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Hi I'm a new egghead!

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Muddy
Muddy Posts: 37
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Hi folks, call me Muddy, I'm a National Park Service Ranger. After watching some friends in the Florida Sportsman Fishing Forum post mouth watering foods that they cooked on their eggs I decided to buy one.

I bought the large egg and it will be delivered to my home this afternoon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's my question: what type of meat should a newbie egghead start out with????????

Thanks!
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  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    The first 5-6 cooks should be in the 300-350 range to get a good seal on your BGE. Usually chicken, pork loin or pork tenderloin and burgers make a great start. You can do steaks also just keep the BGE below 375.

    Look at post that have pictures and ask questions. You have made a great decision to get an BGE, now you need to think about where you will put your 2nd Egg... :woohoo:
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  • AZRP
    AZRP Posts: 10,116
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    Pork tenderloin is a good first cook. Get your temp stable at 350 and wait until the white smoke turns clear. Then cook the tenderloin turning a quarter turn every 10 minutes. By the time you cook the fourth side you should be close to 145 internal temp which is when you want to pull it off and let it rest for 10 minutes under foil. Welcome to the group! -RP
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  • jeffinsgf
    jeffinsgf Posts: 1,259
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    I think a spatchcock chicken would make a great first cook. It's not very complicated, the results are consistently great and is done at moderate temperatures. See the details here.

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

    The recommendation is to do a few cooks at moderate temperature before doing a high temp searing cook, so steak should wait a few days. Low and slow cooks go better once you have some familiarity with how the Egg works. So that makes some sort of a simple 350 to 400 degree roasting type cook the best choice. If you're not a chicken fan, a pork loin would work, too. Same type of cook.
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  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
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    Yo Muddy!
    Welcome.
    Being a park ranger was always my dream job. Cool!

    How about some chicken to start out?
    Chris
    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,889
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    Welcome aboard, Muddy! No matter what you cook first, second or whatever be sure to calibrate your dome thermometer in boiling water before you first fire it up. Just because it's new doesn't mean it will be calibrated correctly!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    I agree with Randy (AZRP) but wrap that tenderloin in bacon and then cook it the way Randy said...OMG :cheer: you will love it...
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  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    Oh and Park Ranger was (is) my dream job as well.... :P
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  • Muddy
    Muddy Posts: 37
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    Thanks! A Bacon wrapped tenderloin sounds great!

    I appreciate the idea of seasoning the Egg at high temps. This is a great Christmas present :woohoo:
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  • Rollocks
    Rollocks Posts: 570
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    Anything with bacon is good!!! Bacon makes everything taste good.
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  • jeffinsgf
    jeffinsgf Posts: 1,259
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    Excellent advice. Mine was off by over 70 degrees.
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    Edible and raw usually works :)

    Seeing as you are a Ranger legal would be best too..

    Welcome to the Fold!!
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  • Muddy
    Muddy Posts: 37
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    Chris the NPS Ranger gig has it's up's and downs, mostly up's espceially when I get to fire the park's cannons, lol.

    Chicken...another good idea, if I kill it....oh well.

    Craig
    NE Florida
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  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    Pete really means welcome to the cult uh I mean club.... :lol:
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  • Muddy
    Muddy Posts: 37
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    Boil the temp gage to calibrate????

    Ya got my attention. Being a newbie I had no idea that I needed to calibrate the termom. Boil for how long?

    Craig
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  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    Craig (aka Muddy) since you are in NE Fl you need to know about the Ocala Eggfest at Siver Springs State Park March 20 & 21...hotel rooms are at the nearby Holiday Inn...great way to met some of the cult uh club members and enjoy some great food. Put it on your calendar.

    More details to follow..

    and you get to fire a cannon....cool... :whistle:
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  • Smokus Maximus
    Smokus Maximus Posts: 89
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    Count me in - I'm also picking mine up this afternoon.

    Thanks to everyone in the group for the advice, I was going to throw some ribeyes on first time so I'm glad I checked this thread. I'll probably give the suggested pork tenderloin a try, then Christmas dinner (part I) will be a Standing Rib Roast and Christmas dinner (part II) a beef tenderloin.

