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smoky taste

Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I just got an egg and am very happy with it, but fear that I am doing something wrong. After making pork tenderloin kebobs tonight, it occurred to me that everything has a really smoky taste that sort of overpowers the flavors of the food. The pork was tender juicy but not really delicious. I am only using the Big Green Egg charcoal, no wood chips or anything. I also used the starter squares. Should I leave the lid open more? Am I just too used to a gas grill?

Comments

  • Jill,
    I like to use good lump. This will send a white smoke up for ten or fifteen minutes. Don't start cooking when this smoke looks like it would be happier sending Indian smoke signals.[p]Some where into ten or fifteen minutes, the smoke will nearly disappear -- and it will be very whispy and grey. The oven should stabilize right about them, This is when you're ready to bring food to the party.[p]I detest the starter squares. For me and my house, they really stink -- and despite who some other posters feel, I can't stand starter blocks in the food.[p]Alternative == Take three paper towels and twist them gently. Splash olive oil across your twisted paper towels. They are now ready to set into the coals in the places.[p]They'll get the first going and quickly burn off smoke from oil, and when these coals are ready... you're ready to cook![p]This technique [along with propane, electric starters, etc. keeps you from having chemical tastes in your feed.[p]Wipe your tenderloin with olive oil, then salt and pepper while you're building your kakobs.[p]If you can -- put your kakobs over a very hot flame [750F+] for jusdt about 90 seconds a side. That much should cook em, just fine.[p]If you feel they aren't getting seared enough with the high heat, increase the time over the initial burn by maybe 30 seconds or increase roasting time by a minute or so.[p]Again try to avoid getting drips into the lump/coal, aas this kind of burn causes foods to be bitter.[p]~ B[p][p][p]

  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Jill,[p]As Broc mentioned, its important for the lump to be burning clean before putting on the food. The "white smoke" period is when the volitile organic compounds (VOCs) that are left from the charcoal making process are driven out of the lump. Those have a very stong flavor. However, there is always just a little smoke. For me, that flavor is most often welcome.[p]With use, the Egg will have a rather smokey interior. I once brought the daisy wheel inside, and the odor of smoke in the kitchen was distinct. Occassional high temperature burns will help keep the Egg cleaner.[p]The lack of flavor in the pork tenderloin may just be the result of the way the pig was raised. Modern methods produce very lean meat. Unfortunately, its the fat that carries much of the flavor in meat. Hogs are unusual, in that the fats from the foods they eat are absorbed directly into the meat, not converted. In the old days, when hogs would root around, and eat nuts and whatever, that flavor would become part of them. I doubt most hogs now get anything more than corn and soy meal. Neither are very tastey.[p]gdenby
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Jill,
    there's 'good' smokey and 'bad'. sometimes it's a question of too much 'good' smoke, but since you aren't adding chips, it probably isn't that.[p]could be one of two things that occur to me.[p]one, if a starter cube isn't engulfed in flame, and getting good oxygen, it will sit there and glow and smolder, sending off puffy white smoke. you need to blow on it to get it flaming again, or just wait for the lump to overtake it and burn it off. also, it can't really affect food taste, unless you put the food on while the wax starter is still not fully consumed, and you'll never do THAT twice. [p]the other cause can be putting food on before you have a fire going at your desired temp for "a little while". how long? i dunno. i find that it's only ten minutes or so. other wait a half hour... that gives the lump time to ignite fully and hot enough that the smoke coming off it doesn't have as much un-consumed stuff in it.[p]think of a candle. when you blow it out, that little glowing coal isn't hot enough to efficiently burn the wick, so it smokes like crazy. it's still lit, actually, just a poorly performing fire. a lit candle will more efficiently combust the wick, and so there's much less smoke and more light.[p]knowutta mean?

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Jill,
    Another thing to try if all else fails is to try using Cowboy charcoal. It is somewhat less smoky than others. Many people report less smoky taste using it. [p]TNW

    The Naked Whiz
  • Jill, the Whiz is spot-on about Cowboy brand lump. When one particular friend comes over for egged food,I always use Cowboy, because he is hyper sensitive to the smoke taste. Also, like everyone says, make sure that thick, white, neighbors-are-calling-the-Fire Dept smoke is gone before tossing on the food. I found everything I needed to know about lump from the Whiz's website. I think he has too much time on his hands. Good luck with your next (I'm sure it will be)delicious cook.

