The basics

hoosier_egger · January 2

Hi!

Just bought my first egg...yea!!!

I see plenty of recipes for various dishes, meats, etc. But what about temps and times for the basics? For boneless chicken breasts, turkey burgers, hamburgers, etc. I plan on doing more advanced stuff in the future, but just to get started I want to know about the "easy" stuff first.

Thanks for your time

ccpoulin1 · January 2

Welcome. You kind of need to just do what works for you. The stuff you listed can be done direct or indirect at 350-450. The best thing to do is get an accurate device to measure meat temperatures (such as the thermopen) and get used to cooking by temperature, and not time.

rustypotts · January 2

Amen.....to the Thermopen!

BuckeyeBob · January 2

In general, and details will usually vary, but I cook chicken breasts around 350-400 but on a raised grid. I use a Woo to raise the grid, which is an accessory available from the Ceramic Grill Store. Many ways to do it though. I just like chicken raised to keep them from burning. As for burgers, I usually do around 400-450 but keep in mind that we tend to like our burgers closer to medium well.

Times are harder to gauge as they will vary from cook to cook. Biggest tip is to cook to temp rather than time.

Hope this helped a little bit. Just keep asking questions. Only way to learn.

Skiddymarker · January 2

Welcome. Indirect cooking is, to me, simpler and more forgiving. Get your egg at 425 dome and drop some boneless skinless breasts on and you are done in 20 minutes - just like an oven. Until you get a handle on temp and time, indirect lets you treat the egg just like an oven. Start there and then try some of the other endless possibilities.

hoosier_egger · January 3

What do you mean by direct and indirect cooking?

tgkleman · January 3

Indirect means having a heat deflector (plate setter or pizza stone) so the food doesn't see direct radiant heat from the charcoal.

Direct means cooking without the heat deflector; straight over the charcoal

Raised - Direct means having the grate at the level of the gasket, usually accomplished by placing bricks or other objects to elevate the grate 4 or so inches above the fire ring.

fishlessman · January 3

what you consider the easy stuff i found to be hardest
:))its easier for me to cook whole birds, thick steaks, roasts etc, get a thermapen and start with this chart, use it as a guide and make notes on it til you get what you want for doneness
http://reluctantgourmet.com/tips-guides/tips-facts/item/1118-meat-doneness-chart

chicken parts and burgers seem to pick up too much smoke and too many off flavors if the lump isnt burning right, cooking hotter, say 400 seems to help til you get used to it, and waiting for the lump to burn clean is a must, you want to smell the smoke and make sure it smells clean, smell it everytime you do one of those cooks and you will quickly learn what is right for a clean burning lump

hoosier_egger · January 3

tgkleman said:

Indirect means having a heat deflector (plate setter or pizza stone) so the food doesn't see direct radiant heat from the charcoal.

Direct means cooking without the heat deflector; straight over the charcoal

Raised - Direct means having the grate at the level of the gasket, usually accomplished by placing bricks or other objects to elevate the grate 4 or so inches above the fire ring.

So, would indirect be the way to go on most foods?

tgkleman · January 3

Not necessarily.

Low and slow foods - like pork butt and ribs, you would go indirect. The same for pizza.

Many folks here like chicken cooked raised direct. Some like chicken cooked indirect. Same with Turkey.

Steaks are typically seared first, than roasted (direct or indirect) to desired temperature.

There is no right or wrong way, you just experiment and see what you like.

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