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New to the BGE

andursun0013
andursun0013 Posts: 21
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I am expecting my EGG to arrive at my house tomorrow. I only have the option for direct heat at first - but knowing that what is a good thing to try out first on the EGG thats kinda easy. I've never had anything made with a BGE before, just heard so much about it I bought one. Should be a new world for me also, as I've never cooked on anything but gas.

-Kyle

Comments

  • Get the coals so they do not have visible smoke #1. Steaks at high heat are wonderful 2 min per side then shut down for 2-4 min depending on thickness and desired doneness. If you have a new egg, the high heat may fry your gasket. Consider a spatchcocked chicken done at 350 direct heat. I add apple wood but try without and experiment. You will not be disappointed the egg is very forgiving. Welcome to the BGE.
  • Welcome!!

    My first cook was a spatchcock chicken a few weeks ago and it was soooo worth it and easy. A few words of advice:

    1. After cut and prepared, pat the chicken dry and allow to sit uncovered in the fridge for 2 hours to overnight.

    2. 350 direct was perfect for me.

    3. Cook the chicken high in the dome. Cheap method is to buy some stainless steel bolts and washers and attch to the grate to raise it up off the fire ring.

    Here is the link to my first cook:

    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=999922&catid=1#

    -Howard
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,008
    I'm sorry to hear about the gas. I Mean your old gasser. Good call on the upgrade! Just start with something easy. Just toss in something you really can't mess up. You will be playing around with the egg more the first few cooks then actually mastering the foods taste. Chicken is pretty simple and easy to mess around with. This forum is a great place for any questions you might have. Welcome!
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • Hi Kyle, welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of egging! :)

    I think the advice already given is excellent! I'll look forward to pics of your first cook.
  • Welcome Kyle.

    You have already received some good advice regarding spatchcock chicken. It is some of the best chicken you will ever eat. Be sure to put some of your rub under the skin so it gets into the meat.

    Another option is pork chops. My wife is not a fan of pork chops because she says they are always dry. When I cook them on the BGE, it is a different story. They come out juicy and really flavorful. Best of all, they are easy to cook.

    Good luck and have fun with your new toy. Soon you will be buying all the Eggsessories so you can do low and slow and try different cooking positions.
  • Welcome to the "cult" Kyle.....It will be a fun ride!
    All good advice thus far.
    Also, cooking direct, you could add chicken breast or pork chops. Just give a rub with a little oil and your favorit spices. Cook them pretty hot and fast. My 2 cents! ;)
    Hard to go wrong!
  • My 1st cook, and thus, my recommendation would be burgers. Get fresh, good quality ground beef (or if you have your own grinder, grind some yourself - even better).

    Season w/ whatever seasons you prefer (e.g. salt, pepper, steak rub, etc)

    When making the patties, don't "smash" but rather throw a ball of meat back & forth from 1 hand to the other, until it starts to flatten out. Eventually you will be able to lightly "smash" but don't do it too hard or else you'll toughen up the meat.

    Then push a little dent into the middle of the patty (got this tip from others on the forum).

    Get the Egg up to ~350 dome temp, then put the patties on - 4 min / side. Right before the end of the second 4 min, then if you wish, put some cheese on for about 30-40 sec.

    Tip - do NOT take a spatula & "smush" the burgers into the grate. Just let them be for 4 min, then flip once for another 4 min.

    They should come off the grill being some of the tastiest, juiciest burgers you've ever eaten!!
    :woohoo:
    Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
  • RNLV
    RNLV Posts: 42
    Welcome to the forum. You should be able to master the coals after a few cooks. Then do any cooks you did on the gasser, they will be much more tastie.

    RON
  •  
    Congratulations and welcome to the forum. First cook, now that brings back some good memories.

    Since there are no pictures above I will put a couple up just to get you interested.

    My first cook was hot dogs, then burgers, then brats, then some chicken parts then a high temperature steak and then I had to replace the gaskets. That was all within about 2 hours of cooking and 1 load of lump.

    You can do anything you want from tuna melt sandwiches to, heck anything you can cook inside - it just tastes better on the egg.

    For this first cook and having to cook direct... calibrate your egg thermometer, don't load the lump all the way up to the top of the fire box (or higher). If your egg is going to be a large, loading the lump to an inch or so above the holes in the fire box is fine, that will do for a lower temperature cook (under 450°).

    Dogs & burgers are great. Chicken is always easy and turns out great. Steaks are fun and tasty.

    Remember to cook your food to temperature and don't use time to dictate when your food is done.

    For a very moist chicken (or parts) cook it to 165° breast and thighs. Dome, for now, 350° and cook to temperature. It will probably take acout 1 hr to 1:25 hrs. Did I say cook to proper food temperature.

