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WOW! Just finished my first "egg meal"

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Ryan
Ryan Posts: 243
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
chicken.jpg
<p />I made "Spatchcock" chicken... It was nothing less than spectacular!! [p]I butter flied an 8lb chicken and rubbed it with salt, pepper, dark brown sugar and some sweet Hungarian paprika. I Added the BGE lump charcoal and used my Map torch to start it. Within 5 minutes and a few adjustments I was cruising at 350 degrees with no problem. I added 3 large baked potatoes that I oiled and hit with kosher salt and fresh pepper. After about 15 minutes I added the chicken, I cooked it at 350 for about 1 1/2 hours. My family loved it! I can see this is the beginning of another obsession...:)[p]Thanks to everyone that answered my questions and gave me advice...[p]Ryan

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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
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    Ryan,
    Are you sure you didn't take one of my photos. That chicken looks like mine. Those bricks look like mine. Those potatos looks like mine. [p]Nope, the inside of my egg hasn't looked that clean in 2 years. Ok, it's yours!!! A job well done![p]TNW
    The Naked Whiz
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  • Chubby
    Chubby Posts: 2,955
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    Ryan,
    Nice job dude!! [p]
    You.... are a hero!! That being said, Where do you get 8 lb Chickens? Are you near a nuclear reactor by chance?[p]Chubby
    I spent most of my money on good bourbon, and bad women...the rest, I just wasted!!
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  • Smokin' Todd
    Smokin' Todd Posts: 1,104
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    Ryan,[p]That is SPECTACULAR for an inital cook!
    Looks like you are a natural!
    Man, glad to see a "newbie" that is actually a veteran.
    Lookin' fwd into getting advice from you![p]ST    [/b]
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  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
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    Ryan,
    i'm really impressed, firebricks, raised grid, the works. .. welcome to the finest eating you will ever do. . [p]next stop for you should be trex steaks. . .
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  • Ryan
    Ryan Posts: 243
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    mad max beyond eggdome,
    Thanks man, I couldn't have done it without this site and the great advice from the regulars...[p]I'm definitely going to egging some steaks this weekend...[p]I can see my big money gas grill is going to get real lonely...:)[p]Ryan

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  • Ryan
    Ryan Posts: 243
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    Smokin' Todd,
    Awe shucks Todd, you're making me blush...:)[p]I've been grilling for years and do all of the cooking in my house. I love it... I've done a lot of research on smokers and almost ended up with custom smoker. Boy am I glad I followed my instincts and went with the BGE!![p]Thanks,[p]Ryan
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  • Ryan
    Ryan Posts: 243
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    Chubby,[p]"Where do you get 8 lb Chickens? Are you near a nuclear reactor by chance?"[p]LOL!! I normally roast a couple of small chickens in the oven. My local grocery store had a few big ones and I thought it might be better on the egg. He actually had a couple that were larger... Now that I think about it, they did glow a little... :)[p]Thanks,[p]Ryan
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  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
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    Ryan,
    that's great. . .in all seriousness, you have to try the trex method.. . in a nutshell. . .. make sure you get good thick steaks (2" sirlions or tenderloins work real good). . .olive oil, kosher salt and pepper (dizzy pig cowlick if you've gotten it yet). . .get the egg up to 700+ and let the coals get to lookin like lava. . .put the steaks on for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes per side. . .remove the steaks and let them sit on an open plate for 20 minutes (if you have a dog, put em up high somewhere. . .while the steaks 'rest', close your vents and get the egg back down to around 400 degrees (you can open the vents a little if the temps are dropping below this). . .at the twenty minute mark, put them in the egg and close all the vents to let the steaks 'dwell' for about 5 minutes per side (for a 2" steak, this will get you medium rare, if the steaks are thinner, dwell for less time). . .these will be the best steaks you ever ate, period (IMHO of course). . .[p]btw. . .before you do this, make sure you read the naked whiz's page about backflash. . .your family and friends will be really impressed with your showmanship when you set yourself on fire otherwise. . .there is a definite trick to opening the lid, so pay attention. .. [p]have fun[p]max
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  • Ryan
    Ryan Posts: 243
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    TNW,[p]Thanks!! I owe most of the credit to you and your website.
    I'm looking forward to trying some of your other recipes...[p]Thanks,[p]Ryan

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  • Ryan
    Ryan Posts: 243
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    mad max beyond eggdome,[p]I'm definitely going to try it this weekend. I usually bacon wrap a couple of large filets when I grill steaks. Is this a good choice for the "trex method"?[p]Thanks,[p]Ryan

