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First use of Large Green Egg

Plan-O-Bob
Plan-O-Bob Posts: 25
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I will have a large one by next weekend and looking for suggestions of what I should prepare first. We like lamb, beef, pork, poultry, fish, etc.
Suggestions please?

Comments

  • I'd go with lamb, beef, pork, poultry, fish, etc. :)
  • Keep the first dozen cooks below 350 to cure the gasket.
  • good advice...I was planning on searing steaks in the near future, but not first. Tnx
  • good suggestions, thanks,
  • Go ribs or a butt, you can't go wrong. The playing with smoke and fire link, or naked whiz both have good info. I don't have the links butt i'm sure others do.
  • I did chicken thighs for my first cook on the Egg because they are incredibly forgiving. I don't think it's possible to overcook them. 350º direct. Skin side up until they smell like chicken cooking, then flip them and cook until the skin looks the way you like it. I used a simple rub of ancho chili powder, black pepper and kosher salt.

    (Since then I've acquired a proper thermometer and hardware to raise the grate, but those first thighs were still very very good.)
  • Klag
    Klag Posts: 208
    3-1-1 ribs are a good cook, not too long to have to hold a temp for the first try and 250 is an easy temp to manage. Good slow smoked baby back ribs is also something that IMO really makes the Egg stand out from other cookers.
  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
    Pork Tenderloin. Brush with Terryaki. Top with sliced pinapple for the last 20-30min. Serve with brown rice & grilled asparagus.
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Plan-O-Bob,

    You can still sear steaks.

    My first choice is to get a spider (and adjustable rig) from tjv. Use the spider and a smaller grid. Your meat will be close to the lump and you won't have to have the egg at the higher temps. You will also use less lump and won't have the cool down period.

    You can also take out the fire ring, get the egg going and put the grid on the fire box. I have never tried this but the grid should fit on the top of the fire box.

    If the grid is at all tight don't use this method.

    Next, this will sound odd to you but it works just fine.

    Get a good burning lump, some lava looking lump and put the meat right on the lump. Use the same times as in T-Rex. about 90 seconds per side. You may get a piece of lump stuck to the meat but just knock it off. This is a great way to sear the steaks.

    Make sure you check you dome for alighment. IMO the most important thing to do before using your egg (other than assemiling it) is to check the dome alignment.

    If you can see any gaps, don't light it. Adjust the dome.

    Do the 'dollar bill' test. Any free moving spots - adjust the dome before lighting.

    The 'cure' theory is urban legend. I installed a gasked, had a good alignment. I did 40 low temp cooks (under 400°). I had some cast iron close to the gasked (about 2" away) and the dome was at 450°. 30 minutes later I opened the dome and the adhesive was in liquid form and the gasket pulled away.

    With that said it doesn't hurt doesn't hurt to keep you egg in the lower temp ranges, say below 450° - 500° dome temp. most cooks you will be under thos temps anyway. Make sure your therometer is calibrated.

    If the adhesive gets hotter than it's spec. it will become liquid (melt). The egg ceramic protects the gasket and generally it will not get up in the 'melt' zone even in high temp cooks. Traditional burping, flashback, opening the dome slightly, any mass (other than food) close to the gasket and at relative high temps will put heat stress on the adhesive and felt.

    This is all just common sence so enjoy your egg and let us know about your cooks.

    GG
  • Mike in Abita
    Mike in Abita Posts: 3,302
    If you'd never done one, i'd like to suggest a spatch-**** chicken. Excellent first meal.

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/spatch.htm


    A great site for most, if not all, of your ceramic cooking needs.
  • Chicken wings are fabulous on the egg! Do them first and impress everyone!!!!
  • Great idea Mike...I butterfly chickens and put them in a rotissere basket on the gas gril and it works very well. Never would have thought to do the same on an egg.