Stephen R
TVWBB Super Fan
As I understand it the FT-400 & 600s, were 'made for Australia' as at time we really did not understand that a BBQ with a lid down cooking system was a means to an end. Pretty much all our 'BBQing' was over an open wood fuelled fire,(often a dual purpose back yard incinerator) with a grill if you were fancy, or a sheet of flat steel (griddle).
My father used an old plow disk which was kept in a hessian sack in the boot of the car. If you would go on a picnic, you would find somewhere on the side of the road,you would find some rocks, place them in position, the kids would be sent to gather firewood, the fire lit between the made rock 'stand', and the steel plowdisk placed on top. Usually, no one would wait for the fire to die down, so the meat and sausages would be put on well before you were at the cooking from coals stage. Mostly the meat was lamb, and lamb that was usually quite fat. The too hot fire under the grill or steel often resulted in a carbonised exterior/ still raw in the middle final product. Very often the lamb fat would drip down into the fire, resulting in massive flare ups, and the fat catching fire on the cooking plate. My fathers plow disk retained it's square hole in the middle, so the fat would drain to that, falling into the centre of the fire flames, further flaring the fire with evil smelling lamb fat smoke, and the fat on the steel would then catch fire up through the hole.
When all this was over, the plow disk would have to be cleaned/cooled to put back in the hessian sack, back in the car boot (trunk). This was acheived by dousing the hot disk with a plastic can of water also kept in the boot specifically for that purpose. Huge specular steam clouds would result. A wide paint scraper was also carried to scrape the disk down. The water would flow down through the hole in the centre of the disk, starting to extinguish the fire. A shovel was also keep in the car boot to bury the remains of the fire. (Starting bushfires is not regarded well here)
I observe with some bemusement the apparent USA facination with cooking on a 'griddle'. That was all we knew how to do. A BBQ with a lid was unknown here.
I still have my father's plow disk.
My father used an old plow disk which was kept in a hessian sack in the boot of the car. If you would go on a picnic, you would find somewhere on the side of the road,you would find some rocks, place them in position, the kids would be sent to gather firewood, the fire lit between the made rock 'stand', and the steel plowdisk placed on top. Usually, no one would wait for the fire to die down, so the meat and sausages would be put on well before you were at the cooking from coals stage. Mostly the meat was lamb, and lamb that was usually quite fat. The too hot fire under the grill or steel often resulted in a carbonised exterior/ still raw in the middle final product. Very often the lamb fat would drip down into the fire, resulting in massive flare ups, and the fat catching fire on the cooking plate. My fathers plow disk retained it's square hole in the middle, so the fat would drain to that, falling into the centre of the fire flames, further flaring the fire with evil smelling lamb fat smoke, and the fat on the steel would then catch fire up through the hole.
When all this was over, the plow disk would have to be cleaned/cooled to put back in the hessian sack, back in the car boot (trunk). This was acheived by dousing the hot disk with a plastic can of water also kept in the boot specifically for that purpose. Huge specular steam clouds would result. A wide paint scraper was also carried to scrape the disk down. The water would flow down through the hole in the centre of the disk, starting to extinguish the fire. A shovel was also keep in the car boot to bury the remains of the fire. (Starting bushfires is not regarded well here)
I observe with some bemusement the apparent USA facination with cooking on a 'griddle'. That was all we knew how to do. A BBQ with a lid was unknown here.
I still have my father's plow disk.
