use it all year round. Of course cheap greasy sausages and burgers are going to taste rubbish, they'd taste like that any way you'd cook them. For me, it's just an outside oven, I cook all sorts in it - pizzas, meats, fish, veg, puddings......I even do roasts in it, including the potatoes. And then we eat inside or outside to suit ourselves. Clean up is a snap. I clean and empty the grease catcher pot thing when I remember, but other than that I burn off any crud and brush inside clean with a brass wire brush, just as the manufacturer recommends. To be fair, we don't cook very greasy stuff, so there isn't much crud anyway. Wouldn't be without ours, especially for stuff that will stink the house out. I don't want to be smelling second hand fish/roasts etc days later indoors.

I love a bbq. I think a lot of people think a bbq means burgers and hot dogs. Don't cook that. I do a lot of chicken, lamb, pork, kebabs, veg (baby courgettes, asparagus, aubergine) and then separate salads. Steak is great on the bbq as otherwise it stinks my house out. Also a gas bbq is excellent, no waiting around. Basically I think you just need to see a bbq as a different way of cooking, not that you need to cook a specific menu on it.

I don't want to be smelling second hand fish/roasts etc days later indoors.

Days later? No wonder you prefer cooking outside if you have zero ventilation!

I borrowed my daughters George Foreman Grill - she got it back as soon as possible after me trying it out. I love a bbq and the smell of it while cooking ..................just not inside my house!!!

We don't do them. If we did, it's likely it wouldn't turn out well. And it would just be a hassle as we don't have kit/aren't experienced.

We have a couple of family and friends who have been doing it for decades and are really seriously good at it. Amazing food comes off their BBQs!

Gas Barbecue and eat in the house. Voila problem solved!

I think the gas BBQ is even more of a pain in the arse than the charcoal one. I loathe and detest cleaning it.

It would be so much easier to just bung everything under the grill.

Love BBQs. We do it a few times a week in good weather. We are just in the routine of it. .

Simple fresh food is great for summer.
Personally I like the mess kept OUT of the kitchen.

Flatbreads, roasted peppers, halloumi, lamb, sirloin, sardines, prawns, cornonthecob, chicken skewers, apricots, bananas, marshmallows

I have never cleaned the grill.🤷‍♀️ The fire burns anything off. Never use plastic cutlery either. Bring anything we need out in one sweep on a tray.

I do like a BBQ but you are right, its's a faff! I prefer them at home as I buy good quality meat. We have a gas one and DH does his (only!) cooking on it, but fuck me, but he has to have everything brought out to him, and collected from him, someone else marinades - all he actually does is turn the flipping food over while sipping beer!!!

Can’t see the point of BBQ.

Love a BBQ, need to invest in some of these lava rocks posters have mentioned!
If just us all we do is some hotdogs, maybe a couple of burgers. Keep a stash of (good quality) sausages/burgers in freezer
When friends join we also do chicken kebabs, corn on the cob, salad, coleslaw.
Plus plenty of wine and beer 😄

I hate it when the neighbours start a bbq and all my washing I hung out to dry stinks of smoke

@GulesMeansRed

Why don’t you barbecue outside and then platter it up and take it inside where you can do all the buns and ketchup, etc? Just line everything up buffet-style on your kitchen counter or table.

It’d be a helluva lot easier and save time & effort.

You can always take your plate outside to eat, but the condiments don’t make any unnecessary trips.

This may have already been said but my pet hate about barbecues is... I invite the guests as Chief Diary Organiser, I shop for the barbecue, I prepare all drinks, salads, side dishes etc., I put the meat, trays and foil out for DH. I'll also point out that I cook every meal of the year that isn't a barbecue.

DH stands over the BBQ. He is now too busy to host as he is BBQ Chef Extraordinaire. He receives all the glory and compliments and once finished, he will sit back with a well-deserved beer before not cleaning the BBQ. This ensures that next time, he can wait until the kitchen is spotless and guest-ready before sheepishly trailing the dirty grills to the kitchen sink.

To me, the barbecue is a case study of the 'mental load' imbalance.