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DON'T SHOOT-But I Don't Get The Grilling Part-2

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NJ-Professor
NJ-Professor Posts: 86
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Thanks to all who have taken the time to help me in pursuit of the perfect brisket (steak, butt, ribs, pizza, chicken, etc.)

The outpouring of egg community support has been overwhelming.....truly amazing for what most would consider "just a damn hamburger".

And SPECIAL THANKS to the many egg heads who have written to me privately with support, suggestions and incredibly detailed instructions and directions for almost everything imaginable related to the BGE.

Now I just have to find the time to organize the dizzying and sometimes contradictory information that was given, sharpen my pencil and recalibrate my dome thermometer.

LET THE DATA SPEAK!
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Comments

  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
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    Reptition is your friend. ;) Tim

    What also helps is when you have a planed cook and post it then Post your cook good or bad and take suggestions that work for you and try it again.

    Post and cook and post and cook....Tim :)
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  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
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    that was a good thread the other day ... .just keep a couple of things in mind as you continue your egg journey...

    1. follow the KISS principle. . .Keep It Simple Stupid. . .master your egg with the simple stuff first, burgers, easy steaks like flanks, strips etc, spatchcock or beer can chickens.. . pork tenderloins, etc... then move up to butts and briskets and ribs .. .

    2. remember this axiom. . ."if everything was great it would all be average!". . .
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  • NJ-Professor
    NJ-Professor Posts: 86
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    Max.....thanks for the words....actually coming from you an honor!
    B)

    (I'm definitely often a Stupid and Simple guy and your KISS suggestion resonates loud and clear!)
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  • Gandolf
    Gandolf Posts: 906
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    That's the spirit!! Have fun.
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  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
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    LOL. . . most of my cooks are actually quite simple... and i definitely make my share of bad food.. . thats how the family knows when the good stuff is really good!!. ..i knew my biggest disaster (beef/vegie kabobs) were really bad the night my wife and the spawn first said, "where is the ketchup", and then after a couple of more bites said "dad, how about running up to mcdonalds for some burgers". ..thats when you really know you've screwed the pooch!! ....
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    my son's ruthless persuit of the perfect burger
    not egg but cheddar and mozz in first couple pics

    party039.jpg

    party043.jpg

    birthdaydinner001.jpg

    birthdaydinner003.jpg

    bensburger007.jpg

    bensburger017.jpg

    bensburger023.jpg

    bensburger041.jpg

    next project is to add a burger to the perfect sandwhich
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXAJAyLdUXU
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  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
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    Just cursious... Did you cook so pretty before you got your Egg?

    That's some nice victuals.

    Spring "Cooking Pretty/Good" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA
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  • NJ-Professor
    NJ-Professor Posts: 86
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    Funny......

    IT WOULD BE GREAT BUT...I doubt many (most?) fellow eggers can put the Kool Aid down long enough to describe, take the photos and publicly laugh about their failures, challenges and outright disasters....

    What do you think?
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  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
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    Sometimes that "contradictory information" is just another method that works well for someone. You will create/invent your own methods as you get used to your Egg. That's at least half the fun of Egg'n.

    Spring "Learning Every Other Day" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA
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  • NJ-Professor
    NJ-Professor Posts: 86
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    A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.....Can he swing by tomorrow morning?
    :laugh:
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  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
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    you're right. . .i've described some of my disasters from time to time, or more importantly, Lessons Learned. . . but i would be loath to actually post a pic of disaster.. . frankly, who wants to see them ...i don't like looking at pics of ugly cooks any more than i like looking of pics of anything else ugly... . this isn't NASCAR where i come to see the wrecks happen :lol:
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    we are in SE PA.. will ask him if he wants take is burger skills on the road once he gets out of bed :laugh:
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    only cooked pretty for special occasions before i got the egg.. what really motivated the pretty cooks was the forum and all the amazing stuff i saw here..
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  • NJ-Professor
    NJ-Professor Posts: 86
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    True but full disclosure is the best way for everyone to learn and isn't what this site is really about?
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  • Hillbilly-Hightech
    Hillbilly-Hightech Posts: 966
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    I think there was a thread a few weeks ago(maybe months - wow, one can really lose track of time on a site like this) where folks posted their "failures."

    Everybody's had them - in fact, my 1st attempt at chicken, I tried the old "beer can" chicken (b4 I knew about spatchcocked). It didn't come out very good, and actually ended up under-cooked a little bit (not good for chicken, as we all know).

    At any rate, that was the last time I tried the beer-can method.

    BTW, you said "contradictory information" - what has been contradictory?
    Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
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  • NJ-Professor
    NJ-Professor Posts: 86
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    Things like dome position (open vs. closed) when grilling hamburgers for traditional bbq taste....
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  • Hillbilly-Hightech
    Hillbilly-Hightech Posts: 966
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    ahhhh... ok. personally, I wouldn't classify that as "contradictory" but more of a difference in personal preference. I guess in a sense it *is* contradictory, but to me, I guess I tend to go by a more strict definition of the word.

