BGE Beginner here looking for some sage advice

GATraveller

Do some boneless chicken thighs.  Easy peasy.

mEGG_My_Day

Chicken is easy and cheap if you screw it up.  Wings/thighs/spatchcock would all be good choices for first cook. 

GoldenQ

pulled pork can not be messed up easily ND THERE ARE PLENTY OF PORK IDEAS ON THEI SITE.

tml1230

GATraveller said:

Not sure this answers any of your questions but sage advice nonetheless......

It has been 17 minutes since I read this post and I am still laughing ..... Usually that's a Friday night- several a Miller lites - occurrence.
it would be my honor and priveldge to meet your grandpa.

bgebrent

Welcome. 

lousubcap

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.

Stubby

Welcome to the tastiest journey ever.. I have to say all great comments here and can't add much other than you can spend a lot on all sorts of gadgets  but several on here told me cook for a while and see what you need. Accessories can and  do get expensive... Above all else ENJOY..

Wolfpack

One word of advice for your maiden cook. Do a little research into burning off the VOC’s. It takes a while to burn these off and have “good smelling” smoke. I usually let new charcoal go for 30-45 minutes (after lighting) before putting food on. After a few cooks you will easily be able to smell when the chemical smell is gone. 

If you dont don’t burn these off your food will taste like lighter fluid. 

Best of luck and welcome- ask any questions that come up. 

Powak

Love Rockwood coal. Really clean burning with few micro pieces and dust.See if you can buy it from an an Ace Hardware online and have it shipped to your apartment. They’ve got the best prices I’ve seen on it.
Royal Oaks your next best bet especially if you get a grill torch to light it. I just got the JJ George Grill Torch for $37 on amazon for lighting and use a MAPPS gas tank on it and there’s no going back to cubes and electric starters for me.

These gloves are super for pulling out the woo, plate setter, flipping steaks at 700° without burning your hands. Mine are still going strong after 2 years of solid use.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MR3BPFC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_kP6OBbK15GPFA

I second a Smokeware cap and one of their solid steel 
snuffers that goes inside it to really stop that fire fast after cooking.

slick_rick

Powak said:

Love Rockwood coal. Really clean burning with few micro pieces and dust.See if you can buy it from an an Ace Hardware online and have it shipped to your apartment. They’ve got the best prices I’ve seen on it.
Royal Oaks your next best bet especially if you get a grill torch to light it. I just got the JJ George Grill Torch for $37 on amazon for lighting and use a MAPPS gas tank on it and there’s no going back to cubes and electric starters for me.

These gloves are super for pulling out the woo, plate setter, flipping steaks at 700° without burning your hands. Mine are still going strong after 2 years of solid use.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MR3BPFC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_kP6OBbK15GPFA

I second a Smokeware cap and one of their solid steel 
snuffers that goes inside it to really stop that fire fast after cooking.

Those gloves look perfect. Thanks!

YukonRon

The least expensive experience of owning The Big Green Egg is the initial purchase.
Be prepared to spend, and spend big.
Welcome to wallet genocide, and it is worth it.
Have fun....take your time figure out what you need...

Wolfpack

Save some $ for those amazing local butcher shops. 

Powak

slick_rick said:

Powak said:

Love Rockwood coal. Really clean burning with few micro pieces and dust.See if you can buy it from an an Ace Hardware online and have it shipped to your apartment. They’ve got the best prices I’ve seen on it.
Royal Oaks your next best bet especially if you get a grill torch to light it. I just got the JJ George Grill Torch for $37 on amazon for lighting and use a MAPPS gas tank on it and there’s no going back to cubes and electric starters for me.

These gloves are super for pulling out the woo, plate setter, flipping steaks at 700° without burning your hands. Mine are still going strong after 2 years of solid use.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MR3BPFC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_kP6OBbK15GPFA

I second a Smokeware cap and one of their solid steel 
snuffers that goes inside it to really stop that fire fast after cooking.

Those gloves look perfect. Thanks!

They clean good as new in the washer too.

slick_rick

So finally was able to break in the egg this weekend. Did some wings, chicken thighs, and a couple burgers. They all came out pretty solid. Wings were very crispy.

I immediately understand why everyone likes raised cooking. There were a few wings that were super charred. 

One question I had was when cooking something like burgers where its quick and you are opening up the egg to flip. How quickly does it usually get back to the temp it was before you opened to flip. Any tricks for keeping it steady? I was shutting the egg and then moving the daisy wheel all around in order to get it back to the temp I was looking for. 

Thanks again for all the help on here!

GATraveller

slick_rick said:

So finally was able to break in the egg this weekend. Did some wings, chicken thighs, and a couple burgers. They all came out pretty solid. Wings were very crispy.

I immediately understand why everyone likes raised cooking. There were a few wings that were super charred. 

One question I had was when cooking something like burgers where its quick and you are opening up the egg to flip. How quickly does it usually get back to the temp it was before you opened to flip. Any tricks for keeping it steady? I was shutting the egg and then moving the daisy wheel all around in order to get it back to the temp I was looking for. 

Thanks again for all the help on here!

Glad to hear you've been enjoying the process. I only use the the daisy wheel when going low and slow. Anything over 325 I go nekked up top and control with the lower vent only. I don't notice too slow of a recovery time. 

Cmyachtie

Welcome, you got all your questions answered by now and I'd just like to add that if you get your egg frozen shut, just shove the rolled up paper towel soaked in veg.oil in the bottom vent and light it, the heat will defrost it nicely.
It helps to stick it in an empty toilet paper roll first.

Slippy

Fred19Flintstone said:

There’s a lot of good info already,so my sage advice is it’s good with poultry.

I was gonna say, a little sage goes a long way... 

Markarm4119

Cook to temp, cook to temp, cook to temp.
Drink beer and have fun, great for baked potatoes to avoid heating up the kitchen.

thetrim

I don't like sage.  I prefer thyme and rosemary.

SandyHookEgger

GATraveller said:

Not sure this answers any of your questions but sage advice nonetheless......

Now that’s funny.

SaintJohnsEgger

Welcome to the forum. I hope you enjoy it and participate often.

As you have found out by reading this thread there are many ways to do anything with the Egg and thus many different answers. Some of the guys here are willing to fight it out tooth and nail over their choices or way of doing it. Then just as willing afterward to sit around together drinking bourbon slushes (search for it) while smoking a brisket or something else.