Kinda Korean Chicken

BeanHead

DH loves Korean food, so today I cranked up the XL and added some soaked apple wood chunks just outside the fire zone before setting the deflector on top. Also roasted some beets and smoked some chicken breast for later this week… I can’t help but use the space. Set at 250° for two hours followed by a 475° sear at the end for 30min that allowed for a quick stir-fry. Cooked the rice cakes (his fave are pictured) on the stove top to maintain the few hairs remaining on my forearms. “Korean” marinade on the chicken Included a smashed clove of garlic, about a quarter teaspoon of red chili flakes and a quarter cup of citrus ponzu and 1/2 cup of Korean red chili paste (pictured here). Not pictured is the generous hunk of kimchi served with lunch  

Gulfcoastguy

I always used to put potatoes or sweet potatoes in the egg to roast after the other cooking was done and as I turned off the air flow. Plenty of residual heat in the ceramics:

BeanHead

Might as well use the heat @Gulfcoastguy ! Also in summer keeping heat out of the house is a super bonus. 

JohnInCarolina

That all looks great!  By the way, no need to soak wood chips or chunks.  Just throw them on dry.

BeanHead

JohnInCarolina said:

That all looks great!  By the way, no need to soak wood chips or chunks.  Just throw them on dry.

I have always been a soaker. Especially in places with low humidity. 

johnmitchell

You have certainly elevated the posts on the forum 👏 Another cracking cook😋

lkapigian

Bombdiggity Cook , and appreciate your contributions !!

GrateEggspectations

BeanHead said:

JohnInCarolina said:

That all looks great!  By the way, no need to soak wood chips or chunks.  Just throw them on dry.

I have always been a soaker. Especially in places with low humidity. 

An interesting read. https://amazingribs.com/more-technique-and-science/more-cooking-science/soak-your-wood-first-myth/

Also, great looking meal. 

BeanHead

GrateEggspectations said:

BeanHead said:

JohnInCarolina said:

That all looks great!  By the way, no need to soak wood chips or chunks.  Just throw them on dry.

I have always been a soaker. Especially in places with low humidity. 

An interesting read. https://amazingribs.com/more-technique-and-science/more-cooking-science/soak-your-wood-first-myth/

Also, great looking meal. 

Thanks for the link! With most of my wood coming from branches I have cured I will need to check out the actual weights of absorption! My primary reason for soaking is to slow down the rate the flavor wood cooks as the deflector heats up. Hate to be a chicken, but I’m not strong enough to lift a hot XL deflector to throw on my smoking wood once everything is at temp, so I add soaked wood away from the heat when I add the deflector so when I add the food it is about the time my smoking wood catches to start sending up smoke. 

Legume

Did you say you're near college station? Neither summer nor dry 😂

I think the point of the soaking debate is that they don't really absorb anything. But do what you're comfortable with or go with bigger chunks.

BeanHead

Legume said:

Did you say you're near college station? Neither summer nor dry 😂

I think the point of the soaking debate is that they don't really absorb anything. But do what you're comfortable with or go with bigger chunks.

On the XL I only do big chunks, and for a kid who grew up in North Florida… BCS might as well be the Sahara. This place gives me nosebleeds it is so dry. 

GrateEggspectations

BeanHead said:

GrateEggspectations said:

BeanHead said:

JohnInCarolina said:

That all looks great!  By the way, no need to soak wood chips or chunks.  Just throw them on dry.

I have always been a soaker. Especially in places with low humidity. 

An interesting read. https://amazingribs.com/more-technique-and-science/more-cooking-science/soak-your-wood-first-myth/

Also, great looking meal. 

Thanks for the link! With most of my wood coming from branches I have cured I will need to check out the actual weights of absorption! My primary reason for soaking is to slow down the rate the flavor wood cooks as the deflector heats up. Hate to be a chicken, but I’m not strong enough to lift a hot XL deflector to throw on my smoking wood once everything is at temp, so I add soaked wood away from the heat when I add the deflector so when I add the food it is about the time my smoking wood catches to start sending up smoke. 

Never fun moving a hot plate setter. 

If it helps, I’ll share that most folks here mix the wood chunks or chips in with the charcoal prior to lighting. I was reticent at first, but ultimately adopted the method at others’ recommendation and have been pleased. 

JohnInCarolina

Legume said:

Did you say you're near college station? Neither summer nor dry 😂

I think the point of the soaking debate is that they don't really absorb anything. But do what you're comfortable with or go with bigger chunks.

Yes, that’s the point.  There’s really not much utility in soaking, but people do it anyway.  

Botch

BeanHead said:
Hate to be a chicken, but I’m not strong enough to lift a hot XL deflector to throw on my smoking wood once everything is at temp, so I add soaked wood away from the heat when I add the deflector so when I add the food it is about the time my smoking wood catches to start sending up smoke. 

I started out using wood chips rather than the chunks I use now.  I would put the platesetter in legs-up after lighting, and once the smoke was clear and everything heated up, I used a standard gardening trowel, slipped into the gap between the bowl and the PS, angled towards the center of the egg (there wasn't much of a gap, but it worked, and is probably larger on an XL).  The chips landed towards the edge of the lump, where it wasn't burning yet, but the chips always caught really quickly, think the combustion temp for dry wood chips is a lot lower than it is for lump.  Give it a try.   

BeanHead

The function of a forum is to share and obtain guidance. I will continue to secretly soak my chunks and experiment with some of the scatter and go guidance provided. I have had excellent results with my methods, but I can’t imagine a bad cook on an egg so I will try and be open to the idea that dry wood won’t burn as fast as wet wood. 

caliking

1. That cook looks delicious!
2. I’m in the “do what tastes good to you” camp. 

Folks soak their wood vs. don’t soak, chase every 5F, etc.  If it tastes good… whatevs.  

Buckwoody Egger

thanks for sharing the alternative method of putting wood chunks adjacent to the fire. maybe easier in an XL than a L.

i have a L and always distribute the chunks around the lump.  but i have been mystified by not knowing how much might be left for a 2nd burn. it always looks like the smoking chunks have disappeared.  maybe there’s a fast explanation. if so, great — otherwise maybe someone with lots of insight could start a smoking wood method thread. 

great cook

JohnInCarolina

BeanHead said:

The function of a forum is to share and obtain guidance. I will continue to secretly soak my chunks and experiment with some of the scatter and go guidance provided. I have had excellent results with my methods, but I can’t imagine a bad cook on an egg so I will try and be open to the idea that dry wood won’t burn as fast as wet wood. 

Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound critical.  Soaking it will definitely slow it down, although the effect probably isn’t as big as you might think.  In any case, as others have said the only thing that really matters is if you’re happy with the results!

alaskanassasin

BeanHead said:

The function of a forum is to share and obtain guidance. I will continue to secretly soak my chunks and experiment with some of the scatter and go guidance provided. I have had excellent results with my methods, but I can’t imagine a bad cook on an egg so I will try and be open to the idea that dry wood won’t burn as fast as wet wood. 

It’s not you, it’s them, stick around for a while and it will make sense, or pop over to the OT section. Your cooks are outstanding, thank you for sharing them!

Legume

JohnInCarolina

alaskanassasin said:

BeanHead said:

The function of a forum is to share and obtain guidance. I will continue to secretly soak my chunks and experiment with some of the scatter and go guidance provided. I have had excellent results with my methods, but I can’t imagine a bad cook on an egg so I will try and be open to the idea that dry wood won’t burn as fast as wet wood. 

It’s not you, it’s them, stick around for a while and it will make sense, or pop over to the OT section. 

rent free