New BGE owner - need first dinner idea

murphy11

Hey guys,

I've been obsessing about a BGE for a few years and am set to buy a demo Large BGE from smokinguitarplayer to be picked up on Thursday. Any suggestions for dinner on Friday? Also, are there any must have accessories? I'm pretty strapped for cash so can probably swing 75-100 bucks for other items I will need immediately. Thanks in advance for ideas!

Krusty

The accessories that I think are must haves are the platesetter (for indirect cooking) and a thermopen (to tell when your meat is done).

Spatchcock chicken is always a good first cook. Temp isn't too high and a relatively forgiving cook.

BENTE

like krusty said platesetter first

pizza stone second is my opinion

and then when you are a little less strapped for cash get a thermopen it has really made my cooking better no more gurssing when sometrhing is done...


here is a easy recepie that you add more of what you want rather than being told

Chicken, Whole, Easy Smoky Roasted, Peter Estern

The lazy person's way to excellent smoky moist roast chicken


Ingredients:
1 whole chicken



Preparation Directions:
1 Clean the chicken and place it on a vertical rack or v-rack.
2 If you like you can put some fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, garlic, lemon, etc. in the chicken cavity, but this comes out great even with nothing added.
Cooking Directions:
1 Get the egg up to 350 degrees, add just a little of your favorite smoking wood, (alder chips were very good) and put the chicken on (over a drip pan if you are using a v-rack).
2 Cook at 350 degrees until the a polder or instant read thermometer in the thigh reaches 185 degrees, about two hours for a four pound bird. Skin should be mostly crispy and good and the meat should be moist and very tender, almost falling off the bone.


Servings: 1

Recipe Type
Main Dish, Poultry

Recipe Source
Author: Peter Estern peter@estern.net

Source: BGE Forum, Peter Estern

ILL--EGGER

I would second the thermapen and platesetter is awful nice but would take the thermapen over the platesetter if I could only have one.
First cook for me was good ol' burgers..

Broc

First choice -- plate setter.

If you can stretch the bucks -- thermapen.

However, I have been living with a rather cheap-o [$15+] alternative to a thermapen, and have survived for the past year. When it sdies, I will get a thermapen [$85]...

I don;t regret getting the cheapskate first, as it was that or nothing.

~ Broc

Darnoc

Check out the Naked Whiz web site.You can make a raised grid for a few dollars.Plus for a few dollars more get your self a few fire bricks which can give you a indirect alternate for that kind of cook and can also be used with a pizza stone on the raised grid for pizza.

MS_STATE_Dawg

Hey Murphy,

Congrats on your new Egg. I don't have any advice on a first cook. But I have insight on a MUST for an EggHead (or any cook). The biggest mistake grillers make is overcooking food. If you go by the temp, you practically can't messup.
Get at least some thermometer. I went the way Broc did and just bought a cheap one, it's lasted me a couple months (until Guru is in the budget). $15 at Wal-Mart, and it's got a polder, base station, and wireless monitor. (It works all through the house and upstairs). So what if it craps out next week, it was only $15.

But, please, do yourself a favor and get some way to tell the temp of the food. I promise you won't regret it.

Good luck and welcome!

FlaPoolman

Platesetter but all above are good ideas. What will your usual cooks be? Try a few fatties & some wings.

Pat

gdenby

As mentioned above, the Naked Whiz suggestions for a home made raised grid and some fire brick splits were my first additions. I didn't have a platesetter for at least 2 months. Unlike most folks, I rarely use a platesetter, but I use a the raised grid on almost every cook.

You can cook pretty well without any additions. Burger and brats will do just fine. Pork steaks are better. Just watch the temperature. The Egg, once above 400, can race to 800. I torched some beef short ribs early on because I didn't check the fire for 10 minutes, and it jumped to 800.

The first time I did pork steaks, my wife objected, because they tended to be greasy when cooked on other grills. The Egg, at 500, cooked them fast, rendered most of the grease, and still kept them moist.

Also, as already mentioned, "spatchcocked" butterflied chickens are really good and easy.

You will want a good thermometer fairly quickly. The faster the read, the better.

Eggtucky

Welcome to the community Murphy and grats on your egg purchase! Cant add much to what has already been said but concur SOME type of temp device for quick reads and doneness checks. i use the platesetter, pizza stone and 'egg feet' all the time for everything from pizza to soups and stews, quesadillas, anything cooked in a dutch oven, etc...try to get an ash tool and grid gripper with your egg when you get it and a rain cap if you are going to have it outside in the weather (these are usually included)....




