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Hungry? You know you are.

This summer, The Outdoor Room, The Neat Meat Company  and MOA Beer want you to  be a man and cook meat on fire.  While drinking beer.

It’s Not Complicated:

- Sign Up [Here]

- We’ll send you details of weekly Premium Neat Meat BBQ Packs (the best meat in NZ);

- Call in your order on 0800 45 45 45 (or 09 354 4552) by 5pm on Thursday;

- Collect your Premium Neat Meat BBQ Pack each Friday afternoon from The Outdoor Room in Britomart [map]

- Join us around the BBQ for a MOA beer while you’re here*;

- Cook meat on fire;

- Eat meat.  (Drink Beer).

* yeah, no seriously that is an invitation

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We were recently introduced to the Cobb, an amazing little innovation from South Africa and were so impressed that we had to add it to our exclusive stock of exceptional barbecues. 

Do not let the Cobb’s compact design and convenient portability fool you into thinking that this is mere camping equipment.  As the marketing blurb says, it will ‘liberate the chef in you’ (even if you might not have known he/she was there).

The Cobb can roast, bake, smoke, fry, boil and BBQ, but is amazingly compact (weighing only 4.0 Kg) and completely portable - ideal for weekends away at the bach or on the boat, but equally at home, err, at home.

This is also a highly efficient unit which uses only around 300 grams of charcoal for 2 hours of cooking (although the efficient, compact design means that a 2.0 kg chicken is done in just 1½ hours).  It will also run on Green Fire fuel which is not only conveniently packaged and precisekly the right size for the Cobb, but burns cleanly with virtually zero emissions - so that it can be used inside as well as out.  Yep, it really can.

We were amazed by the ease of use and outstanding performance of the Cobb when we first encountered it.  The Green Fire fuel lights very quickly and brings the Cobb up to cooking temperature in around 3 minutes - something no other comparable cooker can boast.  By pouring wine (or water, stock, beer or whatever) into the internal 'moat' you can suppress the creation of smoke and thereby use the Cobb indoors.  The addition of wine also seemed to add a unique flavour to our cooking and ensured that beef was tender and perfectly done right through.

While the Cobb should appeal to the camper of boaty from a purely practical perspective, do not under-estimate its culinary credentials - it will amaze you too.  The Cobb cook book is full of mouth-watering recipes and helpful tips on the getting the best out of this impressive innovation.

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Q & A with Dr. Barbecue

Q:  Does Size Matter?

A:  Yes, size (and more particularly mass) will have a significant effect on cooking performance – but in the outdoor kitchen, bigger is not invariably better:

When you are grilling (i.e. applying direct heat to the food) then size is less critical than when you are, say, roasting, slow-cooking or baking bread or a pizza.  When it comes to wood-fired pizza ovens, mass (and specifically thermal mass) is important:  a massive oven with a high specific heat capacity will heat up slowly with a roaring fire inside – but, critically, cools down slowly, maintaining its high temperature for longer, once the fire dies down and you start cooking.

Thermal mass (and specifically thermal inertia) also has an effect on temperature control at lower temperatures.  Accordingly, it is easier to maintain accurately a lower temperature in a big unit (such as the Big Green Egg), than a less massive model.

The obvious trade-off is in portability:  good luck slinging your 500kg pizza oven into the back of the car for a weekend at the bach.  In this respect the Q-Series from Weber and the Cobb cooker are an excellent choice:  They are portable, compact and yet perform brilliantly.

The short answer, as ever, is that size is less important than what you do with it...

Q:  My Sausage is covered in a thick, crusty layer of black soot.  Is there anything I can I do?

A:  You are suffering from ‘snarler fixation’ (or carnus incineraticus to give it is correct medical name).  Common symptoms include: constantly fiddling with your sausages, an inability to leave the barbecue (even to answer a call of nature), raging thirst, verbal diaoreah, strong smell of burning.  This complaint is virtually endemic in the southern hemisphere and causes many men acute embarrassment as it renders their sausages unpalatable (and in many cases, inedible).

However, the cure is very straightforward: 

Put down the tongs and step away from the barbecue.  You will find that you achieve far more satisfactory culinary results if you close the lid and allow the sausages to sear rather than singe.  The hemi-spherical lid of the Weber, BGE and Cobb are all designed to reflect heat back onto you sausages and, by regulating the consumption of oxygen, help to avoid flare-ups and cremation.

Weber’s gas-fired barbecues allow you to obtain similar results with anything from sausages to vegetables to fish.

Dr. Barbecue says:  keep the lid down.  For further advice, call in to see the doctor at 17 Sale Street, or check out the video page

Q:  How can I make my fuel last longer?

