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

Everything is undercooked

Got my LBGE for christmas. Cooked on it 4 times. Each time I undercooked. I went by recipe correct time and finish temp. I've checked LBGE thermometer and calibrated. It was off -20 Celsius. So should have been 100c and was 80c. So I just can't figure why I'm undercooking. I'm thinking if off -20 I should have been overcooking. Please help I'm struggling.

Comments

  • jcjayco
    jcjayco Posts: 20
    Oh and I used digital thermometer to check meat finish temp. Seemed to be accurate.
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Thermapen or other test instrument to check internal temp of product (food). Cook by IT not time.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    As far as the Tel-Tru check the calibration. Boiling water with 2 kabobs and Thermapen tip in the water should read 100℃. If not recalibrate with the adjustment nut.
    But, still go off of IT of food.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Maybe I'm misunderstanding the actual question here. What exactly did you over/under cook? One particular item? Or all your cooks?
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,170
    First up-welcome aboard and enjoy the journey despite the rocky start.
    And the key to any cook on any device is the accuracy of the instrument-so please make sure your thermo, especially the one to determine the finish-line is accurate.  Helps with a quick read device but I will take accuracy over speed.  I have used analog thermos and all was fine but I was comfortable with the indications.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    edited January 2015
    Besides the thermometer being off how soon are you putting your meat on your egg? Thing is a starter cube for instance can make the thermometer give you higher readings than the charcoal is even up to yet! You might just not have a fire up to temp yet. Also learning to cook to internal meat temperature vs. time in some recipe is the secret to perfect results.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,227
    Welcome to the club. We will all try our best to help you. The first time I cooked steak on my egg I put the meat on almost immediately after I lit the egg. Needless to say it tasted like lump. 

    After one bite I knew I had screwed up. With patience I got there, and you will too. 

    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    If you are set up with the plate setter for indirect cooking the temp at your cooking grate is about 25 degrees cooler than your dome thermometer is reading. So if you are following an oven recipe that says bake at 350 you should be around 375 dome temp.
  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    If you are set up with the plate setter for indirect cooking the temp at your cooking grate is about 25 degrees cooler than your dome thermometer is reading. So if you are following an oven recipe that says bake at 350 you should be around 375 dome temp.
  • Tackman
    Tackman Posts: 230
    Your problem is the metric system. Celsius? Really? Get yourself a merican thermo gauge and cook them there beef steaks to 119 degrees Fahrenheit!! Hells yeah!!
    Cleveland, Ohio
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    You really should cook to temp. Get a Thermapen.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • jcjayco
    jcjayco Posts: 20
    Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm just referring to Celsius cause that's how I calibrated my thermo. Might be the difference between dome/grate temp. I really enjoy the experience on the green egg. Just want to enjoy the results.
  • jcjayco
    jcjayco Posts: 20
    Also probably putting the meat on 20-30 minutes after light.
  • jcjayco
    jcjayco Posts: 20
    All cooks were undercooked
  • cook861
    cook861 Posts: 872
    When you put your meat on the temp will drop thats  why you have to go by internal temp not time
    Trenton ON 1 mbge for now
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    jcjayco said:

    All cooks were undercooked

    Are you 100% sure the test instrument your checking IT is accurate? If it's "all" undercooked and you cook to IT I'd be checking the calibration on that joker. When cooking don't forget about carryover cooking.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • Gogogordy
    Gogogordy Posts: 460
    A $5 meat thermometer works just fine (and has for decades)
    When I'm not Eggin', I'm scootin'   Eggin' and 'cueing from Temecula Ca; an hour from San Diego, an hour and five minutes from Palm Springs, and an hour and a half from Los Angeles (yeah, right. With THAT traffic?)
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Gogogordy said:

    A $5 meat thermometer works just fine (and has for decades)

    So long as it's accurate. Yes it does.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,458
    edited January 2015
    Gogogordy said:
    A $5 meat thermometer works just fine (and has for decades)
    no offence, just wondering if a Thermapen could have helped avert this disaster? 

    Indirect meat cooks, epic fail

    Twice now. Have trouble with a feet-up indirect.....the meat seems to toughen, not get tender. First time ribs, edible but more smoked than anything and a little pinker than I like. Tonights pork shoulder, 5 lbs.....6+hrs at 250 then some direct heat. Like rubbah...into the trash. Any tips? Everything else has been stellar.
    canuckland
  • AUCE
    AUCE Posts: 890
    Gotta preheat and stabilize once done then cook. Temp. Is your friend and it temp. Rules the.day. it takes a while.to stabalize.

