First cook on Adjustable Rig - Salmon

Misippi Egger

Just received my spider, adjustable rig and some drip pans - everything looks great - Thanks, Tom ! :woohoo:

OK, so I just had to cook something on the raised grid. We stopped at Kroger and I had a piece of salmon cut from the center of a skin-on filet. We picked up some asparagus and headed to the house.

I got my LBGE fired up and stable at 500 deg., added the adjustable rig and put my original porcelain grid on top - immediately liked being able to scrap the hot grid without having to reach down into the egg to do it!

Salmon prep- (Jana likes it simple, no Teriyaki, marinades, etc.) I melted a pat of butter in the microwave and spread it on the salmon. Then generously covered in in DP Ragin' River (thanks again, Chris) and let it melt.

Asparagus prep - (Kudos to Fidel for this recipe he posted a while back) - drizzled with EVOO and sprinkled with Ragin' River (how convenient). Made rafts with 4 stems held together with 2 toothpicks each - great idea !

I added a handful of dry Alder chips, swabbed the grill with EVOO, then placed the Salmon, flesh down on grid for 2 minutes. Then I turned to skin down for the rest of the cook. At this time I placed the rafts around the salmon.


Turned the rafts a couple of times making sure they got evenly charred, then moved to the cooler part of the grid until the salmon was ready.

I pull my salmon when the whitish fat starts to ooze out the top of the filet.
Ready to serve:


Plated and forcing myself to hold back until the picture was made. Jana couldn't wait.

She LOVED the DP Ragin' River rub on the salmon (and she will die for this cooked with Lemon Pepper only). I was definitely apprehensive about this.

I love the adjustable grid - I like having the cook where I can easily work with it. My BGE retailer had to order a 13" CI grid for me, so using the Spider will have to wait a week or so.

Enough kudos to everyone - you're all gonna get the big head ! :silly:

Rolling Egg

Great looking cook, good job. I have yet to try fish or asparagus. Looks tasty.

Misippi Egger

Thanks. The asparagus technique comes from Fidel's posting a few months back.
I have always cooked Salmon like this (started on an old gasser and adapted to the BGE). I have always used heavy dose of lemon pepper (try to find it without salt as the first ingredient and/or made with some zest). I was nervous about changing to something different when you have a good cook, but the RR was great !

This raised grid will probably be my standard from now on !

How you like this {{cold}} southern weather? This is supposed to be temps seen in the north ! (28 for our low tonight).

steveo29

First, great job!! Looks delicious...would like to taste that. Secondly, my wife is a chef..she say's that it is an outstanding job. She would love to try your cooking. Maybe you are headed to Eggtoberfest?

steveo29

If you're looking for a alternative to Lemon Pepper seasoning without salt try this..

Juice of 1 lemon
1Tbs of fresh cracked black pepper(You can put the peppercorns in a coffee grinder to get the fresh cracked)
1Tbs of fresh minced parsley
Molly McSeasoning Salt alternative *to taste*

Modify it as your taste buds tell ya


sometimes adding little garlic powder and or onion powder will give it that taste to die for...so said the wife

Misippi Egger

thanks - well, actually, double thanks!

I have been cooking salmon by that technique from my ole gasser days, just adapted to the BGE.

We are sushi lovers, but I don't want my grocery store salmon raw, so by pulling when the white fat oozes out, the center looks darker than the rest, but it is juicy and will flake. I don't let it rest - just plate and eat.

I did warm the metal pan before going out to pull the food. First time to try that and it kept the salmon from cooling off before we started eating.

BTW - we are looking at an Eggfest, but haven't found any that are closer than 9 hours drive from here - a little too far, I think.

Thanks again,,,

Misippi Egger

Thanks.

I will write that down for future reference. It is really hard finding a store-bought Lemon Pepper seasoning without too much salt and with the strong citrusy taste you get from zest.