    Don't overthink all this stuff cooking on the egg is really easy. I will put a link below to some useful information, but make sure you read your manual, check bolt tightness (even if the dealer put/puts it together for you) and finally take the time to watch the video.

    Chicken as described above.

    This was actually cooked at 400° abt 1 hr.
    chick400.jpg

    chicken3.jpg

    Parts
    chickenwhitesau1.jpg

    Some simple steaks (no searing)
    steak2-1.jpg

    Thick cut canadian bacon
    bbbutt5.jpg

    Frindship bread (this is a little harder but not much)
    abread2.jpg

    Stuffed peppers
    pepperncheese2.jpg

    pepperncheese1.jpg

    This chicken was cooked raised grid direct at 500° abt 50 min.
    chick500.jpg

    Easy but a little longer cook - pot roast
    doroast7.jpg

    Fish
    blackncatntrout.jpg

    Samoan Chicken
    samoanchick.jpg

    Pot roast cooked in waxless butcher paper, a longer cook but easy
    potroastpb2.jpg

    potroastpb3.jpg

    potroastpb4.jpg

    Spatchcock chicken cook the same as any of the above
    spatchcocked.jpg

    Char Sui (tenderloin pork)
    charsui4.jpg

    Here is the tuna melt a super easy cook (just don't burn)
    tunamelt_1.jpg

    tunamelt_2.jpg

    tunamelt_3.jpg

    Brats (on the mini) with stuffed peppers
    bratsonmini.jpg

    bratsonionpepper.jpg

    bratstuffpepper.jpg

    brats.jpg

    Corn
    corn2_400.jpg

    Barbacoa salad & burrito
    barbacoasalad3.jpg

    barbacoaburrito1.jpg

    Breakfast put a an egg on this and it is out of the world.
    bbloin3.jpg

    another breakfeast
    omletpineapple.jpg

    and even desert
    chocolatecake.jpg

    Well that's enough for now. Oh heck don't forget the soup & chili

    chili2.jpg

    Cioppino
    eggcioppinob.jpg

    That should keep you going for your first day.

    Here is a link to some FAW, Links & Useful Information

    Again, welcome to the forum and congratulations.

    GG
  • Kyle, welcome to the club. I think you will really enjoy your new egg.

    I love when new eggers post, cause a flood of good food pics follow. Nice job Kent, good stuff you have there.
  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    Kent you laid it on him. :lol:

    Hey, you also laid it on me. :P

    Like Hoss would say you flung a graving on me! :P Tim
  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    Kyle, Welcome to the forum. Here it is laid out for you. Dead simple spatchcock from the nakedwiz site.

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/spatch.htm
  • Kyle - Jump right in! I got my egg on Labor Day weekend and cooked for the whole family. A little nervous but armed with a wealth of advice from reading the forum. 8 racks of ribs on the large. A little risky but turned out beautifully. Smooth sailing ever since.
    ribsonBGE.jpg
  • thechief96
    thechief96 Posts: 1,908
    Welcome to the forum Kyle. You will have a blast on here. Many very nice and helpful folks.
    Dave San Jose, CA The Duke of Loney
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
    You're gonna love it, Kyle. I just got mine and put it together Sunday night. I have already done two cooks on it and they were awesome. Thinking I might do a pork shoulder this afternoon. Good luck on your first cook and don't forget to post up pics.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • whatever you do, don't ever use lighter fluid.

    I was in your exact situation prior to buying my egg, I had
    never cooked on charcoal before nor had I tasted any food
    on the egg prior to buying mine. :P


    I love my eggs, ended up buying more than 1.
    Good luck with your eggs.

    Some say that you should not go over 500 degrees
    until you have cured the gasket.
  • I have had mine a little less than a month and did 2 racks of ribs without the place setter. They still came out amazing. It is so easy to control temperature on the Egg. I've since purchased the place setter for indirect cooking and my last set of ribs were phenomenal. In the first week I also did pork chops and steaks and they were fantastic.
  • Welcome. I recently bought a BGE after decades of gas grilling and had no issues moving along the learning curve. The information at this site is invaluable; read, read, and read some more. Search when you have to, it's probably been asked before. And enjoy, I know I am.
  • Welcome. I recently bought a BGE after decades of gas grilling and had no issues moving along the learning curve. The information at this site is invaluable; read, read, and read some more. Search when you have to, it's probably been asked before. And enjoy, I know I am.
  • Wow - if thats not inspiration I don't know what will be. I got the egg all assembled tonight (gotta figure out how to move it to the back porch rather than the garage). Tomorrow I think I'm going to start with the chicken after I go get some Lump Charcoal. Thanks for all the encouragment!

    I happen to work for a ceramic tile manufacturer, all I'm going to say is this thing is a work of art!