A:  We recommend real lump charcoal over briquettes.  Briquettes have a tendency to disintegrate (even if they have not actually combusted) and cannot therefore be re-used.  If you use lump charcoal you can shut down your barbecue once you have finished cooking (by closing all the air vents) and you will generally find that the larger lumps of un-burned charcoal remain re-usable.

Q:  What is it about Men and their Barbecues?

A:  10,000 years of primal instinct cannot be resisted.  Man cook meat on fire.

Please note that the barbecue doctor is not really a doctor.  All advice to be taken with a pinch of salt and preferably some ketchup or other suitable condiment

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There is nothing quite so pleasant as dining al fresco.  And by that I do not mean a picnic.  Picnics are an aberration: When I see someone crouched uncomfortably on the uneven ground or propped precariously on one elbow trying to cut bread with a plastic knife and then spread processed cheese (and sand) over it with the foil,  while a wasp drowns noisily in their warm plastic cup, it is as though 3,000 years of civilisation had never happened.  

No, I am talking about proper civilised dining with great food, cool, refreshing drinks, good friends and family and proper knives and forks and plates and glasses. Only outside. 
Paradoxically, the finest al fresco cuisine is generally the most basic:  fresh fruit and vegetables, freshly caught fish, meat cooked over a charcoal grill, pizza and bread from a wood-fired oven are all the better for being simple and elemental. 

If you have been watching Anabel Langbein’s Free Range Cook on TV1 then perhaps like me you have been not only slavering over the moth-watering recipes, but coveting her fruity lakeside pad with its gorgeous (to use the Langbein vernacular) outdoor spaces.  Her outdoor dining table enjoys a quiet setting and natural shade (and, incidentally, amazing views).  

 From Anabel Langbein’s Free Range Cook, TV1 

As you may have gathered, my own preference is to treat the outdoor dining room very much as though it were indoors – albeit with a few necessary concessions to the elements (such as hurricane lamps, parasols etc.).  One exception to this general rule is that benches (rather than chairs) seem to work much better outdoors:  they offer far greater flexibility when you need to accommodate more or fewer people and they are easier to clean and to store.  We carry two outdoor dining collections, featuring different frames and surfaces. 

You may also have noticed Anabel Langbein’s outdoor wood-fired pizza oven.  In addition to our collection collections of superior barbecues from Weber and Eva Solo, we also carry a selection of ovens to suit most situations and/or budgets:  

The Pizzaria 900 is, as the name suggests, a more engineered approach – also made in New Zealand from steel, brick and stainless steel.  This, too, will double as an outdoor fireplace and can be used to bake bread or roast meat and vegetables. 

The Zesti 1100 is the last word in outdoor ovens:  custom-made refractory bricks, a stainless steel facade and spun aluminium dome combine to make an impressive oven of generous proportions and unrivalled durability.  The Zesti is also available as a DIY kit that is well within the capability of most people with a handy bent. 
An unconventional, but highly versatile alternative (or addition) to the above is the unmistakeable Big Green Egg:  a charcoal-burning barbecue based on the traditional clay ‘kamado’ oven, which features a heavy duty ceramic body in which you can grill, bake, roast or slow cook anything from hams that fall off the bone to piping hot, crispy base pizzas.  The Big Green Egg enjoys something of a cult following and we are delighted to be the exclusive stockists of this one-of-a-kind design classic.  If you would like a guided tour of the ‘BGE’ or any of the items mentioned above, please visit our Freemans Bay showroom and speak to me or any of our knowledgeable team. 

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I am due to write about cooking and eating outdoors as part of the series on exterior design, but before doing so, I wanted to write an ode to the Weber barbecue, which rates among my best ever investments alongside my noise-cancelling headphones (it’s just like flying business class), my iPhone and MySky. 

Why is the Weber so good?  Because it just works and it seemingly lasts forever.   Also I suppose I have a loyalty based on long-standing familiarity:  The Weber brand is essentially the Hoover of barbecuing with a name and unmistakable profile that just says 'barbeque'.  My parents have had a Weber of one sort or another for as long as I can remember and lighting the barbecue was always a real treat when I was younger.  OK, so I haven't grown up that much because I still relish the task today. 

A top tip is to use the Weber charcoal chimney (I was an early adopter when these first came out).  The chimney speeds up the process and gets the coals really hot.

I have a Smokey Joe on my deck that I bought when I was flatting in London in about 1996 that I still use all the time. We were given a big (non-Weber) gas barbecue as a wedding present in 2003 and while it was a thoughtful gift (and a well-known brand) it fell apart after two summers by the sea.   Meanwhile, the Smokey Joe is every bit as good as the day I bought it. 