  • Georgie
    Georgie Posts: 51
    Jill,
    I am also a new egger (maybe just about 10 cooks under my belt now) and I just wanted to say that the advice everyone already gave seems right on. My first cook (chicken breasts) was very juicy, but VERY smoky (and I didn't use any chips either). I was worried that I had just blown a lot of money on something that would produce food I really didn't want to eat. But never fear, follow the advice from the other posts about letting white smoke burn off, etc., and you will be good to go!

  • Jill,[p]I'm not big into smoke and my family outright hates it. That said I want you to know that I've baked bread on the Egg many times and everyone loves it! I baked a blueberry Pie once but I had some leftover drippings on the coals so the pie picked up a little smokiness. I will try again.[p]I agree with everything said previously and would like to add that I always allow 20 - 30 minutes for it to burn clean. I use the starter squares too, but the paper towel/Vege oil thing works incredibly well.[p]Some foods are more forgiving (red meat and pork) than others (chicken and bread) when it comes to smoke. Your pork may have been mild flavored so it lacked pork taste and picked up the smoke. I have found some pork to be too mild (bland) which produced disappointing results. With tenderloin, i think a lot depends on the preparation.[p]The change from gas does require some getting used to. In my first year with the egg I pulled out the gasser a couple times for a quick cook. I was amazed at how disappointing the results were. I don't bother anymore. Instead, after the weekend I'll make sure I have plenty of used/leftover lump in the Egg so I can do a quick cook after work if I want. The "used" lump burns clean quicker but doesn't burn as hot.[p]
  • Jill,I bought my egg over a month ago and one of the first things I noticed was how wonderful the smoky flavor was, even for things where I didn't add any soaked wood chips. The advice given to let the charcoal burn until there is little or no smoke coming out will go a long way to keeping your food, more or less, smoke free. The other advice about port being a very mild meat is certainly true. Some cuts have more flavor than others. One of the great things about the egg is that it is open to a lot of experimentation; more so than many other smokers/cookers, etc. Who knows, maybe you'll find yourself liking the smoky taste. I sure do.

  • My wife has been complaining of the same problem here, the food is too smoky.  I did a pizza tonight that was cooked perfectly, but tasted smoky.  After lighting the grill, it was almost 45 minutes before I put on the pizza, so all the white smoke had cleared out.

    After putting on the pizza (indirect with place setter and stone), the egg started sending out thick plumes of smoke.  Any thoughts on what could cause this and how to avoid the heavy smoke flavor if burning off VOCs doesn't appear to be the issue?
  • ChokeOnSmoke
    ChokeOnSmoke Posts: 1,942
    edited February 2012
    Do you cook with the daisy top on?  I go "topless" and control the temp with the bottom vent, unless I want to add a smoky taste.  Works for me and I wait no more than 30 minutes (sometimes less).
    Packerland, Wisconsin

  • I started with the daisy wheel, but took it off to keep the temperature up.  Smoke was billowing out of the top for the ~10 minutes that the pizza was on the grill.
  • gerhardk
    gerhardk Posts: 942
    Max that seems strange, when making a pizza I usually have the temp 500º+ and at that temp you really see no smoke.  Is it possible  that your plate setter had stuff accumulated from a previous cook and it was being burned off?

    Gerhard
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    i'm thinking gerhardt has figured it out.  you should have the platesetter in there to begin with not only to burn off any crud, but to get to temp along with the fire
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Garhardk, you may have nailed it, I seem to remember some extra residue on the bottom of the plate setter when I set it in.  When I get back in town on Friday this week, I will clean it off well and try another pizza to see if that worked.

    My wive will be very happy!
  • bboulier
    bboulier Posts: 558
    I am new to egg cooking (only one cook!), but have a lot of experience with a Weber bullet smoker.  The usual advice with the bullet is to leave the top vents wide open (if possible) and control the temperature with the lower vents.  That prevents "bad" smoke side effects.  Would you say that trying to keep the daisy wheel as open as possible (that is, consistent with temperature control) is also good practice with the egg?
    Weber Kettle, Weber Genesis Silver B, Medium Egg, KJ Classic (Black)
  • Take your knowledge from the Weber and expand.Thats what I did and now it's endless
    LET'S EAT
  • Bought my 1st large BGE last August.  My 1st cook was spatchcock chicken.  It was very good but a little too smokey.  Stike, Whiz and many of the rest of you taught me a lot about BGE cooking...thanks to all of you.  Back then I didn't know what VOCs were.  This site has a wealth of knowledge and like many other newbies I am glad.  I'm actually getting pretty good and even offering advice now and then.