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Oops, I did it again!

Food/Drink / by

Oops, I did it again?  Hmm… wasn’t that a Britney Spears’ song?  Yep, I guess it was.  Amazing, with that title, I believe that I have successfully worked Britney Spears into the Live in the Philippines Web Magazine for the very first time!  I never would have thought that was remotely possible.

But, wait… what did I do?  Well, there are a couple of things that I did that fit the title “Oops, I did it again.”  First, remember last week, I wrote an article called “Getting a do-over in the Philippines“?  That article was about my new BBQ Grill that we recently built.  Several people asked in the comments if I could show a picture of the finished Grill, and I told them that the grill was still not quite finished, but when it was completed, I would gladly share a photo or two.  So, one thing that I am doing again is writing another article about that BBQ grill!  Secondly, remember back in February when I wrote an article about my Birthday Bash?  I told how we had cooked a Liempo Balamban, a very good piece of grilled pork.  Well, we again cooked a Liempo Balamban on the new grill, and I want to tell you a bit about that experience too.

Well, this all got started on Friday afternoon.  Just before noon on Friday, Feyma and I had gone to the mall to take care of a few things we needed to get done.  Our son Aaron came along too, and we had a nice time together.  When we got home, Feyma told me, “honey, I see that your final pieces for your BBQ Grill are here!”  So, of course, I headed out to check it out.  Sure enough, the metal work was done!  Metal work?  What are you talking about, Bob? Well, we had a shop fabricate some pieces for the grill, including the grill top itself and parts for a rotisserie unit.  Everything was custom fabricated out of stainless steel, so that it will stay nice.  When I inspected the items, I was very pleased!  Very nice work, and the price was right too, in my opinion.

After checking everything out, we all were sitting there around the grill and I asked Feyma, “do you think we should cook something on the rotisserie tonight?”  Of course, I was really hoping that she would reply, “yes,” and we could get busy!  And, she didn’t disappoint me with her answer, either.  We immediately installed the rotisserie unit on the grill!

The rotisserie is a sort of cool design, in my opinion.  It is, as the grilltop, all stainless steel.  There are two risers that hook into the sides of the grill pit, and they hold a rotisserie bar that you can put the meat on.  The cool thing is that the bar with the meat on it is all turned with a steering wheel!  I had seen this kind of design in several locations here in the Philippines (although it was not all made with stainless steel, though), and I thought it was pretty practical.  No motor necessary, just turned by hand!  We have plenty of people here who are chomping at the bit to take a turn “behind the wheel” (why do kids love doing this kind of thing?), so this was really a practical design for us.

So, the next order of business was that we all had to decide what we would cook to inaugurate the grill.  My thoughts drifted back to the Liempo Balamban that we cooked on my birthday, it was so delicious, and I suggested it to Feyma.  My nephew went to the market to see if we could get a liempo from the butcher, they are not always available, but luckily, one was available, and we snatched it up!

We had a big party atmosphere while we grilled a liempo balamban!  We went and bought a bunch of drinks, Coke Light and San Miguel Light and everybody had a good time.  I even had a couple of beers myself, which is unusual.

The grill itself is beautiful, and we have used it several times now, and can’t complain about the performance!  Everything worked as it should, and it was a joy to cook on.  While inaugurating the grill by cooking a liempo balamban, we saw that we had made one mistake on the design.  The paint on the wall behind the grill started blistering, it was just too hot for regular paint.  So, we thought maybe we would use some high-heat paint to re-do it.  However, our carpenter, Jun Jun suggested that we just put bricks on the wall behind the grill, which was a good idea, so the next day, he took care of that for us.  We cooked three chickens on the rotisserie on Saturday night, and the new bricks on the wall both looked good, and performed well too.

So, we have a new BBQ grill which is now completed.  It looks great, and it is sort of a center for entertaining with a backyard cookout.  We love it!  OK, I know many of you will be asking me… how much did this cost to build?  Well, all in all, we probably have about $250 into this project.  The metal work (grill top and all the parts for the rotisserie) totaled about half of that, $125.  The rest of the money covered the labor, bricks, paint, roof over the cook area, a granite-topped work area, and cupboards below the work area.  In my opinion, very reasonable.  I suspect that we would have spent $1,500 or so in the States to get something comparable to this.

 

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Interesting design. I’ll keep it in mind for the future. The liempo and the chicken looked yummy. I just have to find a place to install something like that. Alex

  4. awesome Bob! i have almost the same design on my mind. may do it next summer when we go back to Bukidnon. now the other thing i want made is a wood oven 🙂 so i am interested if you ever thought of making one. my brother-in-law who is a chef are trying to have one made.

  5. Okay Bob;
    The Weber is a thing of the past; it’s out the door, down the road, to sum it up “It’s gone from my mind. The “Deluxe Mindanao Bob BBQ Grill” is the only one I want. I’m not joking it’s the best design I’ve seen to date. It looks good, you said it works well. I’m downloading your photos to show my “BBQ Guy” I especially like the steering wheel, simple yet very cool. My friend, you sold me. (Could you show some close-ups on the rotisserie design?) Bob, you’re teaching an old Dog some new tricks.