Enjoy!

"Sparky"

Welcome to the club.I hope that you enjoy your egg half as much as I do. Anyway,chicken is great on the egg as is pork.My first egged meal was pork tenderloin.I agree with the others and would get a platesetter.I have one for all three eggs and use them more often than not.A good meat thermo is also very important.Here are a couple of pics.And I don't reccomend the last one until your egg is broken in and you have gotten used to your egg a little :woohoo:

Eggtucky

doug!..what are those stuffed peppers in the first pic??...recipe?..they look great!

"Sparky"

Eggtucky,those are pablano peppers stuffed with sausage and shredded cheddar.Yes they were tasty,but my wife won't eat sausage.I will try ground beef or turkey next time.

Broc

Roast Pork Loin Roulade

This recipe is for cooking a full pork loin – about a 10 lb roast. The recipe is for cooking it outdoors, in a Big Green Egg [www.biggreenegg.com], and you may need to adjust it for your roaster. Of course, you can roast a smaller hunk-a meat… A full loin will serve 14 – 20 people.

I have, over the past six months, cooked pork loin for groups of 30, 40 and 150 -- on my Medium Egg, no less!
To help keep the meat moist, I ALWAYS butterfly the loin -- that is, slice it so that it lays out, like unrolling a scroll. It's best to get the meat quite cold [but not frozen] to do this. When the meat is stiff, it's easier to control when slicing.

I season the inside [S & P, herbs, sauteed garlic and onion] and layer it with fruit, nuts, sometimes Italian sausage... Italian sausage and apricots -- yum! The sky's the limit! I’ve created raspberry roulades, apricot roulades, apple roulades… If you feel necessary, use rice as a base for the roulade, and add whatever you’d like.

Then, I roll it back up, so it now looks like a "jellyroll". Tie it every 1.5 inches or so.

Apply your favorite dry rub to the exterior, wrap it in plastic -- and put it in the fridge overnight. Dry rub recipe below.

Next Day -- Cook Day...

Let the pork sit out for up to an hour to warm up a bit before roasting.

Bring the Egg to HOT -- as in 600+F. Sear the roast about 2 min on all sides. Pull the roast, and drop the Egg [oven] to 350F. If you’re cooking indoors, bring a griddle to high heat for the sear, or broil for 2 min/side.

Set up for an indirect cook, 350F – 375F, with drip pan. Keep liquid in the drip pan [anything, even water. I prefer apple cider.] Don't let the drip pan dry out, or the drippings from the roast will burn… not good eats!

Roast until 140F internal -- won't take long after searing... maybe 40+ minutes.

Pull at 140F internal -- and double wrap the roast in heavy duty aluminum foil to keep juices from “leaking.” Further wrap the roast in several old towels, and place in oven, or "cooler" chest for at least 1/2 hour -- up to four hours. The roast with "carry over" cook another 6 - 12 degrees, and get very juicy.

Slice-'n-serve...

Get used to hearing... "I've never eaten a pork loin this good!"

Respond with modesty, and give all credit to the Egg.

Smiles!
~ Broc
broc4brockway at yahoo dot com

This is a very good and basic BBQ Dry Rub. It works well on any food for smoking or grilling. Compliments of DrBBQ [Ray Lampke], national champion.

- 1/2 cup salt
- 1/2 cup Turbinado sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons cayenne
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Mix ingredients together

Store in dark, cool, dry place, in an airtight container

WADoug

You've got lots of great advise. I'm more at your level. I've had a couple of cooks. My first was a pork loin from Costco, and then did a tri-tip. I was advised to keep the first several cooks at 350 or less. You can find lots of recipes for this type of food/temp and you will be impressed. From what I heard, keep the first several cooking sessions under 350. If you are like me, I wanted to quickly get to the hot temps but I'm trying to be disciplined and wait. I did the pork loin at about 300, the tri-tip at 350. Both were very good. Add your favorite rub. The amount of smoke flavor is one of your/our many earning tasks. You will get great, useful an practical advise here, this is a very active and helpful site.

murphy11

Wow - thanks for the ideas, wlecome and man am I hungry now. I will have to see if anything is included in the sale. The unit is a demo from a well regarded dealer and I think it might include some stuff that is being used so I am hoping to snag a used accessory or two. Great suggestions so far - thanks all!