Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

What will impress the wife?

CrazyHarry
CrazyHarry Posts: 112
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Per a previous post I've cooked two meals on my new Egg: a pork butt and a couple of steaks.

The butt was only about 3 and a half pounds, no bone, and I had to pull it after about 4 hours and finish it in the oven. (Needed the grill for the steaks.) It tasted good but after reheating it in barbecue sauce I think any subtle smoky meat flavor got masked.

I'm not used to 750 degree temps so I overcooked the steaks. Plus, I threw on some dry wood chips at the last minute and they imparted sort of an icky taste to our overdone meat.

So what can I cook next (keeping in mind that I'm new to the Egg) that will make my wife say, "Wow! This is the best [dish] I've ever had!"

Comments

  • meat03man
    meat03man Posts: 83
    My wife claimed the spatchcock chicken, my first cook was the best chicken she ever cooked, inject that bird with apple juice brown sugar mixture, put on your favorite rub, smoke that bird for a few hours and it will be the juiciest bird you ever ate. Also I used the same brown sugar apple juice mixture to spritz the chicken with a spray bottle. It's an easy cook and my wife loved it.
  • ron4fish
    ron4fish Posts: 144
    I tried some boneless chicken breasts along with some boneless porkchops for my second cook. Put a wireless thermometer on one. Took them off about 5 degrees prior to the cook temp, wrapped them in foil and let them sit for about 15-20 minutes. The melted in my mouth!!! I rubbed them with Dizzy Pig Raging River. Cooked them at 250 degrees.
    EGG.jpg
  • meat03man
    meat03man Posts: 83
    My wife claimed the spatchcock chicken, my first cook was the best chicken she ever cooked, inject that bird with apple juice brown sugar mixture, put on your favorite rub, smoke that bird for a few hours and it will be the juiciest bird you ever ate. Also I used the same brown sugar apple juice mixture to spritz the chicken with a spray bottle. It's an easy cook and my wife loved it.
  • golffer
    golffer Posts: 144
    If she like salmon (any fish for that matter) can't beat salmon on cedar plank. Marinate in sauce for 30 minutes or so and bate with butter and maple syrup before grilling.
    1/2 c soy sauce
    1/2 c lemon juice
    1/2 c brown sugar
    2 tbls garlic
  • A spatchcocked chicken is very hard to mess up. Definitely try one as your next cook.
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Before I got the Egg, I often cooked so-called "pork steaks." They often turned out greasy, and my wife eventually told me to stop cooking them. After I had the Egg for awhile, and had learned some about how well it could sear meats, I tried an experiment. I took a couple pork steaks, tossed 'em into a bag with teriyaki sauce before I went to work. When I came home, fired up the Egg, and let the dome temp come to 450. Dropped the steaks on the grill at the lower position. Closed the dome. Let them go for about 6 minutes, and quickly flipped. Repeated that 2 more times. Took them off around 20 minutes (if I recall correctly.)

    My wife said they were the best pork steaks she had ever had, tender, juicy, but not greasy. She removed the ban on them.

    Or, boneless leg of lamb, covered in gremolata and crushed pistachios, cooked at 350, direct, raised till 140 in the thickest portion.
  • FlaPoolman
    FlaPoolman Posts: 11,676
    WOW my head is spinning with responses based on your post title :whistle: maybe I better just get back to work :laugh: :laugh:

    FWIW just try one of her favorite meals and cook to temp not time ;)
  • BB1857
    BB1857 Posts: 131
    Pat's advice is spot on. One thing you will learn with the Egg(sometimes the hard way) is to cook to temp. I always cooked to time and while i got pretty decent at it, you will have much better results cooking to temp. Ask what she would like you try then jump on here for a recipe to add some pizzazz to the dish and go to work. You're wife will be amazed at the meal you have prepared. And if not, give us your address and some of us will come help with any leftovers!
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
     
    First off, what does your wife like?

    There are tons of ideas, short cook, long cook, beef, pork, chicken, soups...?

    Char Sui is very tasty and easy to cook.
    charsui1.jpg

    charsui2.jpg

    charsui3.jpg

    charsui4.jpg

    charsui5.jpg

    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=791533&catid=1

    [url][/url]

    GG
  • tacodawg
    tacodawg Posts: 335
    If you like pork I did a coffee rubbed pork tenderloin for my first cook and it was great..
    photo.jpg
  • tacodawg
    tacodawg Posts: 335
    If you like pork I did a coffee rubbed pork tenderloin for my first cook and it was great..
    photo.jpg
  • tacodawg
    tacodawg Posts: 335
    oops wrong picture.. that was from eggfest
  • srq2625
    srq2625 Posts: 262
    How about the Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Sauce (found in the recipes section (http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_recipes&Itemid=71&func=detail&id=558).

