Lets talk of BBQ...grilling and what not.

pretty authentic, tho the OG version uses crema instead of mayo

it's called elote, and there's a restaurant called Elote near me that serves it as a dip:

https://www.azfamily.com/shows/your_life_arizona/recipes/elote-recipe-from-elote-cafe/article_c4156eda-9c46-11e9-9403-1fd2ac5458be.html

Obv not healthy but pretty tasty. Fresh, farm-stand corn is key.

I make a "Japanese" variation with kewpie mayo and shichimi togarashi that I think I got from Momofuku.

If i make any sort of salad or elote or the corn isn't totally optimal I grill it - I just peel the whole thing and cook it til it chars a with no oil or salt. Grilled corn scraped off the cob with halved, seeded cherry tomatoes and chopped basil (and acid / oil / salt) is something I make a lot in August farmers market season.

When I just want peak season midwestern corn on the cob it gets boiled.

We grilled corn last night--probably overcooked a little, the kernels got kinda shrunken--this is where boiling is good because the kernels are so plump and juicy--but the char and smokiness on it was nice in its own way.

Feeling you, jg, on the corn & tom & herb salad. Plus feta maybe?

Corn is tough to get just right on the grill, the best ones I've done are when I pull the husks back, pull out as much silk as possible and bend the husks back into place - really helps the kernels keep from getting overdone.

I like grilled corn with peaches, tomato, feta or goat cheese, basil or mint.

I would eat all of these corn variations

What would you say the typical cooking time (i.e. how long it's hot for) is for a standard charcoal barbecue? I get half an hour max of high direct heat, seems a bit on the short side.

Yeah that seems right. I feel like it's a golden rule of grilling that you always need about double the fuel you think you do. I have a bbq made out of bricks that's big enough to take wood and I feel like I need about a tree's worth just to make enough coals for a meal.

I've been considering getting one of those little 'chimneys' that you pack with charcoal and light to speed up the process. So you could do 2 or 3 batches and only have to wait maybe 20 minutes inbetween each one.

I just got one, it's great, charcoal ready in 15 mins tops, though the coals at the bottom are ready quite a bit before the ones at the top which maybe shortens the overall cooking time. It's a bit bigger than I expected and I had to hastily find somewhere safe to put this large red hot metal tube after it was done.

On low heat I can cook ribs for 2-2.5 hours with one batch of charcoal.

I guess it also depends on what kind/brand of charcoal you use.

yeah it’s really better for low heat i guess isn’t it.

Has anyone tried using a meat thermometer to measure the grill temp? Sounds like it's possible

Yes, this is the one I have:

https://buythermopro.com/product/thermopro-tp-20-digital-wireless-meat-thermometer/

You hang the smaller unit on the side of the grill and run the metal wired probes into the grill/meat.

If your kitchen is close by, you can even have the larger unit there so you can keep an eye on the temp when you are prepping other things.

It's used mostly with true bbq, where you want a looooong low, even cooking temp.

mr veg has one, they work really well!

that looks nice. not sure i grill enough at low temps to justify buying it though. I saw someone suggest sticking a meat thermometer though a potato so you get a surface temp. might just go with the old hand method

How do you set things up for long low heat then?

My grill has two sets of vents. The one on the bottom is open 100% The one on the lid is open about 25%. The charcoal is piled against one side and the opposite side is where the food goes for indirect cooking.

I assume you then add more coals as needed over time?

Yep

How do you set things up for long low heat then?

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For several hours of cooking at 250 degrees, use the snake method:

https://perthbbqschool.com/2020/02/19/how-to-the-snake-method/

that is extremely cool but tbh somewhat daunting, what are "heat beads"?

I think that’s just the aussie brand name for briquettes.

oh ok I thought it was something extra you had to add, thanks

Thanks for that, looks like it's designed for briquettes so might have to wait till I've got rid of this giant sack of huge bits of 'restaurant' lump charcoal that the local garden shop guy recommended to my wife. I have to smash them into smaller pieces with a hammer. I googled and found the 'minion method' which looks a bit more rough and ready and might work with that. Fwiw I have no aspirations to become an expert bbqer, just competent - we're 95% veggie for one thing!

Lump charcoal burns faster and hotter, so it’s better for quick direct grilling where you want some char.