I suck at cooking with the Egg - I'm selling it!

CAEggFan

I just got a brand new Egg for Christmas size L. Been something I've wanted for ever. Terribly expensive. I'm about to throw this thing away!

I used to be able to fire up the gas grill and cook perfect steak. Now everything is a disaster. I have no idea what I'm doing.

So the first time I used it I read the manual and their few recipe's and tried filet minion and ended up with blood red steaks. The next couple times I've followed the same instructions and now I'm getting something that resembles beef jerky.

I just want to be able to cook a nice steak for the wife and I and all I get is crap off this grill. What does it take??

I want to know if my steak is:

.5" thick temp? time?
1"thick temp? time?
1.5"thick temp? time?
2"thick temp? time?

Is that so difficult? But I get no support from the green egg website. No great recipe book telling me how to work this thing.

Anyways I may be done with this thing soon if I can't figure it out. Any info is appreciated.

Firestarter21

You need to look into a thermapen,
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/tpen_home.html
Also, MollyShark sells them here on the forum for a few dollars off. You may get used to cooking to time based on a cut, but the thermapen will help train your judgment on how different cuts cook. Many of us use a thermapen, even though we have cooked the same cuts hundreds of times. This will be a big help, besides that, hang around here take a few notes and ask tons of questions. Don't get so bummed out, if you get rid of this thing you will find out one day how big of a mistake you made. Best of luck.

Beanie-Bean

I've found this method to work for all my steaks:

TRex method

Don't give up so fast! I had to experiment for quite a bit to figure out how to cook on the egg, but the patience and perseverance have more than paid off in the long run.


Good luck!

Marauder777

When I started using the BGE, I think the biggest mistake I made was not letting the temperature stabilize.

If I'm in a hurry, I use the stove.

If I'm looking for a perfect cook, I use the Egg. The Egg takes some patience before you throw the food on there.

Use only good lump charcoal, and once it's lit and going good, close the lid, adjust the vents just below where you think the temperature ought to be, and wait.

Give it at LEAST 20 minutes with the needle on the same temperature. You need to give the ceramic walls and dome enough time to get to the same temperature as the air, and this will give you a much more stable cook.

Other's will be along shortly after me with more/better advice. Don't give up yet!!

davewolfs

DO NOT FOLLOW COOK TIMES POSTED BY MEMBERS.

I followed the Naked Whiz Method to cook some great pieces of meat when I first got my egg and they were by far some of the worst steaks I had EVER eaten.

Always measure temps, if you don't have a thermapen use a weber remote thermometer or one of those maverick digital monitors.

Once you get the hang of things it's well worth it.

Celtic Wolf

The BGE Web Site is for Selling the egg. We are here to help you cook with the egg.

Read the forum, Ask your questions and learn how to produce superb meals on your Egg.

You can start by telling us where you are. Does that CA stand for California or Canada. Maybe you have one of Eggheads close by to help you though this trouble.

Misippi Egger

Mix a big drink, get your BP down and spend a day or two reading the threads on this forum. I have had a large BGE for 2.5 years and would never use any other grill. Easier than charcoal or gas. It just takes a little practice and like me, you will soon be sending your friends to the dealer to buy Eggs!

You can learn the basic principles here and then learn to expound on them.

It looks like steaks are your first priority.

1) Make sure your Egg is assembled properly
2) Make sure the ash compartment is fairly clean.
3) Mix up the old lump charcoal, so the ashes will fall through the holes.
4) Make sure the holes are not plugged with small pieces of lump.
5) Fill the firebox at least half full, preferably almost to the bottom of the fire ring (next piece above the fire box).
6) Open your bottom vent 100%
7) Light your fire (using firestarters or electric)
8) Place the grid in place and close the dome.
9) Remove anything from the top of the 'chimney' - no daisy wheel yet.
10) When dome temp reaches 600 deg or so, it is time to cook.
11) Several ways to cook and passionate followers on this forum.
12) IMO - easiest for beginners; Burp the domer 1-2 times (prevent flashback), then place your steak (no smaller than 1 inch thick, preferably 1.5+) on the grid for 2 minutes (by watch). Then reburp, carefully reach in with tongs and flip. Leave for another 2 minutes.
13) At this point I insert a constant meat thermometer (Maverik ET-73), close the top and bottom vents completely (the dwell).
14) Remove from grill at 125 deg (for med rare), cover with foil while you prepare your sides, then cut and serve.