    For instance, if someone said that a red light meant "stop" while someone else said it meant "go" - to me, that's definitely contradictory, and would result in an accident for whoever is incorrect.

    As far as the dome open vs closed - I don't think you'll go "wrong" either way, but if you're wanting that "traditional" BBQ taste - I'm not even sure you'll get the "taste" by opening/closing the lid. What you'll get is the charred outside. If that's what you mean by "taste" then yeah, open will give you that charred outside.

    If by "taste" you mean the flavor the meat absorbs from something like Kingsford charcoal briquettes - you're not going to get that with REAL lump charcoal. The briquettes have other things mixed with them (not sure what, exactly, and too lazy to look it up) - but they have fillers & other things, whereas REAL lump charcoal is just... wood!! ;)

    You can get varying flavors infused by trying different wood chips (latest batch of burgers I did, I used apple wood & it gave the burgers a slightly different flavor). Personally, I don't get too crazy with different chips & such, but others really like to enhance (change) the flavor of their foods with them.

    Again, all this is a personal preference & you'll have to find what you (and your family) like best. Some ppl like more smoky flavor, some less, some like the "charred" outsides of the meat, some don't...

    HTH,
    Rob
    Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
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  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
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    njprofessor: Some have posted failures...good for a laugh! :laugh:

    http://www.bubbatim.com/Bubba_s_Burnt_Offerings.php

    Welcome to the forum. You truly will learn a TON here, and you will be cooking like a champ on that Egg in no time. ;)
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  • Deggman
    Deggman Posts: 56
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    Dang! All of those look great! The first pic does look like an egg, if you have never had it, try a fry egg on your burger! I was a skeptic when I heard about it, but boy is it good!
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
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    don't assume we're all lying just 'cuz you couldn't replicate our success. heh heh heh

    of course everyone has failures. and of course it takes time to learn the ropes.

    give it time. sounds like you suffered in silance for a long time. the problem wasn't that you didn't know how to cook on the egg, it's that you didn't ask.

    next time, ask, even if it you are afraid it's a stupid question
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
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    how long have you been cruising the forum? there are many posts re: failures not twenty a week though.

    take somethin as simple as a hot dog...

    sometimes you gotta do this

    rotdog.jpg

    before you can do this

    pearls_jumbo_franks.jpg
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  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
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    you're right. . .i've described some of my disasters from time to time, or more importantly, Lessons Learned. . . but i would be loath to actually post a pic of disaster.. . frankly, who wants to see them ...i don't like looking at pics of ugly cooks any more than i like looking of pics of anything else ugly... . this isn't NASCAR where i come to see the wrecks happen :lol:
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  • NJ-Professor
    NJ-Professor Posts: 86
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    Hillbilly-Hightech wrote:
    ahhhh... ok. personally, I wouldn't classify that as "contradictory" but more of a difference in personal preference. I guess in a sense it *is* contradictory, but to me, I guess I tend to go by a more strict definition of the word.

    Rob....Please don't take this the wrong way, and let's not get into a spitting match about agreement of definitions (unless your into it) :laugh: comrade but my understanding and use of contradictory is: –verb (used with object-to assert the contrary or opposite of
    Your cooking suggestions are helpful.... the bottom line for me is that I obviously need a lot more time behind the wheel....

    Obviously I have to see if closed dome very high temp gives me more the burger taste I'm looking for than the open dome.....

    Thanks for the input!
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  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
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    :huh:

    Anything get the heat yesterday? How'd it go?

    Big cook today? what's the plan?
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  • NJ-Professor
    NJ-Professor Posts: 86
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    Hey Adam.....thanks for the shout out....much appreciated (tend to start and stop when it comes to the egg).....

    Yesterday I went with Pizza (my cash money, egg sweet spot). Unfortunately, the results were probably a 6 out of a 10.....
    2 times ago the pizza was absolutely PERFECT (and I never use that that word loosely!) 10 out of a 10!

    -I outsourced the dough (bought it at a local pizzeria)
    The time before last I made my own dough (why cheat when I didn't need the training wheels any more?)

    The crust was burnt, top not too bad, overall a bit of a sour taste...5 out of a 5.....
    Yesterday, my in-laws' first try after all the press....
    -I bought the dough at the same place,

    -cranked the heat up to 550 and for the first time held temp about 45 minutes before throwing 2 pies on BGE plate setter (legs down) one pie at a time.

    -used parchment paper as so many advised and YIPPPPPPEEEEE the transfer drama was completely eliminated!!!! (Thanks to all who recommended it!)

    -I kept the first pie on for exactly 5 minutes: bottom was slightly burnt and the top a bit overcooked and again somewhat sour taste.

    -The second pie, cooked immediately after first, was kept on 4 minutes and 15 seconds....crust perfect, top mushy, little less sour taste.

    More drinks and a great dessert allowed me to steer out of the skid :evil:
    I'm almost afraid to ask for suggestions since I will get a gazillion I'm sure but I'm open to all!!!!

    Thanks!
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