SO FAR SO GOOD!

James

I’m five days into egg ownership and am a very happy little boy![p]What I’ve tried to do this week is get used to building the fire and controlling the temperatures and get a few basics cooked.[p]• Chicken 1/4rs I marinated in a mix of Asian hot sauce and soy sauce and grilled direct heat about 250 turning every 10 minutes for 40 minutes til the juices ran clear. The result was so juicy I kept thinking I had undercooked!
• Pizza. I still am having trouble fighting with the dough – I roll it out and it shrinks back – but the result was great and the stone and platesetter were christened.
• Fish fillets – even with Nature Boy’s advice – I chickened out of doing and flipping the fish right on the grill and did on a piece of foil. The results were tip top.
• And last night the kids demanded hot dogs. I did 10 minutes at 400+. They were great but next time I’ll do longer and slower.[p]But enough of the past! Any advice for some more basics – before I get too much into rubs and special equipment? [p]• I have some nice 8 oz rib eye steaks in the fridge right now what is the best thing for these?
• When the kids demand burgers how do I do?
• What do you recommend I do for my first big hunk of meat – roast, brisket, loin, …? And how do I do?[p]What else?[p]Thanks everyone![p]Best,[p]James

The Naked Whiz

James,
Re: stretchy pizza dough, did you let it rest so the gluten relaxes?[p]TNW

mad max beyond eggdome

James,
get some thick steaks (at least 1 1/2 inches thick)coat with kosher salt and pepper, and do them the Trex method. .. i.e. sear at 700+ for 1 - 2 minutes per side, remove them and let them rest on an open plate for 20 minutes while you get the egg down to around 400 degrees, then seal up the egg vents top and bottoma and put the steaks back on to 'dwell' for about 3 - 5 minutes per side depending on thickness and how well done you want them. . .[p]your family will never want to go out for a steak again!!

nikkig

James,
Congrats and welcome to the cult...err I mean club. As you have found out the egg is very verstile in what you can cook on it. Hamburgers are one of our favorites. We make 6 oz. patties from ground chuck, splash them with worcestershire sauce, and coat them with montreal steak seasoning or cow lick rub. Cook them on a raised grid at 550 for about 4 minutes per side. Mmmm Mmmm good! As far as your first hunk of meat. I would suggest pork loin. It's easy and there are bunches of ways to do it. Just take a look through the recipe section for some ideas, or look at the thread below by Molly Shark. Iffin you are wanting do do an overnighter, I would suggest pulled pork, as briskets are kinda tempermental and tough to master. Good luck and happy eggin! [p]~nikki

Unknown

James,
Congrats on the new egg. I am certain that you will love it. [p]But, not to sound like an internet security guard, the handle of "James" appears to be taken by someone who already has three (according to the profile). you might wish to consider a new name. If you click on an underlined name from the main message board it will take you to their profile...[p]Beers and happy egging
Matt.

Unknown

James,[p]Pork loin is really easy. Mr. Toad has a recipe here that you can follow or alter to your tastes. Basically its stuffed and bacon wrapped, but you can change the fillings. I recently did one with prosciutto, gouda, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes. It was pretty good, but I'm not going to rush to do it again...too many other options to try. Anyway, the time, temp, and prep method, etc. is a great guide...you may even want to do the same fillings.

[ul][li]Mr. Toad's Pork Loin[/ul]

Mr. Hyde

James,[p]I would suggest pork tenderloin as a hunk of meat to cook.. There are many different recipies and methods, all of which seem to produce great results.[p]Oh yeah, you should go to Naked Whiz's site and read about flashback. It is a very real phenomenond that you should be prepared to avoid.
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mad max beyond eggdome

Mr. Hyde,
absolutely correct about going to the naked whiz's site on back flash. . .i forgot to mention that in my other post, particularly important to understand if you are doing trex steaks!!. . .[p]thanks[p]max

TRex

James,[p]Some of my favorites:[p]1) Steak (see the link below): although a more costly option if you do it right ($10/lb for prime NY strips), you'll never want to spend high $$ in a steak house ever again.[p]2) Pork loin chops (boneless): I do these just like I do steaks, except without the mesquite wood. Very good and very juicy, just don't overcook! 145 internal and you're good to go.[p]3) Pork tenderloin: Again easy, fork-tender, and delicious. I usually buy two, double the "tail" back onto the body and hold in place with a toothpick or string (this makes for even thickness along the length of the loin), rub down with Dizzy Dust or just a mixture of kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper, cumin, turbinado sugar, and allspice, coat with spicy brown porter mustard and olive oil, grill direct at 325 on raised grid flipping once for about 30 minutes or until 145 internal. Serve with rasberry chipotle sauce. You never had it so good.[p]3) Portabello mushrooms: a delicacy. Remove stems, wipe down with a paper towel (never wash with water!), soak in vinegarette dressing for 10 minutes, grill gill-side down for 3 minutes at 500 or so, flip, add goat cheese, and let dwell for another 5 minutes or until tender and oh so juicy.[p]4) Hamburgers: buy ground chuck, about 18% fat, form into 3/4" - 1" patties, season with Dizzy Cow Lick, grill at 500 for 4-5 minutes a side. Use a couple of Hickory chunks for a nice accented flavor.[p]5) Spatchcocked chicken: Go see the Naked Whiz's website. So simple, so delicious.[p]That oughta keep you busy for a few days. Welcome to the club!![p]TRex

[ul][li]How I cook steak & pork chops[/ul]