Interview with Thomas Holzportz

Thomas Holzportz regularly publishes articles on barbecuing in his blog called baconzumsteak.de. We spoke to him about the latest developments on the BBQ scene and about sustainable meat consumption.

Thomas Holzportz, is blogging still a hobby or do you earn a living from it?

Here in this country barbecuing is unfortunately still very much a seasonal business, nevertheless I still took the plunge several years ago and turned self-employed. Since then I have been able to dedicate my time completely to my passion: The knowledge and understanding about good meat and how to cook it. To this end, I cooperate on an international basis with breeders, butchers and chefs, grill manufacturers and other companies from the foodie world, pass on my knowledge in barbecue courses, offer catering services, write articles for magazines and publishing companies - the former hobby blog has thus over the years become the basis for a very extensive field of activities.

In the light of the discussions about a sustainable diet: What should one particularly pay attention to when consuming meat?

I think a big problem with the theme "sustainable meat consumption" is the fact that people cook less and less frequently themselves and have thus lost the ability to implement meat in a versatile manner. As a result the rare, fine cuts are considered to be the standard, which isn't exactly conducive for the appreciation of animal food products. So, we have to move away from our expectations of the weekly cut of filet or roast beef and start cooking "from nose to tail" again. Only then is it possible to evaluate one's own meat consumption correctly and examine it critically.

Today barbecuing is a lifestyle theme. Which developments are being observed at present with regards to appliances and accessories?

What was still sausages and neck steaks 10 years ago, has today become pulled pork and ribeye steaks that are cooked to the precise degree. The growing market and the increased interest in the beautiful world of grilling ensures today that barbecues are much more than just a charcoal holder with a grill on top. Electric pellet grills are mains-operated and digital thermometers show the measured temperatures in fractions of a second: Today, the modern barbecue master has much more than merely glowing charcoal and a pair of tongs. This development has been ongoing for a few years already, so that interesting innovations can actually be discovered at spoga+gafa every year.

What impressions did the last spoga+gafa leave behind?

That appearance counts! BBQs are increasingly turning into style objects for the garden or balcony. The illuminated display of the gas BBQ is in the meantime what the under car illumination is for the car tuner. But meanwhile windows in the cooking chamber are also on trend. From playful details through to innovations like grill chamber illuminations that have been awaited by barbecue fans for some time: At spoga+gafa there is the right offer for every type of barbecue and the fair is worth visiting every year.