Newbie seeks help

Jo

I've done it...today I brought the Big Egg and the rolling cedar cart home with me. Have been contemplating for about 2 months, reading web sites and anything else I could find. This site was instrumental in my decision...the friendliness, willingness to share and teach, and the sheer delight you all have in cooking helped me decide. Only grill I ever had was the cheap, "last one season" steel ones. Burgers and dogs, only. Love to cook, though, and have a Wolf commercial stove in the kitchen, but this is a new venture outside. Have a party planned for memorial day and hope to feed around 50 pulled pork. Now for your collective assistance...is 1/2 lb pp a good amount to shoot for on the pulled pork? Will smoke with Jack Daniels' chips. Rub with mustard. Sound suitable? How many pounds can the BIG ONE hold in pork butts? Will two or more cooked at the same time require an extended cooking time? Also, does anyone have a good recipe for baked beans on the Egg, from scratch, instead of doctored canned beans? Thanks very much.
A grateful New Englander
JO

Cornfed

Jo,[p]Wow. Sounds like you're already way ahead of me (a 1 year Egg veteran) in terms of pulled pork. There are many Eggsperts on this forum who will lead you in the right direction. I'm here mainly for atmosphere.[p]Congrats on your purchase! You're in for a treat and welcome to the family! I can tell you from very recent experience, go for the pork tenderloin. Follow Tim M's direction. You will be delighted in the results![p]Cornfed

Char-Woody

Jo, your post caught my eye, and that's what this forum is for. All good questions and the "Eggsperts" will be along in droves to assist.[p]1st, congrats on the new purchase and they should change our name to the horseshoe club, or worse..:-) You see most of us pitched old metal for ceramics. Welcome to the club.[p]Question one, 1/2 lb per person.. Only if they are heavy eaters. Once you dive into Elder wards composited of Pulled Pork with side dishes, or make up your own , I would say 1/4 lb per person is sufficient.[p]Question 2, Jack Daniels chips should be fine, I would love to do it sometime myself with JD Chips. Hickory or any good nut wood is fine. Apple, Cherry, ect. Many choices. [p]Question 3, How many lb's of butts? If you do a double rack with 3 to 4 (size makes a difference) on the lower and two or 3 on the top rack you should have about 40 lbs of butt at maximum. Others may have a composite figure. You may have to rotate the butts top to bottom half way thru.[p]Question 4, the time element may increase about 10% when doing a large 24 hour cook with this much meat. Considering the mass of meat to initially begin cooking. Considering 2.5 to 2.75 hours per lb for one 8 lb butt that equals about 22 to 26 hours of ball park cook at 220 to 250 degrees dome temperature. Others may disagree.[p]Boston Baked beans are a snap..great bean cookers here. Cast Iron pots and all..Stay tuned..And give those butts a first run with JJ's rub to get you initialized to the group.[p]Cya...Char-Woody[p][p]

Cat

Jo,[p]Welcome to the Forum & the Egg family! You'll love your new toy. I envy you the Wolf range...[p]Do you mean 1/2 lb. pork per person? Butts shrink in the cooking - and your guests, in the presence of Egged pulled pork, will turn into voracious animals - so 1 pound raw weight per person is probably a better bet. Mustard, rub & JD chips? Sounds like a winner.[p]The Egg can hold a lot of pork poundage. Memory fails me, but one of my colleagues will chime in - someone did a post about the setup he used to do several butts at once. They also reheat well, so you can do some in advance.[p]As for beans, check the 'new recipes' section for Dr. Chicken's awesome recipe. Or just click on the link below.[p]Cathy
[ul][li]Dr. Chicken's Real Ranch Beans[/ul]

Kona Tim

Jo, welcom to the trip---have had mind for a month or so and love it---can't help you with the beans, but might suggust bakiing them just like in your Wolf, only on a pizza stone and line the outside of the kettle with foil just in case. When you do the pp, don't see any problem with multiple cooking---make sure you fill up with lump right up to the fire ring tho---this way you won't run out of fire---you will love the result---go for internal temp of 200 and tell the guests your mother in law is coming so they won't want to stay. Your first inclination will be to sell the Wolf, but don't just yet---they definately do better pancakes![p]See ya,
Kona Tim