    • Ha ha.. Paul, I’m having a negative affect on your bank balance! First it was the bread machine, now it’s the BBQ grill! I will send you some close up and high resolution photos later today. I hope I’m not “steering” you wrong! 😉 Seriously, I like the steering wheel, it’s practical and kinda cool too, IMHO.

      Actually, I was thinking about you the other night when we inaugurated the grill, Paul. When I popped the top on a San Mig Light, I though, “Paul should be here to enjoy this….” 😆

      • Bob;
        You never steer me wrong my friend, albeit due to my nautical background it will be a Ship’s Wheel on mine. The Bread machine is an ongoing love affair, 3 times a week I fire it up.
        You proved a valuable point; ya can’t BBQ, and not have a Magoo! And thanks’ for the photos!!!!!!!

        • Hi Paul – Now, that is fitting, having a ships wheel! You’ll be the skipper on the bridge of BBQ! 😉

          I have only one more thing I want to add to the entire thing… I am planning to have a sign made with that cartoon picture of me that I’m sure you’ve seen on the site, and it will say something like “Mindanao Bob’s BBQ Pit”. It will be the perfect finishing touch!

        • Bob;
          My wife “Mayang” just read the article and saw the pictures, and gave it two thumbs up!
          She decided she wanted one, and of course I agreed with her. As it was her idea to copy Mindanao Bob Deluxe BBQ Grill. .

          • Ha ha…. Paul, Mayang is my kind of girl! Her and Feyma would be pals! Feyma also loves the grill! How could she not after tasting the food that has come off of it so far? 😉

  6. thank you bob ur bbq is great, and you have saved me time and money from sending one from here, one thing i will do differnt is make a deeper well to one side and add a dome lid for slow cooking. i love to bbq.

  7. Don’t the neighbours complain about the smoke? Hahaha joke lang. Did you think about leaving the front open so you can get at the coals without having to lift the rack?

    • Hi Ken – Ha ha… I am betting that the neighbors are getting hungry! Feyma and I have been talking about that, actually! We fire it up every night, and sometimes for lunch too! 😆

      Actually, the front is open! The opening serves two purposes… allowing some air flow to keep the fire burning hot, and also access to the coals.

  8. Hi Carlyn – Glad you like it! I sure do!

    I don’t know about a “wood oven” never heard of that before, but now I’m curious about it. I’ll have to look into that and find out what it is!

  10. A thing of beauty, Bob! Like Paul, I’d probably go with a ship’s wheel. Smart move going for the stainless. The brick looks good & will prevent you cooking the wall of the house. Now, that is my kind of chicken!

    • Hi Mike – Glad you like it! Actually, the grill is not connected to the house. The wall that you see behind the grill, where we ended up putting bricks, that is out wall between our house and the neighbor’s house.

  11. Hi Bob,
    I LIKE IT!!! Now you have to get a metal marker and write on it PATPEND so someone wont mass market it from under you hehe.

  13. Hi George – I would like to have some kind of lid on it for slow cooking, and it is something I thought about. I couldn’t come up with anything for that though. Who knows, we may add something like that later.

  14. Bob, the wood oven is what they use a lot in Italy long time ago and still at present. you can bake pizza and cakes and casseroles. just have to find the right design for it. have you been to the intramuros in Manila? the tours they give to the old mansions of the spanish have a wood oven which is domed.

  15. Your “Driving” me crazy! Looks awesome Bob. And I must say you drive a mean grill.

  16. What an interesting design for an outdoor grill. I’d call it ” The Martin Mindanao Grill ” or just ” The Martin ” . On a first view of the pictures I could just imagine it being marketed in kit form in some kind of upscale catalog. Maybe a choice of custom logos avaliable for the center of the steering wheel.

    I am not much into outdoor cooking or for that matter any kind of cooking at all and the only kind of outdoor grill I usually see are the propane fired ones with the hinged cover on them people usually have on their patio or deck.

    Next I thought about why not have some kind of ( optional ) pulley or sprocket on it to have it motor driven but then again the steering wheel concept makes it ” brownout proof ” .

    You have really come up with another great idea Bob !

    • Hi Bob – Ha ha… yes, my friend, I had actually planned on doing an electric motor on the rotisserie, but the brownout situation was on my mind. With the grill burning charcoal, and the steering wheel drive, it really is brownout proof! And, it’s a conversation starter too! Glad you like it, Bob! I am looking forward to the day when you come visit Davao and we can have a cookout!

  17. well its almost the same as what youve done there just to the right side you will make it deeper about a foot and have a front door to accept the woods the smoke would then rise up to the meats and out a flute in the top left side. in the top you would add thermostat to control the temp at about 200 degrees, its just like the simple smokers here, gives u a chance to add apple and cherry wood chip i bet the never smelled or tasted anything like that before there youd b a star lol.

  19. Hi Carlyn – Ah, I know what you are taking about… I would call it a brick oven, though. I did a Google search and I see that some people call it a wood oven. It’s a wood burning brick oven! So, we’re both right. Yeah, I’d like to have an oven like that. Great for pizzas, bread and such.

