Building a BBQ spit or a BBQ pit is not for the faint of heart. You could just order in and settle down with a nice wine cooler and call it good. Or…



The BBQ Spit

You will certainly need a bbq spit if you want to cook a whole animal. This isn’t the kind of thing you can do on a bbq grill mat. This is serious barbecue stuff, for sure. There are several versions of the bbq spit, not to be confused with the bbq pit, which we’ll discuss in a bit. In essence, the barbecue spit is a rotisserie, handmade or otherwise, that stands over the fire or the grill pit, and you can use it to prepare your meat above the fire. There are several various kinds of BBQ spits for sale, and the one you choose will depend highly on your setup. Many people build their own. It’s a very simple device that only requires a way to hang the animal above the fire and turn it without having it fall off into the fire. Manufactured spits are adjustable in every direction, but you can make a simple one with metal pipe, held up with posts on either end.

The BBQ Pit – notice there’s no “s”

The bbq pit is another thing altogether and is popular in the South Pacific Islands. Obviously it’s popularity has spread to other parts of the world, and everyone has their own take on the best way to do it. I’ve seen several of these, first-hand, and they were all different in their approach. My favorite was the beach barbecue pit. We dug and deep hole in the sand and built an enormous bonfire in it first thing in the morning. after a couple of hours it was all hot coals at least a couple of feet deep. The meat (a whole pig in this case) was wrapped in layers of gunny sacks and huge fresh leaves tied with twine. Once wrapped the pig was soaked down with water and then pushed into the hot coals. The hole was then filled back up with sand with several pipes inserted to allow the fire to breathe just a bit. Late that evening we dug it up. I have never tasted anything like that before or since.

A Simpler Solution

If you’re not into all that work but want some great tasting food you could always just find a good recipe with a nice image that looks appetizing and just make yourself something in the comfort of your own kitchen. Or…

Why Not Just Purchase a BBQ Grill?

If you’re not into building a spit or a pit you could just buy a barbecue. As you know they come in all sizes, shapes and prices. Barbecues aren’t that difficult find these days and you can almost always get a great deal at one of the larger house and garden suppliers. However, the tough part is determining which sort you desire to purchase. There are so many choices. You just need to go look at the options and you’ll know which one you want when you see it. Like with a television set. Let’s take a look at a couple of them.

The Sports Connection

If you are a sports enthusiast, the choice about which barbecue to buy gets a bit simpler. You’ll probably want a portable grill that you can use at home or put it in the back of your vehicle or pickup and head for the ballgame. Tailgating is a fantastic method to add to the fun and excitement of a game. Have fun chatting with family and pals while cooking chicken hotdogs, hamburgers, and wings, or whatever your favorite grill food might be. There is no doubt the odor of outdoor cooking will generate some new good friends who will stop by to comment on how great the food looks and smells and offer their predictions, stories, and camaraderie.

A Great Camping Tool

The portable grill is also a great choice for someone who loves camping. If you get a portable bbq for that purpose be sure to pick up a Chef Caron grilling mat so you can cook breakfast on the grill without lugging any cast iron pans or griddles with you. The grill mats roll up, so you can even carry them in a backpack and they are super easy to clean. It’s way less trouble than cast iron pans or griddles. Trust me on this. Here’s a grill mat twitter site with some great suggestions on that kind of stuff and more.

I Like the Cobb

Another style of grill is the Cobb. If you’ve ever watched the ‘Hairy Bikers’ on TELEVISION you’ll identify the Cobb because they include it in their shows, frequently. These 2 British Chefs have actually traveled the world cooking many different cuisines making use of the Cobb as their cooker of selection. Watching them, you can get an idea of how easy it is to cook on a barbecue grill and how much great food you can actually make with one.