New owner

tim665214 · February 2012

Brand new LBGE owner. Last night I did my first cook, a spatchcock chicken. Here are some observations/questions from my first cook.

I noticed the lump charcoal only burned in the center. The charcoal around the edges of the firebox were never touched. Is this normal? Should I have used a firestarter in more than one place?

I cooked direct on a raised grid at 400 dome temp. However it took about 1.5 hours to get done to temp. I put a pan of potatoes underneath to roast while this was happening. I wonder if this in essence caused me to have an "indirect cook" because of the pan of potatoes?

I am going to do a Pork tenderloin for this evening. Some of the recipes I have seen look really good, however my wife will absolutely not eat any piece of meat with even the slightest amount of pink in it. What would be the best way to cook a tenderloin to ensure that it is well done while still having some flavor?

Thanks

Tim

OLD NORTH STATE BBQ CO. · February 2012

I've cook tenderloin both direct and indirect. If your wife doesn't like rare meat, check out the Naked Whiz's Bar Towel Tenderloin. Its a really cool way to cook meat.

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/bartoweltenderloin/bartoweltenderloin.htm

stike · February 2012

wives can be turned to the good side. cook to 145 and serve by candlelight (seriously)

KingRover · February 2012

Does the tenderloin have a narrower end(s)? I cook direct, raised grid around 400 degrees to 140 in the thickest part and let it rest, ends up being around 150+ on the ends, but pinkish in the center/middle. When you slice, give your wife the non-pink slices. But sneak in some of the pinker slices and she'll probably be a convert.

I think next time I do pork tenderloin, I'm going to brine it and see if that adds moisture. You could try brining/marinating for a few hours.

Flamethrower · February 2012

served with her favorite wine

tim665214 · February 2012

Thanks alot for your tips. I really like the idea of serving her the small end. I think that will work?

What about lighting my fire? Is it normal for only the center to be burned? Should I light in several places?

Thanks

Tim

JerkChicken · February 2012

Regarding your fire, yea that's pretty normal. That threw me off at first too, there was just a flame in the center and none of the outer coals seemed to be touched. I was concerned that the untouched coals would burn the nasty soot while my food cooked. I was used to normal briquettes where you want every briquette starting to ash before cooking. But the forum assured me it was okay, just as long as the smoke went away and was burning clear and smelled good before I put my food on.

Also, regarding the potatoes you cooked under the chicken creating an indirect fire and slowing the cook; yes, I believe that is what happened, especially if you were using a large pot/pan.

Hillbilly-Hightech · February 2012

Thanks alot for your tips. I really like the idea of serving her the small end. I think that will work?

What about lighting my fire? Is it normal for only the center to be burned? Should I light in several places?

Thanks

Tim

Tim - seems you've gotten some good advice for the cooking part. As far as for the lighting part, the people here have many varying techniques.

Personally, I use a torch, and I light the lump in 3 places (usually around Noon, 8, and 4:00 as looking at a clock face, w/ Noon being at the back of the lump). Then I'll let the coals burn for a few minutes, and then I stir the coals, to get the embers all over.

Others don't stir, and I've read where some folks stir sometimes but not at other times if they want the fire to be in 1 specific spot (say, toward the back or off to the side, for whatever reason). I've also read where some folks advocate lighting toward the front by the bottom vent, so that as the vent sucks in air, the air will flow from the front toward the back, thus spreading your fire in that direction.

Point is, there's nothing "wrong" w/ 1 way or the other. Heck, before I got my torch, I used to use the paraffin squares & light my coals that way, and I'd still stir!! :-)

So, short answer is to try a few different techniques till you find one that works for you!!

HTH,
Rob

JerkChicken · February 2012

I've started using the 91% rubbing alcohol in which I squeeze a healthy dose into about 4 spaces around the lump and wait a few seconds for the vapors to disperse, then light. It's quick, cheap, clean and easy. I have yet to find any drawbacks to this method so I will continue with it until I find otherwise. I get a bottle from Walmart for about a buck and it will last me for probably a year.

gdenby · February 2012

Pork tenderloins, being so thin, can be marinaded rather quickly, but as of when I'm writing this, there are only afew hours till the evening. I would slice the tenderloin into medallions so the marinade penetrated better. Then just grill rather like a burger. Pretty quick, maybe 7 minutes per side depending upon thickness and heat of fire. Maybe brush with a sweet sauce at the end.

My wife (and it seems a lot of others) would just go nuts about any pork that was not cooked till grey and dry. (She had no problem with rare steaks.) It won't do anything to convince her, but you might mention to your wife that there is no trichina in pork sold in America. Unless you are eating undercooked bear, the chances of getting infected approach zero.

I happened to buy "Modernist Cuisine" last year. Its an immense and heavily researched tome all about cooking. There's about 80 pages on food safety. My wife was eventually convinced that not only was pink pork safe, but that if carefully cooked long enough, all foods will be safe at somewhat lower temperatures than usually recommended.

If you light a bigger area, the dome temp goes up faster. In fact, if a torch is used to light most of the lump surface, it may be impossible to not exceed 400F dome, and take an hour to cool below that.

boatbum · February 2012

If I am not mistaken, USDA lowered the reccomended internal temp for pork in the last year or so.

Yep, here is the link -- 145 for non ground pork.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Pork_From_Farm_to_Table/index.asp

Was thinking it used to be 160+, but lowered due to reduction in trichina.

woody's wood pit · February 2012

i used the green egg lighters for a while but have switched to a paper towel with some cooking oil on it. set two typically and lite. wait about 15 min. check temp and start to cook...

when you put the pan beneath you sort of made it indirect and added a new item to heat you are getting it figured out...

if you dont' have a thermapen spring for it...best tool you will own with the egg....

Good Cooking

travisstrick · February 2012

My wife would not touch any meat that was not cooked to death until I got my egg. I now let her look up the "safe min" temp on the net and then use the themopen to check it. She now only cares about the temp and not the lack of pink in the middle. THANK BOB FOR BGE. I was sick of ruining expensive meat.

IrishDevl · February 2012

I worked in a steak house and if anyone sent a steak back because it was undercooked, the chef would press the steak and bleed it til "cooked" to the proper temp - it is only the sight that scares them.

John Ross · February 2012

Gdenby: "If you light a bigger area, the dome temp goes up faster. In fact, if a torch is used to light most of the lump surface, it may be impossible to not exceed 400F dome, and take an hour to cool below that."
A very good point. I will have to experiment with this. Cooking chicken thighs tonight, I lit the lump good with a torch in three places, it took some time to get 'er down below 450. Came out good but the skin got blackened in areas, for chicken, will definitely try that out, for ribeye, I'll continue to light the way I do... Thanks.

ChokeOnSmoke · February 2012

What would be the best way to cook a tenderloin to ensure that it is well done while still having some flavor?

I would argue this is impossible. If you are going to cook it past medium-rare or I suppose medium, you're better off cooking something other than steak

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