There are many variations on this theme, but I would invest in the Maverick ET-73 (about $40) before ditching the Egg.

Hang in there - IT WILL BE WORTH IT ! :woohoo:

Misippi Egger

Thanks '777 - forgot in my post to mention the need to let the BGE temp stabilize before starting the cook.

thirdeye

I'm curious about a couple of things.....not trying to pick on you or anything, just trying to see things from your shoes. Or something like that.

When you cook a steak on your gasser, do you rely on a particular setting (hi, med, lo) or do you look and maybe feel the heat with your hand and make adjustments?

If you were to cook the same steak indoors, could you both broil it and pan fry it and have it come out the way you like it? And if only one of the two, which one works for you?

When cooking a steak on your gasser, or broiler, or frying pan....how do you judge doneness? Time, finger test, thermometer or what?

Little Chef

Hang in there CA!
The BGE definately takes some getting used to! We have all been there, but trust me, once you get it, you'll laugh at the thoughts of selling it. :woohoo:
Spend time on this forum. There are some incredibly talented eggers that post, and reply to posts here. This is the best place for you to start learning! Watch the posts for a few nights, and read them. There is so much information offered, you will learn massive amounts! People post everything from breads baked in the Egg...Pizzas...Pork of all types...beef of all types..etc..etc. This is the first place you should turn to before your next cook. You will be guided well. Most importantly, don't give up.
Have you considered trying something super easy, like smoking a chicken? By using an easier technique, and having a few successes, you'll start to enjoy yourself.
Smoke a chicken...do some country style ribs...graduate to baby backs.... Take your time. Enjoy it, and read the forum.
Best of luck!
Little Chef

Pharmeggist

I read this website before I cooked on my egg it saved me from alot of pitfalls.... before I cooked on a gas grill so I know where you are coming from.


Click on this link:
www.nakedwhiz.com

If this site can't help you there are plenty of people here who will.

When you taste success you will definately know it is worth it TRUST ME. That is why I own three eggs now Large, Small, Mini sold the Weber gassser.

Ross in Ventura

Here is a post that might help you.
Ross

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=571074&catid=1

Morro Bay Rich

I gave my Weber gasser away. I just couldn't bring myself to charge someone for it.

I also have a Large, Small and Mini and have never looked back.

Rollocks

Make sure you let all the charcoal get lit. the mistake I made my first few cooks was to put the meat on too soon. The result was a nasty taste from the charcoal not being lit completely.

Pharmeggist

I sold it for less than a 100 dollars and it was in like new condition.. I talked about the egg to the guy I sold it too. I showed him the platesetter and went over how to use the egg. My wife told me afterwards I nearly blew selling the Weber. I told her I didn't want to have a guilty conscience At least He got a full Propane bottle to go with it :laugh:

Morro Bay Rich

If CA means California there is Ross in Ventura, Rich in Morro Bay and Smitty in San Jose and a number of others in the Bay Area and in the Sacramento Area. Maybe we can help.

big hound

Hey don't forget Big Hound in Los Angeles, been eggin' for over 10 years!

Broc

I haven't read through the other responses -- but I know your pain. Like you, I cooked on charcoal for many years a-fore getting my Aig.

At first, I treated my Egg like a hibachi -- disaster!

Hibachi? Grill? Forget it! It's an Egg! It's ceramic! Think of it as a first cousin to an Italian pizza oven, which also slow cooks and sears, and...

Once I got that through my pea brain, my cooks started to get quite good.

Look-a look-a....

Ya got a school bus. Very effective machine for what it does.

Then, ya got a two-seater sports car. Very effective for what it does.

But don't try to make a school bus act like a sports car, and vice-versa.

Once you learn how to use the Egg [and keep the lid down except when searing!], you'll never want anything else!

Really!

