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Smoking

Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Okay, I'm trying to decide between a Weber Smokey Mountain and Big Green Egg to compliment my big offset Gator. I want something for those all night cooks, pork butts and brisket. Just how does the Egg work for smoking large cuts of meat. I looked at one and it seems it's direct heat unlike the WSM which has a water bowl between the fire and meat. I assume they use lump or regulr charcoal along with wook chunks for smoke flavor. Sorry to sound like such a newbie, but I'm

Comments

  • Smokey
    Smokey Posts: 2,468
    William Robicheaux,[p]Just my opinion, but the BGE is different! Being made of ceramics, It hold heat very well. As far as indirect cooking, people use fir bricks, a pizza stone or a plate setter. All work well. I do over night cooks at least once a month without any problems or tending.[p]Smokey
  • Prof Dan
    Prof Dan Posts: 339
    William Robicheaux,[p]You can do indirect very easily: just put a pan on the grill, and put a grill on top of the pan. Or put fire bricks under the pan, if you want more insulation.[p]Lots of us do "low and slow"/indirect cooks of ribs, brisket, Boston butt, etc. There's no limit to what you can do with these things, and the ceramic keeps it really moist. That's because the ceramic heats up and bakes the food slowly, so you don't have to have very much heat underneath. As a result, there's very little evaporation.[p]A metal cooker, by contrast, radiates all of the heat immediately. So your heat source has to continually replenish the heat, which means that hot dry air is flowing over the meat. Even with a big water pan, you're still losing a lot of moisture out of the meat itself.[p]I'm not saying that other products can't do the job. But I'm very pleased with my Egg, after two years of constant use.
  • Smokey and Dan, are there any pictures floating around to give me an idea of what y'all are talking about. I'm a longtime offset cooker burning real logs and this is all new to me.

  • TRex
    TRex Posts: 2,714
    William Robicheaux,[p]This might help give you a picture of how the Egg does low 'n slow. My setup was inverted platesetter on top of firering (platesetter is a pizza stone with legs), then drip pan on platesetter, then cooking grid on legs of platesetter, and brisket on cooking grid.[p]TRex
    [ul][li]My first brisket[/ul]
  • William Robicheaux,
    Check out my FAQ, question 11. See the photo of the upside-down plate setter with a grid on it. You just put your drip pan under the grid on the ceramic plate setter.[p]TNW

    [ul][li]The Naked Whiz's FAQ[/ul]
    The Naked Whiz
  • Prof Dan,
    I cook on both products and the idea that one product keeps the moisture levels higher than another I have not found to be true.
    The moisture level of a piece of meat is the funtion of removing the meat from the grill at the correct time in the cook. As connective tissue breaks down it releases the moisture from those cells ie: the stall is caused because once a piece of meat reaches aprox 160º the number of cell breaking and the release of their moisture will stall the rise in temp. Should you leave the meat on too long after that process ends you will end up with dry meat no matter what cooker you are using.
    A creamic pit gives you a cooker that can cook from 180 to 1000º, there are not many pits I know of that can do these chores. The amount fuel it uses is quite low because of the the fact you can load up the heat in the ceramics. With ceramics you need to learn to deal with much more radiant than you would get on metal cookers.
    Jim

  • Jim Minion, I've been on VWSM forum the past couple of days asking questions and almost bought the wSM today. I'm sure they're both great cookers, but for ease of use, all nighters(I like to sleep) which is best. I noticed on the KC forum, DrBBQ has gone over to Eggs and won with them this past weekend and he's one of the best cooks around.

  • TRex, thanks. Those are impressive pictures. Does Big Green Egg sell all those accessories.

  • Chuck
    Chuck Posts: 812
    bigcook.jpg
    <p />William Robicheaux,[p]Great information already posted. The photo is how I did 5 butts (7-8 lbs each) and a 14 lb brisket. Everything was amazing, I don't think it could have been better, maybe as good but not better, on any other cooker. Good luck with your decision.[p]Chuck
  • Wise One
    Wise One Posts: 2,645
    William Robicheaux, that he is. And I don't think he would even be linked with them unless he thought they could do the job. One bad thing about the Big Green Egg is that you no longer have a reason to stay up all night watching the fire, drinking whisky and swapping lies with three of your best buddies while the wives are asleep.
  • William Robicheaux,
    Both cookers can do over night cooks with ease, ceramics can do other cooks that a WSM is not designed to do.
    Doc is a great cook and for him and another team to take Grand Championships last weekend says a lot for a quality pit and the quality of the chefs.
    Jim