  21. Hi George – Yeah, I understand keeping the firebox away from the food but letting the smoke pass the food. Low and Slow cooking… You won’t find apple or cherry wood here though. I was thinking of smoking with pomelo or mango wood, though. Wonder how that would taste?

  23. yes you can experiment with any kind of wood and u have many friends here like me and im sure many others that have access to homedepot and wood chips to send.

  29. haha your right but we have some other projects to do first our website is due to launch in three weeks, watch for mindanaoshope.com i think youll like it when its done 25% of the money will goto the poor in mindanao. we will let u know when its done youll get a sneek peek first.

  31. $250 for all of that is almost a sin, Bob! I envy you so much! The grills over here in the States are ten times more costly and the qualities are mediocre. Darn, I really have to stop by your place now. That Liempo is looking real fine. As they say here in Chicago, “I gots to get me one of that!”

  32. Hi Karl – Ha ha.. yep, gets you one! Yeah, this was a much better value than anything you could buy in the States, no doubt… and it’s unique too! I’m very happy with it. I loved the liempo… but that chicken was pretty amazing too!

  35. Hi Bob,

    Great looking grill, but don’t you think you should not be drinking and then getting behind the wheel?

  36. Bob
    I really like, let me be the first to call it a “Fancy” bbq”. So let it be written so let it be done.
    Now I am having a vision of Mindanao Bob sitting behind the wheel sporting a Chaueffer’s Hat, swilling Beer and doing a Driving Miss Daisy impression.

    Yes you are having a impression on Paul, but it seems the Old Salt is having a impression on you as well as you turn to the bottle. lol.

    • Hi Neal – Glad you like it! Now all I need is the Rhode Island Rub that you are famous for! 😆 Chauffeur’s hat… not sure about that one!

  37. I see a first annual LiP cookout / convention at your place in the near future Bob……I only have one request….no swanky Britney tutu while you cook !

  38. Bob,
    Awesome design and some very creative thinking. Just need to add the smoker and your in the house. Man,Fire and Meat were made to be together it’s the primal way. 🙂
    SO this is your new business venture MindanaoBob’s BBQ’S looks like you have a list of customers just waiting to get one built. Ever think of going International . LOL
    Can’t wait for ypur cookbook.

  39. Hi Bob – A little late here – just finished about 36 hours travel time, and sure could go for some “back home cooking” right about now. We’re in the “Land of Wendy’s” for our family business and pleasure trip. Home sick already.

    The area where we are (our son’s house in Dayton) looks almost like Pasuquin – just no mountains, no beaches or seas, no hot daytime temperatures, no friends and neighbors, WALA! On the good side, though, no rainy season! Good for BBQ weather – providing the grill supplies enough heat for both the cooked and the cooker!
    😆

    • Hi brian – That’s good to know. I am thinking in terms of trying to possibly do a survey to see when the most people will be in the Philippines.

  42. Sir Bob you have re-invented the wheel pun intended. Very very nice.
    Similar to our BBQ, only stainless steel is a great idea. Also, one slight design fault we had with our BBQ was the grills were spaced too far apart so everything fell into the coals lol.

    • Hi Boss – On design 1.0 we also spaced the grills too far apart and experienced the same problem! We fixed that, though for the latest design! 😉 Glad you like it!

  49. Hi again Bob,you know what?After seeing that picture of you ,it reminded me how much it looks like your driving and old John Deer tractor.haha..Hope your still enjoying the grill… 🙂

  51. Bob,
    Dog gone it now I have to go back and research the post you did before on liempo balamban! You have made me HUNGRY! I want to try that on the next visit (very shortly!) I managed to get my Weber sent to the Philippines so I will not be in style like you. Just hope for no brown out cause it comes with its own driver. After a few SMBs I prefer not to get behind the wheel!
    I really like your design and plan to do something similar in the future! I did like the ideas that were given also of putting a cover over it for a smoker. I wonder what flavor the mango chips would give to the food?

  53. cool!!been thinkin of buying a built in outdoor grill top but this is way cooler and more practical on my pocket!so glad i did this search on the net and found your site!!thanks!!will build one and will send pics!! 🙂

  54. Well I agree with everyone that it really is a great design. Once I get settled in (hopefully around the end of the year) I’ll be begging you for closer pictures and specs. I really like it. Being an old “hot rodder” I love the steering wheel. I’ve sold my old cars because I couldn’t bring them to the P.I. I think I’ll bring an old steering wheel with me! One question about Liempo Balamban. My wife and I know what Liempo is but what is Balamban? Thanks for the article, I look forward to LIP every day.
    Dennis

    • Hi Dennis – Glad that you like the grill. It has been fun to have it over the years. We have had a lot of family gatherings around the grill, friends enjoying it too.

      I don’t have any plans, I just had my carpenter build it. I think that any talented carpenter or worker who does construction can do it without the need for plans and such, just by looking at the photos.

      Balamban is a town in Cebu Province where they make a special kind of liempo called “Liempo Balamban” which is stuff with spices and rolled around the skewer that rotates over the rotisserie. It is delicious.