    I would much rather be able to say I was glad I did than wished I had........

    XL owner and purveyor of pallette perfection...

    Homosassa....Mecca of Florida

  • stemc33
    stemc33 Posts: 3,567
    edited January 2015
    Welcome @jcjayco‌, don't get discouraged, eggin' gets better and better with time. Try to enjoy the journey. +1 with what @johnkitchens‌ said about helping. Sometimes we just need a little more information to help out. Please let us know what types of cooks you are doing. i.e. Whole chicken, chicken parts, steaks etc.

    I see that you're using a digital thermometer and said it appears to be accurate. A couple of things could be happening. 1. The thermo might not be accurate, especially if batteries are low. 2. Depending on the type of thermometer, you might not be letting it sit in the meat long enough to get an accurate temp. For instance, my ThermoPop is fast, not super Thermapen fast, but is rated at 5 sec. Fast enough that when I go to insert it into the meat, I get an instant reading from the surface temp of the meat. I need to let it settle to make sure I'm getting an Iternal meat temp and not a surface meat temp.

    How much cooking experience do you have(outdoor/indoor)? This is in no way meant to be an insulting question. The reason I ask is because if you are a baker, focus on baking/smoking something indirect in the egg that you're comfortable with and can tell doneness without the instruments (like you do in the oven). Likewise, if your a stovetop or grilling person, focus on those things until you get comfortable with the egg. Your egg will last years, so you have plenty of time to expand your menu. Focus on the fun first.

    I think this is one of the most important things. An internal temperature(IT) keeps you safe. A lot of people like things cooked to the minimal safe zone and will argue that's what taste best. Many people on this forum flirt with the danger zone to enjoy food to their liking. Can you explain your definition of undercooked? Take for example a pork chop that has a safe temp of 145°. My wife will not eat this because it has a pink hue and the texture's not right. She's used to eating the dried out chop that everyone grew up on because the fear of pork. The point I'm trying to make is, cook to your liking and use the thermometer to make sure your food is safe(unsafe food illness sucks). If you like the taste and texture of pork at 165°, cook it a little longer.

    Again, welcome to the forum and remember to enjoy the journey.
    Steven
    Mini Max with Woo stone combo, LBGE, iGrill 2, Plate Setter, 
    two cotton pot holders to handle PS
    Banner, Wyoming
  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    It is impossible for the thermo to be accurate and the food to be undercooked. Either the thermo is off or the food is cooked to the proper temp, two options. Cooking time and temps is a guide only. If you were 20C on the low side during cooking that would explain things taking longer than anticipated.
  • Gogogordy
    Gogogordy Posts: 460
    A $5 meat thermometer works just fine (and has for decades)
    So long as it's accurate. Yes it does.

    Just because a device is high-tech, and electronic doesn't intrinsically make it more accurate....in fact by virtue of the extra complexity there are MORE ways it can be fail or be wrong. My point is, great chefs have prepared great food for far longer trusting a traditional "old school" meat thermometer than have ThermaPens, or other over-complicated temperature readers. I'm just saying often the difference between success and failure is the simplest and a $5 dollar temp reader works just fine....this isnt laboratory research it's BBQ.
    When I'm not Eggin', I'm scootin'   Eggin' and 'cueing from Temecula Ca; an hour from San Diego, an hour and five minutes from Palm Springs, and an hour and a half from Los Angeles (yeah, right. With THAT traffic?)
  • jrb06
    jrb06 Posts: 52

    Please define "undercooked" along with what types of meat it was. Was it raw and cold inside and burnt outside or do you prefer well done meats and just didn't cook long enough. Most people tend to over cook foods when grilling and I don't mean burned just higher meat temp than the standard industry has established. Once you start to use a food thermometer and cook to temp instead of time or visual your may think your food is under done when in reality it is spot on,  it is just not what you were used to seeing before cooking on the egg and using a meat thermometer.      

  • bettysnephew
    bettysnephew Posts: 1,188
    Are you referring to undercooked by your preference or undercooked by internal temperature? If undercooked to your preference, you will have to up the internal temp until you find a place you like. This is a subjective point. Most of the members here tend to like beef cooked to the lower edge of the "safe" scales (steaks) but take certain cuts that are tougher (brisket and pork butt) to the higher end to  render the fat and break down connective tissue to obtain a a tender product. Only you and your family can determine your personal preferences. Keep trying and you will find a happy medium for your taste.
    A poor widows son.
    See der Rabbits, Iowa