I have to say that I prefer charcoal to gas, but having diversified into gas grills, Weber leads the way in quality and reliability. You can see the videos of the Weber factories (in the USA) on our video page.

Don’t misunderstand me, I can see the advantages of gas and in reality you can achieve similar results by following some of the techniques outlined on our video page. I guess I just like the theatre of a real barbecue: lighting the coals, waiting until they are just right, the sizzle and aroma of roasting meat and swirling smoke. Now I am making myself hungry.

Do yourself a favour, if you want the best, get a Weber.

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This is the third in a series of articles discussing the principles of  ‘exterior design’ for the outdoor room.  If you have been following, you will have noted that I am now warming to my elemental theme:  In part two I wrote about water and in this instalment I will discuss fire and light. 

If the outdoor room extends the living space, then fire and light extend its usefulness.  In addition, an outdoor fire provides a focal point for conversation, relaxation or contemplation.  For tens of thousands of years man has sat around a fire, gazing onto the flames and talking, thinking, eating, sharing.  It is arguably because of this that we have become the gregarious, garrulous species that we are today.  Don’t fight it.  Be a man.  Make fire.

Bear in mind that the outdoor room generally lacks reflective surfaces and will rarely hold heat like a room.  Accordingly, you need to place lights just where you need them and similarly arrange seating close to and preferably around the fire.  You can also place lights at a distance to create night-time views or vistas – e.g. by up-lighting trees or by placing torches at a distance.  This avoids the sense of claustrophobia that is sometimes the result of sitting in a ‘light bubble’ surrounded by blackness.

I am not a huge fan of artificial heat or light for the outdoor room, although I concede that they do have their practical advantages.  However, for the sake of ambience and relaxation I would opt for real flames.  In this regard, the ethanol-burning fires from Ecosmart are an excellent compromise:  they can stand alone or sit in any existing fireplace with no need for a flu, gas pipe or any other fuss or plumbing.  They produce a perfect, mesmerising flame and enough heat to allow you to linger long after sunset.

The Ecosmart range is sophisticated, but understated and the range includes options for virtually any setting.  If you are feeling a little more rustic, then a Chiminea is another option.  These are comparatively inexpensive and will burn firewood, coal or charcoal.  Chimineas are available in traditional fired-clay or cast iron.  Our clay chimineas are handmade in Matakana and will last for many years.

If you don’t have room for a fire then consider the table grill from Eva Solo – it is essentially a mini barbecue or hibachi, but, being Danish, its oh so cool.  And hot – after you’ve grilled a couple of kebabs, it continues to throw out enough heat to keep you chatting around the table long into the long evenings.  Best of all, you can chuck the whole thing into the dishwasher.

In New Zealand we enjoy beautiful starlit nights, untroubled by light pollution, even in the larger centres.  Soft exterior lighting allows you to enjoy this treat:  Oil lamps from Aristo or simple candle-light (you may need a hurricane lamp) preserve the mood and won’t blot out the Southern Cross.

If bugs are an issue, consider the bug candle from Coast New Zealand – hand made in New Zealand from natural plant wax with tea tree oil and citronella.  Pretty, practical and aromatic.  Bugs just hate ‘em.

The images below are intended to illustrate and inspire.  For further inspiration, be sure to check out www.theoutdoorroom.co.nz – or visit our showroom and speak to me or any of our knowledgeable team.

In the next installment I will discuss cooking and eating in the outdoor room.

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I said I was going to write about water in this second part of this series of articles discussing the principles of  ‘exterior design’, but I almost hesitate to do so because over the New Zealand winter (which officially ends today) we have seen a lot, a lot of water.  Right now my entire garden is essentially a water feature.  Or more accurately, a mud bath, 

But as a species we have absurdly short memories and in only a few short months we will be parched again and asking ‘whither the rain’?  So bear with me – close your eyes (no, wait until the end of this sentence) take yourself to a happy, dry, hot place and let me tell you about the magical properties of water. 

In Part One (Shade) I alluded to the influence of classical and Moorish gardens on contemporary exterior design.  The Moorish garden was intended to mimic nature in miniature and, in its grandest incarnations, featured elaborate water channels and ponds.  Even when contained within a more modest courtyard, the garden invariably included a fountain of some description at its centre.  The fountain had symbolic significance (as the font of life and reminder of the oases of the desert) but had practical and aesthetic purposes: Running water will actively remove heat from the air through the process of evaporative cooling and the sound of running water is soothing and refreshing. 

Nowadays I am afraid that we generally consider water features to be irretrievably naff.  This is largely thanks to budget DIY retailers who have taken instant plastic fountains in the direction of garden gnomes.  This is a tragedy.  But it may not be too late to rehabilitate this ancient and worthy institution – and I have been doing my part.  Over the last two summers we have been involved in design projects for Wither Hills and Louis Vuitton (for the LV Trophy) and in each case I have included an awesome (but subtle) water feature. Now it’s your turn. 

