Can you barbecue in winter on a kamado bbq?
Yes, a kamado bbq is excellent for winter bbqs and definitely for low and slow dishes such as a stew in the Dutch oven. Choose charcoal that burns for a long time, such as quebracho, and let moisture in the ceramic evaporate gently before firing above 180 degrees. Open the lid as little as possible, otherwise it costs a lot of heat and time.
- Low and slow dishes suit winter perfectly
- Use quebracho charcoal: burns extra long
- Open the lid as little as possible to prevent heat loss
- Let moisture in the ceramic evaporate before firing high
- With multiple courses, start with the dish that takes longest
To some it might sound odd, barbecuing in winter. But actually it's not that odd at all, because humans have done this for thousands of years. Our generation has just lost the habit a little.
How great would it be to breathe a bit of new life into this amazing tradition? Cooking outdoors over fire, in all weather, just now in 2020, with a ceramic cooker fitted with the latest gadgets when it comes to barbecuing on a kamado bbq.
Kamado Winter BBQ
A winter bbq is actually not that different from a summer bbq, just with a thick coat on, and maybe an umbrella in your left hand, and your bbq tongs in the other.
And of course you also adapt your bbq dishes to the season, because didn't you miss that lovely stew this past summer?
Preparing your kamado
Winter is ideally suited for a bit of low and slow, your kamado bbq on, popping outside now and then to check on your stew or slow-cooking meat. A quick peek under the lid, a sniff of the food you'll only be tucking into in a few hours. You prepare mentally while your mouth is already watering.
The right charcoal
Making a low and slow dish requires a charcoal that lasts a long time, the quebracho (axe-breaker) charcoal from Pittmaster or Black Ranch is ideally suited for low and slow. Because the pieces of charcoal are so incredibly hard, they burn extra long. Especially handy if your session starts early in the morning and only finishes late in the afternoon.
“You ain't cooking if you're lookin'”
Don't peek too much, especially not when it's cold and windy! Yes we know the temptation is great, but patience is a virtue. Because every time you open the lid of your kamado, your lovely dish cools down and it takes a while before it's nicely warm inside the kamado again.
Dutch Oven
A typical low and slow dish is the stew. A Dutch oven is a thick cast iron pot with a lid that holds heat for an incredibly long time. Ideal for making stews, you can even make bread and other oven dishes in it, like a cake for example.
Preparing multiple courses?
Prepare well! Make a plan and start with the dish that has the longest cooking time and or lowest cooking temperature. Then do the dishes that cook hotter and shorter on the bbq. The reason for this is that it's easier to raise the temperature than to bring it back down.
Take it easy, prevent damage to your kamado
Winters are cold, and damp. Keep in mind that moisture that has soaked into the ceramic of your kamado needs to evaporate first before you bring the kamado to temperatures above 180 degrees. If you don't do this and the temperature rises too fast, the moisture that has soaked into the ceramic will expand, and as you guessed, this gives you a greater chance of damage.