:ermm:

Big'un

Where are you located? Maybe someone could walk you through a few things. Don't give up just yet.

mollyshark

Stands for Vermont. He's possibly a little impaired. Anyone out there?

lowercasebill

i did not have time to read all the other posts , however ,,, if you can cook a steak on a gasser you can make a better one on the egg....
what time and temps did you use on the gasser?
hang aound here ask your questions don't give up . a little practice and you will be fine... i am sure someone recommended a thermo pen and would guess someone offered to visit or invited you for a lesson.. your dealer may be able to help and eggfests are great..if you need to talk you can e-mail and we can arrange to talk by phone..
bill

Eggtucky

*sigh*...all these responses and no further input from him??..cooked two steaks and ready to sellit??...it's NOT THAT HARD and doesn't take that much effort to learn to make a steak on the egg :blink: ..did you look at ANY of the recipes on the right side of the page??..did you search 'steaks' on the forum and see any of the probably 500 posts on how to cook them??...did you expect to throw a match on the lump of this egg you have wanted 'forever' and get a perfect steak?......maybe he SHOULD sell it and get a george foreman! :blink: :blink: :pinch:

Unknown

bill, you have such an even temperament in the face of chaos, you'd be a good war-time leader

4Runner

I got my for Christmas too and besides the ribs, I haven’t had my steaks come out exactly how I wanted either. They tasted better than my gasser but still, it is different. I’m not expert but I can relate to your transition as I’m new to the BGE too and thus my post.
I have been making incremental adjustments to my cook time as my Thermapen isn’t due to arrive until today. I have been consistent on the temps and my steaks have started to approach my target of med rare. Sounds like you are all over the map. You have some great suggestions to consider so start from square one and try to eliminate as many variables as possible. This will really help.
1. Always start with a clean egg as posted above
2. Use the same lump for now
3. Get to the same temp 600, 650, 700, 750 just get it hot. Mine is 650.
4. Start with the same cut of meat and the same thickness. Go to your butcher to make sure. Very important
5. Use a timer and be exact. 2 mins and flip and then another 2 mins. Don’t forget to burb.
6. Pull the meat right after the second side. Forget the dwell for now.
For a 1.25” steak that should close to a med rare. I let mine dwell for 1min Sat night and it was medium so my next one will not dwell at all. This will give you a baseline to help determine how long to dwell or if that is even necessary. I haven’t moved to 1.5 to 2 steaks yet. The 2” will definitely need to dwell but I’m starting short on time to start. Anyway, I’m trying to keep as many variables constant for now amd focusing on time until I get handle on this beast. I’m having a blast experimenting though. Just be patient as I’m sure your results will improve.

Spring Chicken

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned calibrating your dome thermometer yet but that's important, even for a flash cook like a steak.

You want an accurate reading for two reasons: to cook at the right temperature and to be able to predict the outcome of the cook.

I would start there, then follow some of the advice previously given, especially taking advantage of this Forum and any opportunity to get some hands-on help from your fellow Eggheads. Eggfests are perfect for that.

Finally, from the tone of your post my first reaction was that you might be a troll. You would have to have ignored pretty much all advice and instructions in order to produce a "disaster" every time you cook.

If you are for real hang in there and think "Ceramic" instead of "Gas" from this point on. Ceramic is different. That's why it produces better food.

Spring "Good Advice Keeps You From Making The Same Mistake Once" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

Pork Butt Mike

Amen

Pork Butt Mike

Runner I am sorry to tell you, on a new egg you should not exceed over 500 degrees in temp. this could cause the gasket to burn or melt. When breaking in a new egg, you should for the first couple of weeks keep the temp no higher then 500 degrees. Plus you don't need that high of temp with steaks your doing anyway. Good Luck

fishlessman

actually it is difficult to cook a thin steak, dont go buying steaks 1 inch or less. practice on 1.5 inch steaks. as for temp and time, go by internal temps and cook til its done. im not giving you a hard time with this as there really is no perfect time or temp, get a good thermapen and cook til its done to your liking. its the only way to get good consistancy.

lowercasebill

thank you kindly .

stike

you can't cook by time. every single one of us thinks that's how you cook when we first get the egg: "hi. just got an egg. what temp and time for a 1" steak?"

ask questions here. you have a ton of responses already to this post. if that's not an indication of the help available, i don't know what is.

the egg does not cook food. it also doesn't overcook or undercook food. if you'd like help, feel free to ask.

stike

you can lead a horse to water....