Please don’t imagine that I am encouraging you to replicate the Fontana di Trevi on your deck.  Rather, think about how you can incorporate the elements that I discussed in Part 1 (shade, breeze, views, water etc.) to create your own oasis. 

The images below are intended to illustrate and inspire.  For further inspiration, be sure to check out www.theoutdoorroom.co.nz – or visit our showroom and speak to me or any of our knowledgeable team. 

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This is the first in a series of articles discussing the principles of  ‘exterior design’.  For purposes of this series, I define ‘exterior design’, perhaps narrowly, as the development of an ‘outdoor room’, primarily to avoid trespassing in the realm of landscape architecture and partly, you may say, because I have vested interests.  That is certainly a legitimate charge, but to the extent possible I shall confine myself to general principles and avoid descending too often to the particular.  That said, please be on the look out for product plugs (and pay attention) because I do have a family to feed. 

The images below are intended to illustrate and inspire.  For further inspiration, be sure to check out www.theoutdoorroom.co.nz – or visit our showroom and speak to me or any of our knowledgeable team. 

Principles of Exterior Design 

The phrase ‘outdoor room’ is manifestly – and deliberately – oxymoronic, that is to say its parts are contradictory and it describes an area that is neither inside nor out.  The object of exterior design is to combine essential elements of both parts to create a space that is invigorating, yet relaxing. 

The elements themselves are not hard to identify – the outdoors offers exposure to nature and the weather, while a room offers shelter from them.  Successful exterior design provides exposure to the elements we like (a cooling breeze, birdsong, sunshine, views, starlight) and shelter from those we don’t (rain, gales, the mid-day sun, large predators, obnoxious neighbours). 

Accordingly, You might conclude that exterior design is principally concerned with sun-shades and wind-breaks (or walls and roofs).  And you would be right.  Certainly, if we were creating an outdoor room somewhere that is already lush, balmy, benign and blessed with views, there would be very little to do. 

Unfortunately, we don’t all live in a location that is naturally imbued with the elements that we want, so there may be more to it.  In this series I will discuss not only the principles of exterior design, but a few practical tips for the suburban world that most of us inhabit. 

Refreshing Shade 

Those of us who live in temperate climates and who endure months of winter gloom are too often seduced by the notion of glorious, unobstructed sunlight.  We are so pathetically grateful to feel the first rays of spring sunshine on our backs that we shamelessly expose ourselves to its unforgiving glare.  The results, quite apart from sunburn, are too many stark, glass-walled houses with baking, inhospitable decks and parched gardens.  By inviting the sunlight into our homes and gardens, we frequently make them intolerably hot and bright.  

Those who live in warmer climes have learned, through long experience, to appreciate the many virtues of shade. 

There really is nothing quite so soothing as natural shade.  Leaves actually remove heat from the sun’s rays through the dual processes of photosynthesis and evaporative cooling.  Awnings and roofs will achieve similar results, but they will absorb a re-radiate the sun’s heat. 

Crucially, shade also serves to smudge the boundaries between properly indoors and properly outdoors.  All too often, the glare of the sun against glass doors viewed from within (and conversely the gloom of the indoors when viewed from without) create a strong psychological barrier between the two.  Natural shade, a traditional porch, shade sails and parasols help to blur this boundary line and promote ‘flow’. 

Don’t be afraid of the shade:  Some people worry that the indoors will seems dark and gloomy if they create shade over the windows.  The key here is to created graduated levels of light and shade; in other words, don’t just move the barrier out a few metres, rather, use shades, screens and plants to diffuse the light and create layers.  In this regard, parasols and shutters – which always look good - are good options, because they do not totally block out the light and are adjustable.  

Similarly,  if you do enjoy a great view, do not be afraid to frame it with shade and screens (natural or otherwise).  Every vista is enhanced by a foreground and little framing. 

Check out the Tradewinds collection of parasols on our website www.theoutdoorroom.co.nz.  These add instant understated sophistication to any outdoor space and are exceptionally well made, with all stainless-steel parts and solution-died acrylic.  

When designing an exterior space it is important to think in three dimensions and to use overlapping layers.  Landscape designers emphasise the importance of layers and screens to draw one into the garden, as though down a winding path (either figuratively or actually) and the same is true – on a smaller scale – with the outdoor room:  Try to soften all of the edges and boundaries and to blur stark lines and shadows. 

Successful exterior design should entice you out of doors – or nearly out of doors – and persuade you to stay there a while.  Shade is an essential element in this process. 

In Part 2 I will discuss water.

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