Getting the temp right

crmwell

I have cooked about 10 times on the Large egg and here is the problem I am having.   Last night I cooked chicken fillets and needed the temp to be 350 according to a post on the temp from this forum. Fired up the egg and I know it is easier to catch the temp as it is going up than to try to bring it down.  As it approached 350 I started to shut down the draft and back off on the daisy wheel.  It got up to 400 but then is started down and got it set at 350.  I put on the chicken and wanted to get an inside of the meat temp of 170.  I turned the meat over about 3 times but it took me 20 minutes of cooking before I got to 170 degrees.  The temp gauge has been calibrated in boiling water so I assume that this is not the problem.  It seems like when I back off the draft  after only 10 or so minutes that the fire just smolders instead of a nice glow when cooking at higher temps.  Do I need to let the fire burn longer before stabilizing or just cook at a higher temp.  According to what we read it should have only took about 10 to 12 minutes instead of 20.  Also my temp gauge will not go lower than 120 degrees and it is only 65 degrees in the garage.  Is this normal?  Also the meat had been frozen and was thawed out but could have possibly not been completely thawed  inside so this might have been part of the problem, but I had this same issue with some pork chops earlier.  Any help will be appreciated.

gdenby

Generally, it is a good idea to let the Egg sit at temperature for 20 minuters or so, just to burn of any VOCs in the lump. This helps avoid acrid off flavors. The additional time allows the ceramic to heat up. That way, when the dome is opened, the temperature comes back up faster. Opening the dome does slow the cook down even at high temperatures.

Chicken can be done at higher temperatures. The skin may be charred, but the flesh comes out fine.

I've noticed that many things that have come up to room temperature before going into the Egg cook substantially faster than straight from the fridge. If you want a faster cook, and have the extra time, an hour on the counter is not likely to cause any problems.

FWIW, cooking by time and temperature should only be considered a "ball park" estimate. There are many factors, such as how fatty or bony a piece might be, or is there a hot spot in the lump that will burn one portion while the rest remains undone. I assume that when a recipe says "X pounds at Y temperature for Z minutes," I will just start to check the temperature for doneness. Unless I smell burnt food  beforehand.

gdenby

Oh, and having a temp gauge not lower than 120 seems odd. Mine will read 100+ if they sit in the sun, but in shade usually drop down to more like 60 - 70. However, if it read 212 in boiling water, it is accurate in cooking range.

Lit

Where did you get the 10-12 minute cook time at 350? Google any chicken fillet recipe and they usually call for 30-40 minutes from my experience at 350. I also would lower the cook temp to 165 max (I usually pull boneless breast fillets at 160 and put them in a foil dome to rest 5-10 minutes and they will raise to 165. Also a dome temp of 350 is really a grate temp of around 320 (On a shorter cook, on low and slows the dome temp and grate temp will gradually get closer and closer) so you can up the temp to 370 or so. You didn't mention if you are cooking direct or indirect.