Drip Pans

Unknown

Hi,[p]I can't tell from reading your messages where to place the drip pan...directly on the charcoal, or on the grid with a v-type holder on top of it. Wouldn't aluminum foil collapse at high temps? Thanks. (Asking at the risk of sounding realllllly dumb, but I have to know.) And, while I'm at it, what is "dwell"? When you are cooking for awhile with the lid closed? And I see there are two types of flareups--one after a "dwell" and another...I'm confused.[p]THANKS.[p]Gail

Jethro

Gail,[p]The placement of the drip pans depends on what you are cooking. Normally, you will use a drip pan only with low and slow cooks (ribs or butts) or something that would drip a lot fat and/or juices onto the burning coals (duck, turkey, whole chicken, prime rib).[p]The two ways I usually do a drip pan are both on top of cooking grid. 1.) Drip pan on grid, v-rack in drip pan and food in v-rack. 2.) Drip pan on grid, firebricks standing on edge on either side of drip pan, smaller grid on top of fire bricks and food on the smaller grid. With either method you could also put a fire brick under the drip pan to keep the drippings from burning if want to save them.[p]Dwell is a period of time during which the temps are decreasing after the rain cap is replaced and the bottom vent closed.[p]Flare ups can happen under a variety of circumstances the most pronounced ones come after a high temp cook, followed by a period in which the fire is deprived of oxygen. If the fuel is still there and the tempature still high enough and oxygen is rapidly reintroduce you can get the backdraft style really impressive flare ups.[p]As you use your egg you'll get more & more aware of when your around the danger area. I still try to only open the front ege of my Egg about an inch, hold there for about 10 seconds. If its behaving nice I then slowly continue the opening process.[p]What are you planning to cook?[p]Regards,
Jethro[p]

Unknown

Jethro,[p]Thanks--understand completely.[p]Last Sunday was the day we bought the Egg and I cooked thick pork chops, no seasoning, and they were great, albeit the problem I had when I closed down the vents too much and it took a lot of time to finish them. Tonight I thought I'd start out with something simple. Aged strip steaks with the mustard/kosher salt/pepper coating, portobello mushrooms brushed with some truffle oil (which you can get at Williams Sonoma--it makes the mushrooms taste even more like mushrooms), some grilled carrots and some baked potatoes. I am going to cook duck this weekend, too, and probably squeeze a mix of grapefruit, orange, lime juice over it and stick the rinds inside. I'll salt it when done. Cooking is my hobby and I have about 130 cookbooks and lots of magazines. I'll get more adventurous when I feel more confident, but am VERY excited about the smoking capacity of the Egg. Thanks again for your help.[p]Gail

Jethro

Gail,[p]Whheewww, reading that post sure made me hungry. Can I come over for dinner tonight?[p]Enjoy,
Jethro

Unknown

Jethro,[p]Sure--I live in Washington, DC, but cooking in Bethesda, Maryland (just around the corner!) I just sent in a good recipe in thanks to everyone and will send more. When I get better at this, I'll repay in kind![p]Gail