Kona Tim

Jo,

---

TRIBE. Welcom to the TRIBE----woops

Unknown

Jo,[p]Be more than happy to help you with the meat part of this large cook. You will need about 20 pounds of finished pulled pork. Remember, your guests are going to be eating a product far superior than anything they have ever tasted in their life and they will scarf it down in large quantities. You MUST have enough on hand.[p]I would figure on cooking about 40-45 pounds of pork butt. Probably about 6 butts.[p]The large Egg will cook four butts just fine in my triple stack contraption at one time. (easy to make). This large mass of meat will require adding more lump at about 8-10 hours because to keep the rack temp at 220-240 degrees, you will need to run the dome temp at a little over 300 degrees for the first 6-8 hours and this does take some lump. Even after the first 6-8 hours, you will find that you will run the dome temp at about 275 degrees to keep the rack temps in line. Four pork butts will take about 14-16 hours if you keep the rack in the range of 220 245 degrees. Always put the lightest two butts on your bottom grate. [p]I would use wood chunks and not chips for smoke with the butts. [p]With one cooker, I think I would cook four butts in advance and have the last two ready to come off the Egg when your guests arrive. The last two should cool about 45-60 minutes before you pull them. I can tell you how to handle the 4 butts you cook in advance and your guests won't know that they didn't just come off the Egg.[p]You can e-mail me at stam@ccrtc.com for additional information and I can even send some pictures on this type of cook. [p]Old Dave

Unknown

kona tim,
I think Spin has a receipt for pancakes on Hunpty...

Unknown

Jo,[p]Welcome to the growing ranks of NE Eggers. You have plenty of help with the pp but I have a receipt for 'real' Boston Baked Beans! E-mail me and I'll get it off to you. I have not posted it because I haven't yet made the beans in Humpty but, beans made in a bean pot were made for one another slow cookin'at its best.[p]Carey[p]

Unknown

Old Dave, I had you in mind with the big double/triple rack set up. Hoped you would show up!! Thanks..C~W[p]

Unknown

C~W,[p]I read this forum about twice a day and there are not many people I can help. Old Dave don't know nothing bout that "zotic" stuff these folks cook but has a little experience with the " old fashioned" cooking methods. Was nice to give Jo some information as I mostly just lurk. Ain't that good grammer.[p]As you know, I own many cookers but the large Egg is about to spoil me. The more I use it, the better I like it. I have adapted it to cook large quantities of meat and it does do a fine job. Cooked for 120 people last weekend in advance and hauled the meat 570 miles to the show and it came out great.[p]I plan to try some of this zotic stuff and will need some help. I know the folks on this forum will give me all the information I need. [p]Really nice bunch of folks.[p]Old Dave

Cat

C~W,[p]I had Old Dave in mind too...just couldn't remember his name. Apologies, O.D. Lately my entire day is composed of senior moments...[p]Cathy

Char-Woody

Old Dave, your a class act we can all try to emulate. [p]The nice thing about the BGE is that there are no limits to its menu applications. Breads, Pizza, oysters, clambake, mini octopus, :-)!![p]It seems the larger the group expands, the bigger the menu applications. We can all pick and choose a winner here.[p]Cherrio..come back soon! Making myself scarcer also!!
C~W[p]

Unknown

Jo,[p]I've just posted Buckys Baked Beans.
What the heck even though I haven't done them on Humpty what could go wrong? Let me know how it comes out

Nature Boy

Cat,
I cooked three 8 pounders on the large. Someone posted once about stacking five of them, and rotating occasionally.[p]NB

King-O-Coals

Jo, I just spent a weekend with a Boston Butt. I put in in the EGG at 11:00 Saturday morning with a dome temp of 200 and held it nearly perfectly at that throughout the cook. It came off at 190 internal at about 3pm today. I use a polder thermometer and try to let my butts get up to 200 before taking them off. This was an 8 lb. butt and I let it go for 28 hours. It was moist and tender. But next time I'm going back to my (Elder Wards) method of kicking the heat up to 300 dome once the internal hits 180. It gets the internal up quicker without the risk of hardening the outer surface. I'm a professional,,,,,, but not at cooking on the Egg. You will be up to speed in no time. The egg-sperience you gain will be a combo of info found here, and mixed with your practical involvement. Go for it and don't forget to be flexable. Your ideas for marinate, seasonings, and cooking temps are better than you know. Now go out there and singe the hair off your fore-arms. YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

King-O-Coals

Cat, those are the most fantastic beans I have ever cooked. I'm glad you steered him there..

King-O-Coals

Cornfed, come on dude,,,,, you are ambiance!

King-O-Coals

King-O-Coals, or her there.. sorry!