    It was a huge success the first time I cooked it and every time since then. Pull the meat at about 145°F and let it rest about 10 minutes and you'll be golden!
  • smbishop
    smbishop Posts: 3,053
    My wife has never been a fan of grilled chicken, until the Egg. Spatchcock is simple and amazing..

    Pork loin is another good one.

    Pizza was an amazing hit.

    Pork shoulder is my wife's favorite.
    Southlake, TX and Cowhouse Creek - King, TX.  2 Large, 1 Small and a lot of Eggcessories.
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
    Try a spachcock chicken or even just some chicken thighs. Best chciken ever.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • CrazyHarry
    CrazyHarry Posts: 112
    Thanks for all the great suggestions!

    I had my wife buy a whole chicken and I *tried* to spatchcock it last night. What a disaster. I've got skin hanging off one side and meat hanging off the other -- I literally ripped the poor bird in half trying to figure out which bones to remove. :-( (I'll do better next time.)

    I've got it marinating in the fridge with olive oil, butter, and an herb rub I made up.

    QUESTIONS:

    1. Should I use my platesetter or cook it over direct heat?

    2. I have cherry and apple wood chips. Not sure which I'm going to use yet but how much should I add? An 8 oz cup of wood chips seemed insufficient for the pork butt I cooked on Sunday.

    3. I figured I would cook it about 375 until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Any other suggestions regarding the temp?
  • smbishop
    smbishop Posts: 3,053
    1. Direct with a raised gird, or indirect with the placesetter. You migh do better indirect this time.

    2. I find that chicken really sucks up the smoke, You might go with out unless your wife likes the taste. 1/2 cup..

    3. Sounds good. It is hard to over cook on the egg, it will still be moist, go longer if in doubt.

    Check out this link for spatchcock: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/spatch.htm
    Southlake, TX and Cowhouse Creek - King, TX.  2 Large, 1 Small and a lot of Eggcessories.
  • 20hour beef brisket convinced my wife!
  • CrazyHarry
    CrazyHarry Posts: 112
    Nuts, I wish I had seen your post before the cook. I put a BUNCH of soaked apple wood chips on the coals and that bird was WAY too smoky. My wife didn't even finish all of her dinner.

    Unfortunately, my meals seem to be getting worse rather than better. Not blaming the Egg it's just been one chef error after another. Heh.

    First attempt: Pork Butt
    I only used a handful of wood chips and then I let my fire go out. (Cooked it for 4 hours on the Egg and finished it for 2 hours in the oven.) Overall, the butt turned out great but I think it would have tasted pretty much the same if I had cooked it in an oven.

    Second attempt: Steaks
    I tossed a handful of dry wood chips in at the last minute and some ended up on the cooking surface. Not being used to the high temps I overcooked the steaks and the burning wood chips gave the steak a bit of an unpleasant flavor.

    Third attempt: Chicken
    Per above, I put in WAY too many wood chips and while the chicken was moist it tasted like a campfire.

    This weekend I'm going to try some more steaks. I'm intrigued with the idea of removing the fire ring and cooking closer to the coals. My wife likes her steaks CHARRED so that might be good -- but I'm not sure if the inside will get to medium. (Might have to finish them inside or try the TREX method.)
  • Dave in Florida
    Dave in Florida Posts: 1,157
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
  • Dave in Florida
    Dave in Florida Posts: 1,157
    I've only had my EGG for a month. 2nd cook was http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_recipes&Itemid=71&func=detail&id=1207

    Then I asked if she thought the EGG was worth the cost and I got a very quick "YES, this meat is so tender and juicy." Cooked more baby backs last night and they were awesome. Tonight I am doing my first butt 9.5 pounds.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
  • Dave in Florida
    Dave in Florida Posts: 1,157
    I've only had my EGG for a month. 2nd cook was http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_recipes&Itemid=71&func=detail&id=1207

    Then I asked if she thought the EGG was worth the cost and I got a very quick "YES, this meat is so tender and juicy." Cooked more baby backs last night and they were awesome. Tonight I am doing my first butt 9.5 pounds.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!