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The Smokey Flavor/Odor

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Toaster_Head
Toaster_Head Posts: 31
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Hi all,
Ran into difficulties last night with my vegetarian wife. Earlier this week I had grilled some potato chunks in a basket and unfortunately there were some leftover wood chips in there from a previous adventure and the potatoes ended up with a smokey flavor to them. Not bad for me but the vegetarian does not care for any smokey flavor whatsoever. Knowing this fact, last night I removed all the old lump, replaced it with fresh lump (Wegmans) and grilled hotdogs, a small pork cutlet and her portabella mushroom. Guess what happened? I ended up in the dog house again because she detected a smokey flavor and smell on her mushroom. I was quite sure no smoke was emitting from the egg, knowing that lump burns incompletely ie; not all at once like briquettes am I now never able again to grille her veggies "cleanly" in my egg?? I'm going to hot burn the egg tonite (700+)to try to cleanse it but I'm thinking I'm screwed here.. Any suggestions? :(
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Comments

  • TRPIV
    TRPIV Posts: 278
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    How long did you let the lump burn before you added the food? I've read that it sometimes helps to let the coals get going for 30 mins or more to avoid that smokey flavor.

    Good luck,
    Ted
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  • Florida Grillin Girl
    Florida Grillin Girl Posts: 4,972
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    Well, if your wife is going to pick and sniff everything you cook for her over lump charcoal, she is going to smell the hint of smoke. It's the nature of this type of cooking. Yes, you are are probably screwed from here on out, but should not be in the dog house for it.
    Happily egging on my original large BGE since 1996... now the owner of 5 eggs. Call me crazy, everyone else does!
     
    3 Large, 1 Small, 1 well-used Mini
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  • Florida Grillin Girl
    Florida Grillin Girl Posts: 4,972
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    TRPIV, he said no smoke was emitting from the egg, which suggests the charcoal was already burning clean.

    Toaster_Head, what I can suggest is that you cook her veggies wrapped up in tin foil (tightly) and that should help keep the smoke from penetrating into her veggies. I hope you can work it out.
    Happily egging on my original large BGE since 1996... now the owner of 5 eggs. Call me crazy, everyone else does!
     
    3 Large, 1 Small, 1 well-used Mini
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  • Morro Bay Rich
    Morro Bay Rich Posts: 2,227
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    It is spelled "STOVE". :(
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    I would try some less porous vegetables. Bell peppers, carrots, asparagus squash etc. You can do lentils and beans and pretty much anything in water or stock. I would experiment with different kinds of lump as well. Most Indian and Asian vegan recipes come out well

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • probe1957
    probe1957 Posts: 222
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    Kick her to the curb. :)
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  • probe1957
    probe1957 Posts: 222
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    Kick her to the curb. :)
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  • probe1957
    probe1957 Posts: 222
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    Kick her to the curb. :)
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    A cleansing burn will help some, but it usually takes weeks of use to really accumulate a lot of odorous stuff in the Egg.

    I've read conflicting opinions as to how clean lump burns, with some people saying there is no smoke, and others saying there is always a bit of residue.

    Personally, I'm surprised that someone would not like a fire roasted flavor.

    However, wrapping in foil will work. Or buy her a steamer.
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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
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    I guess the smoky flavor isn't for everyone. I don't think you can eliminate it completely, but it does help if you cook at higher temps.

    Maybe just put hers on with the dome open to get some grill marks, then wrap in foil as others have suggested.

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    When you use woods for smoke flavor in your cooks place the chips/chunks in foil pouches with holes in the top of the bundle. You will get the aroma in the foods when the cook is done remove the foil pouch and you will again have 'clean' lump in your egg.

    Once you use flavor smoke that smoke will permeate in the ceramics and redistribute in the following cooks. The high temperature burn should remove that aroma.

    From the lump choices I have available Cowboy lump is the cleanest burning with the least amount of smoke aroma in the foods. Royal Oak (bge brand), for me, has a nice pleasant smoke aroma.

    You can stay safe by having a gasser by the egg. You can enjoy the great egged cook and the 'vegetarian' can enjoy the food cooked on the clean burning gasser.

    GG
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  • Egg Juju
    Egg Juju Posts: 658
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    I hate to say it and mostly in jest, but it is the reason most of us grill. So asking us to grill and not have a slight smoky flavor would be kind of like asking a fish to swim and not get wet. ;)

    As previously stated a stove would be the answer and wrapping everything in foil would be choice #2.

    As many of us have spent a fair amount of time trying to please a woman... I will say good luck with that. :P :laugh: ;):lol: :evil: :blush:
    Large and Small BGE * www.quelfood.com
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  • Big Green Gator
    Big Green Gator Posts: 6
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    Sounds like a good cleansing is in order. I'm sure you will miss her. ;)
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  • Bear 007
    Bear 007 Posts: 382
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    Its funny, my wife is just the opposite,I can't seem to get enough smoke into my food. She's used to the old Webber with its harsh strong smoke.
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    Smoke is actually vegetarian, since it's from a tree.

    Her logic is inconsistent, and may therefore be rightfully dismissed under the Bruges Convention of the Application of Logic, 1928 (amended 1934, 1939, 1947, disbanded '52, reinstated 1967 and ratified bi-annually thereafter)
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • linophth
    linophth Posts: 1
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    I want as little smoky flavor in my chicken as possible. I burn the coals for a long time, until there is no smoke coming out, but as soon as I put the chicken in to cook it starts smoking a lot. Is that because of the oil rubbed on the bird, or do the drippings from the chicken cause that? Others on this forum have suggested that it is possible to cook with very little smoke flavor.
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  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
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    Linda,

    If you have a platesetter, try cooking you chicken indirect. you can put a drip pan, that needs to sit on some little foil balls or something to make a little air space, and then cook you chicken high in the dome at a lower temp of 325 or so. That should keep your bird from making any nastyness you may taste and let the fire continue to burn clean.

    Hope that helps the cause ;)
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