    I believe all of those cook in the acceptable 'break-in period' temperature range, I'll just have to live without a sear on the beef.

    Regarding the thermometer calibration - is that mentioned in the manual? If so I'll read up, but if not can someone offer further details as I'm not familiar with this process...
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    Congratulations, you will most likely find the Egg to be one of the best purchases you have made.

    You didn't say if you also bought any accessories, such as a platesetter or a grill extender. Both those make cooking much easier, and really expand the number of things you can cook. For instance, without something to block the food from the direct heat, such as a platesetter, you may want to start with something that will stand some searing.

    One of my early cooks was pork steak at about 450. They can stand direct exposure to the coals on a grate on the fire ring. They cook fairly quickly, with much of the fat rendering out before the meat dries.

    Have fun, and be careful when anear 450. The temperature can really soar after that, hop up to 700+ in just 2 or three minutes.
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  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    Take the temp gauge out of the BGE...boil a pot of water and then hold the BGE thermometer in the water...if the thermometer is calibrated correctly it will hit & hold at 212 degrees...if not adjust the nut on the back of the thermometer accordingly...very easy...
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  • Muddy
    Muddy Posts: 37
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    Ocala, cool! Wife & I have an RV...sounds like fun! Thanks :)
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  • Mainegg
    Mainegg Posts: 7,787
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    Hi Muddy! The first thing you want to do is buy a pair of pants a size larger and toss the scales for a while. the egg is awesome and you will not regret it one second. We are in Maine and headed to FL tomorrow! yahoo out of the cold :) you will also have to make sure you can attend the ocala Egg Fest in march. The fests are a great way to meet everyone and learn a lot more about your egg. and pick up a second one :whistle: Julie
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    Last we checked there was only one slot left in Silver River.

    Better hurry!!!
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  • jeffinsgf
    jeffinsgf Posts: 1,259
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    Just get a pan of water boiling and stick the stem of the thermometer in it and watch the needle until it stabilizes. Depending on your altitude, it should come to rest somewhere around 212 degrees. If it's high or low, use a wrench on the hex head behind the dial to adjust. Mine was 70 degrees low. I scorched a couple of cooks before I figured it out.
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,889
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    You hold the head of it with a glove to protect your hand and then stick the probe in a pan of boiling water. Give it 30 seconds to come up and see if the needle registers at 212°. If not there is a nut on the back that you put a wrench on and adjust accordingly and then test again. BTW while you have that spring clip off - just leave it off - gravity will hold the thermometer in place, but with the clip on you can bump it and knock it out of calibration again!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • Muddy
    Muddy Posts: 37
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    Thanks for the heads up! I bought every accessory the store had available :woohoo: Soooooooo now I got a bunch of cool stuff that I'll have to learn how to use.

    BTW, thanks for all the responces!
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    I really meant "Welcome to the fold"
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  • Muddy
    Muddy Posts: 37
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    Hey congrads on your Egg!

    Mine won't be here till after 3pm EST

    I sure want to get the thermometer calibrated correctly, hope the manual say how to do so...
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  • Muddy
    Muddy Posts: 37
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    Wow! Thanks. I'm 30' above sea level...so we'll just see what happens. Many sincere thanks!
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  • Muddy
    Muddy Posts: 37
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    Thanks, looks like a fun club :silly:
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    Welcome to the forum and congratulations. You are going to have a lot of fun and many great meals.

    I would suggest cooking anything you are used to cooking and you will be amazed how much better it tastes on the egg.

    One of the best accessories I have aquired which has really improved the end results of my cooking is the Thermoworks Thermopen. Don't scrimp or get any other substitute. Get the thermopen.

    Cook to internal food done temp and not so much time and temperature.

    It is important to keep the dome temp below 450° for the first several cooks.

    Here is a previous post that should be of benefit to both of you as well as other new eggheads.

    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=552947&catid=1

    Enjoy your eggs and when you have questions come here to the forum and ask.

    Again, congratulations.

    GG
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  • rockytopsc
    rockytopsc Posts: 856
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    like mainegg said, order them great green pants from vfsolutions a couple sizes bigger after eatin off the BGE!
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