The Dizzy Pig "Shakin' the Tree" rub has a good Lemon Pepper taste.

Tell your wife thanks.

Beanie-Bean

Nice cook, Clark. You'll enjoy cooking on the spider with the cast iron grate. I use mine from my SBGE, and the steaks get seared really quickly!

Frank from Houma

Nice cook. Did salmon here tonight as well.

BTW - you are 6-1/2 hours from Tucker, GA., Home of Eggtoberfest. It's all intersate - no excuses - you have plenty time to plan and have to go.

We went last year and had a blast - 8-1/2 hour drive for us. I highly recommend it.

Misippi Egger

Frank,

Depends on the date. My wife has started training for her second marathon, and rumor is that the Marathon date will be October 17. I hope they aren't on the same weekend because I would really like to go and maybe even cook.

Houma - I love to fish with Vernon Robichaux (Golden Meadow) and with friends in Grand Isle. Can't beat Specs!

Sunday while on a duck hunt, one of my friends extended an invitation for tuna fishing - he has a place and boat in Cocadrie (badly misspelled, I'm sure). Never been, so I am looking forward to it later this year.

Misippi Egger

Thanks, Mike.

I was wondering at what dome temp do you sear steaks on the CI grid and spider. At the original grid position, I sear ribeyes at 600-650, then dwell them. I would imagine one would use lower temps when searing so close to the lump.

Misippi Egger

Also, how long do you sear them on each side?

The way the grid marks appear on your steaks, you must turn them a several times to get the marks to crisscross.

I have been only flipping once with my sear, getting grid marks, but they are linear and not crisscrossed.

Thanks,

Beanie-Bean

I use a timer for the sear, and the dome is shut. Usually 600° for the dome thermo reading, because it is actually much hotter down there in the spider region.

Using the standard 90°rotation at 45 seconds. So, put the steak on, shut the dome, and start the timer. At around 40 seconds, I'll start burping the egg and will rotate the steak 90°. After the next 45 seconds, I flip the steaks over and repeat. Keep an eye on your timer, otherwise you'll be eating some charcoal for dinner--it's hot down there and the steaks cook really quickly. After I'm done with the sear, I put the adjustable rig in there and let the cooker settle down to 400° for the roast. You can cook them to your liking there. Use a good instant read thermometer to finish up.

Good luck with the spider/CI setup, and have fun!

Frank from Houma

Tuna trip out of Cocodrie? Nice. I try to go fishing once a week - specs and reds.

22' Skeeter with a 225 yammie


Trout chime :woohoo:


50 specs Before


50 specs after

reelgem

Will have to try this, got an adjustable rig a few weeks back and haven't used it. As for the salmon and asparagus...looks like a delicious and ez cook. What a great idea Fidel had with the asparagus "rafts". I generally do lemon pepper on my salmon also but will have to try the Raging River. Thanks!

Misippi Egger

That is just outright Cruel to a guy who is 4 hours away from all that good fishing!

Once a week - can you say envy?

Only one problem with your rig --- the color scheme


HOTTY TODDY :evil:

Misippi Egger

Thanks, Mike.

I would have thought one would use a lower overall temp when searing so close to the lump, but you can't argue with reproducible success.

I look forward to the CI grid coming in and "Steak night".

Misippi Egger

Fidel said to watch the asparagus closely so as not to char it too much, just blister the 'skin' somewhat. The RR gives it a touch of sweet.

I think I will try the 'Shakin' the Tree" on the next salmon cook, since it is a lemon pepper variation. If it is also good, then I will have created a dilemma - when cooking salmon, which do I use?? :silly: In the past, there was ONLY Lemon pepper. Life is cruel.

tjv

Your first cook looks a whole lot better than my first cook on that set-up, LOL. T

Misippi Egger

Thanks!

I love it. Thanks to you guys on this forum for introducing me to this setup.

Can't wait to try out the spider - it will be about a week before my CI grid comes in.