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  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
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    Ryan,
    i think large filets are a great choice for trex. . i buy whole tenderloins at price club, cut the large end off to do as a chateaubriand, then cut out four really nice thick filets, save the tails from a couple for chili. . .[p]not sure about the bacon. . .i haven't tried it (personal taste the only reason), but i have read in recent weeks where there were some theories that the bacon kept the filet from 'searing' properly and during the rest, the steaks leaked some juice, and also, left them a little too rare in the middle (like maybe the bacon acted as an insulator). . .[p]bet if you posted something under 'bacon wrapped filets and trex method' you would get some better and more accurate, informed answers on this question. .. [p]but either way, definitely try them 'trex'd'. . .you won't be sorry...
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  • Ryan
    Ryan Posts: 243
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    mad max beyond eggdome,[p]Thanks, I think I'll try one of each. I'll post my results when finished...[p]Ryan
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  • StumpBaby
    StumpBaby Posts: 320
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    Chubby,[p]Well...we raised some chickens on the farm once...and we sure nuff got some of them little buggers to git to bout eight pounds..it was my sistah Beulah what made it get so big...she sure didn't like them chickens..[p]One day we was out in the chicken pen..startin to clean up after them there chickens..and Beulah..she was mad as all get out ..bout havin to take care of them chickens..she started kicken em like you read about..and just as I was about to git her to calm down..I turned around and seen her take one last kick at the smallest of them chickens..and with a small poppin sound..followed by some real frantic cluckin noises like you ain't never heard..Beulah started hobblin around the pen..with that skinny little chicken plum stuck on Beulah's nasty ol...hairy knobbly big toe.[p]I gotta tell you though..that I ain't never laughed so hard as when I seen that ..god almighty..that chicken was panickin like you read about...it was flappin all round..its feathers flyin..but apparently..it had some kinda grip on that big toe..and it just wasn't gonna be shook off...no matter how much Beulah shook her foot. I watched for a few minutes as Beulah would stick her foot out straight real fast..and then she'd stop it quick..hopin that chicken would fly off..but from what I seen..that chicken had a real grip..cause when Beulah would stop her foot..that chickens backside would stop real short.. then the rest of it would sorta stretch out just a bit..till it could stretch no more...and just when you thought that chicken would let go..a great cluckin sound would come out...and then it would just snap back against Beulahs foot..like you read about.[p]We didn't know what to do about it..so we finally decided that we autta go into the house and see what momma and poppa could do to help. They tried just about everything..poppa even pulled on the chicken..which sure made grampa laugh..but that chicken never came off..and poppa bein as smart as he was..decided that the chicken was prolly traumatized..and if we just made it calm down a bit..it'd come off real easy like....so poppa went out to the chicken coup..and grabbed one of the layin boxes..and he sat Beulah down in the livin room. put that layin box at Beulahs feet..and she laid her foot and that chicken in there..and we all just sat and waited.[p]It gave us somethin to do for the next day or so..watchin that chicken..and it sure kept Beulah from any other farm chores..which she seemed to like just fine..but on the second day..we noticed that chicken was doin nothin but getting bigger..and..bigger..apparently that chicken had thought that it was finally gonna have a baby chick...but come two days later..as we was all lookin close at this now ..obviously bloated chicken..a slight clucking sound was heard..and then soon..that clucking got louder and louder...and as we all moved in real close to see what would happen..we could see that this bloated chicken..started to slowly slide forward..and first we could see Beulahs crusty old white cuticle..then her hairy knuckle..and then..for three full minutes..the chicken stopped movin..and while we all watched closely..with a great popping noise...followed by a single troublesome high pitched clucking noise..that chicken shot clear across the room..hitting the wood stove.and dropping to the floor in a quite heap.[p]Beulah jumped up and did what can only be described as the first ever recorded chicken dance..spreadin something rather nasty on mommas prized bearskin rug in the process...and momma ran over to that plump chicken, picked it up..and rushed into the kitchen, Momma weighed that chicken..and it came in just over eight pounds..and that night we had such a feast..the most tender chicken we ever had. From that day on...if'n momma wants some chickens for dinner..we gotta plan ahead..so bout three or four days before she wants that chicken...poppa brings in the layin box and puts it in front of the couch..and Beulah slides on the couch..extendin her big toe..bein careful to point it towards the woodstove..and a few minutes later...after a brief struggle..there sits Beulah..the proud owner..albeit temporary..of a nice chicken..waitin for it to plump up...and we all sit around...our mouths waterin....[p]
    Ahhh...the life of a Stump...[p]StumpBaby
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  • Gloria
    Gloria Posts: 161
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    Ryan,
    Where in the world did you get an 8 lb. chicken? Gorgeous photo.....the spatchcock method is one of our favorites.
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  • TRex
    TRex Posts: 2,714
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    mad max beyond eggdome,[p]I read your post and something caught my eye. Looks like you shut down all of your vents during the cook or "dwell" period when doing my method. Has that been working well for you? Are you using smoking wood during this time? Are the steaks not too smokey?[p]When I do what I like to call the "cooking" or "roasting" phase, I actually leave my top and bottom vents slightly open (or sometimes bottom slightly open and top at least half-way open), so that I'm still getting air flow to sustain the 400 degree dome temp AND, most importantly (in my opinion), keeping the smoke from the mesquite chunk (which I add just before roasting) moving out of the Egg. In other words, shutting all events in my experience has trapped the smoke and added too much smoke to the steak. [p]What has your experience been shutting down all the vents during the roasting phase? I'm just curious to see if you think it adds too much smoke, or maybe you're not using smoking wood, in which case in might not matter I guess.[p]Thanks![p]TRex
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  • TRex
    TRex Posts: 2,714
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    Ryan,[p]Fantastic job. I didn't even know what a "split firebrick" was until I had had my Egg for a couple of months, and if you had told me to spatchcock a chicken, I would have raised my eyebrows and said, "Uhh....riiiight."[p]So was the total time for your potatoes 1hr 45 mins at 350?[p]Looking forward to seeing and reading about more of your cooks.[p]TRex
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  • Ryan
    Ryan Posts: 243
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    Gloria,[p]Thanks, My local grocery store had a few big ones and I thought it might be better on the egg. He actually had a couple that were larger... You can see in the photo, it took up most of the space on the large egg...:)[p]Ryan

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