  • Gfw
    Gfw Posts: 1,598
    11_25_9906_24_03.jpg
    <p />William Robicheaux, I have a medium BGE that does everything that I need, including lo/slo for about 23 hours without adding any new lump. [p]Since I only have a medium, the largest lo/slo cook that I have done was two 7lb Boston butts. I would imagine that with a large you may even get three butts in the BGE![p]Check out the rest of my site - the BGE is one great (lo/slo, grilling, bbqing) cooker![p]Life is GOOD! :~}

    [ul][li]Pulled Pork[/ul]
  • William Robicheaux,[p]And another added benefit has almost nothing to do with Q – Grilling. It is a breeze to sear steaks over 600 degrees, pop em off to dwell, and finish them at non-searing temps. While your Gator’s chewing on tomorrow’s dinner, you can grill on the egg.

  • Prof Dan
    Prof Dan Posts: 339
    Pivotizer,[p]I just have to add my two cents -- steak on the Egg has become one of life's great pleasures. [Can't have it too often, but it is something to look forward to.] Sear it for three min on a side, and then shut it down and let it dwell [bake without combustion] for four min. Open it up -- CAREFULLY -- and take out perfectly done, perfectly tender and juicy steaks, with a light smoky taste.[p]When a tableful of folks all take a bite and all close their eyes in simultaneous reverence, you know you've nailed it!
  • Prof Dan,[p]One night, as an experiment, give the TRex method a shot. The 20 minute dwell made a discernable difference in tenderness between two steaks that I picked up in the grocer’s discount bin. I did the experiment because I am a born skeptic, but there really appeared to be a difference. It’s the only way I grill steak now.

  • Prof Dan
    Prof Dan Posts: 339
    pivotizer,[p]Forgive my ignorance, but what is the TRex technique? And doesn't 20 min overcook the steak?[p]Thanks for the info!

  • Prof Dan,[p]Oops, my mistake – the dwell is done off the grill. Dwell was obviously the wrong word. And though I have never tried it, 20 minutes on the grill would inarguably produce a pretty tough meal.[p]
    http://www.biggreenegg.com/recipes/newRecipes/beef0305.htm

  • Prof Dan
    Prof Dan Posts: 339
    pivotizer,[p]But I am still interested -- what is this technique? I am always willing to try a better way. Thanks!

  • Prof Dan,
    Oops again, I included the link but didn't call it out. The Nakedwiz also has it on his site.[p]The part that I am hooked on is letting the meat/muscle relax after the sear. When I pick up the steak with the tongs after the sear is stiff enough to resist drooping. After the waiting period, the steak is again noodle soft.[p]It's kind of a long post, but I enjoyed the reading.

  • Chuck, are you using a plate setter with a drip pan under it in those pictures. Also, is it possible to use a Maverick remote temp gauge with the Egg so you can monitor grate level and internal temp of meat? One more think, if the Dome Temp is at 250 say, what's the temp at the grate level?

  • The Naked Whiz, thanks for the info Whiz. I assume Egg sells the plate setter and grill extender

  • GrillMeister
    GrillMeister Posts: 1,608
    William Robicheaux,[p]I used to use a water smoker and a gas grill. Now I have a large BGE and a Weber Performance Kettle. The BGE is used 95% of the time while the Weber is a backup till I convince my better half that I need another BGE.[p]Check the link below for a collection of photos showing various items all cooked on the Big Green Egg.[p]I admit I may seem a bit biased, but having been there and done that with all types, I am very happy camper with the BGE and the family of eggers here in this forum.

    [ul][li]Cooking on the BGE[/ul]

    Cheers,

    GrillMeister
    Austin, Texas
  • TRex
    TRex Posts: 2,714
    William Robicheaux,[p]Yes. BGE sells all the accessories you need to do indirect (low 'n slow) cooking. To name a few, they've got platesetters, pizza stones, grid extenders, V-racks, rib racks, ceramic baking dishes, chicken sitters, smoking woods, sauces, rubs, ash tools, tongs, spatulas, forks, grill covers, aprons, coozies . . . and the list goes on.[p]TRex