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An ill-advised man

Pigasso
Pigasso Posts: 111
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
The egg awaits. Unfortunately I will not have the luxury of a "practice run" so I shall be adhering to Mad Max's Turkey and gravy detailed instructions - with the prior application of J Appledog's maple brine recipe. Here's the plan - Nov 22 arrive home, make brine, enjoy family and doggies. Nov 23 buy 18 - 20 lb "Mary's Turkey" from Central Market in Houston, place turkey in brine, assemble egg, enjoy family and doggies. Nov 24 - turkey from brine to fridge to dry overnight, enjoy family and doggies. Nov 25 - BGE first cook! (unless I can pe persuaded to use Car Wash Mikes "Newbie Baby Back Ribs" as posted on 13 Nov - with a generous sprinkling of Dizzy Pig - also waiting at home). Well, in retrospect, looks like the turkey will be my second BGE cook! The way I see it, following the advice of the likes of Mad Max, Car Wash Mike and Nature Boy, how can a guy go wrong?[p]This pig's gonna be flyin' pretty soon![p]Thank to all.[p]Oink.[p]

Comments

  • Pigasso,
    You can't go wrong following the advice from these guys. My question is, surely your egg won't remain cold from the time you arrive home on the 22nd, and the time you fire up your first turkey on the 25th? Family and doggies gotta eat, man!

  • Pigasso,
    even if you don't cook anything. . .fire that puppy up ahead of time with a full load of lump, and practice some temperature control. . .see if you can make it stick at 325 degrees for an hour. .. ramp it up to 400 and settle there for a little while etc. .. last thing you need on thanksgiving day is a 400 degree egg, and no way to get it back down in a hurry. .. .and while you're at it, throw some food in there while you are playing temp control (even if its just some burgers or dogs)[p]enjoy[p]max

  • Pigasso
    Pigasso Posts: 111
    mad max beyond eggdome,[p]Wise words indeed! I shall certainly try to get a little practice in. In fact, on Tuesday, I shall attempt some ribs - with the aid of the GURU! I also plan to use the GURU for the turkey. -- That is if I can figure out the meat monitor mode! Yup - maybe a steak on Wednesday too to check out the searing potential. Thank you Mr. Max!

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Pigasso,
    yer not ill-advised.[p]but i'd recommend putting in more lump than you think you might need, and starting the fire maybe as much as an hour ahead of time so that you can be sure you are at temp.[p]don't get excited and let the fire "really blaze" to make sure it's burning, or you'll have trouble coming down to your target temp. just light it, let it ignite with the bottom open and daisy OFF for maybe 10 minutes max, then throw the daisy on half shut, and the vent half shut, and watch the temp rise slowly.[p]within 10 degrees or so of target temp, if it's still rising fast, you might tease the daisy and vent shut by a quarter or third to slow it rising.[p]but if it's creeping, just watch it.[p]after that, try to forget you are cooking on a grill and just treat it like your oven. x-amount 0f time at x-temp.[p]...and make sure you have a probe in a thigh so that you can monitor turkey temps without opening.[p]the single biggest rookie issue is controlling the desire to open the dome... hahaha[p]hey good luck.
    the bird will be amazing.[p]ONE LAST THING!!
    i have had a bird so moist, some filks are not sure it is done. so triple check the thermometer probe, and enlist a witness. no kidding. your jaw will drop when you see how almost WET the breast meat looks.[p]d^mn, now i'm hungry and it's only 9:30

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Mark Backer
    Mark Backer Posts: 1,018
    stike,[p]You tell the truth, stike. I have had folks tell me that the meat's not done when I've made turkey but especially with Pork. It seems that the whole gasser world is so conditioned to eat crappy dry pork that when a loin is properly cooked, they think it's bad. [p]Sad little gas grillers...
  • Pigasso,
    Don't forget prime rib this Christmas. Tried my first last year. Tried my second 2 days later with different guests.[p]CWM

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Mark Backer,
    you're casting swine before swine.[p]forgive, o holy porcine prince, for they know not what they eat.[p]

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Pigasso,
    i might advise against adding the guru to all this....[p]that's just me, but the cook is simple enough and the egg easy enough to control that you needn't get too excited about complicating things.[p]the guru is great, from what i understand, but doing your first cook on the egg while also learning the guru seems like buying 220s instead of learning to ski on 180s.[p]don't let the enthusiasm go too crazy! hahaha
    we all succumbed at some point, just tryna warn you.

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,669
    stike,
    havent succumbed to the guru yet either. this last sunday, i threw some ribs in while the egg was coming up to temp and left. never even stabilized it, just trust my settings.drove from mass thru new hampshire up into maine to buy some ice fishing equipment, stopped for a chowder and seadog draft and came home about 6 hours later. egg was at 220 and ribs almost done. i dont see how technology would have improved the cook or even my day. maybe if i stayed home and watched the fan turn off and on( i would worry that i may lose power)

    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    fishlessman,
    preaching to the choir, my friend.[p]i once made a fire early early a.m., tossed the stuff on, and WENT TO WORK.
    hahahaha[p]came back and had a (small) pulled pork butt midweek.
    hahahaha[p]

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Pigasso,
    No expert here, trust me this is my first egged Turkey. However, I think me remembers reading somewhere that if you brine the turkey and make gravy from a brined turkey's drippings, the gravy will be very salty? True?False?[p]Anyone else want to chime in on this? I'd hate to see Pigasso go through all this work for a lousy gravy. [p]BTW I am going to use Mad Max's recipe also, souonds like a winner to me.

  • Pigasso
    Pigasso Posts: 111
    Car Wash Mike,[p]Some time ago I read a Cooks Illustrated article recommensing a sear of the prime rib on the stove first followed by cooking in the oven at 200 degrees. That was the best Ive had - the next time I will go with the sear and follow up in the egg. [p]Serves 6 to 8 1 first-cut beef rib roast , 3 ribs (about 7 pounds), set at room temperature for 3 hours, tied twice between the rib bones
    kosher salt
    ground black pepper
    [p][p]1. Adjust oven rack to low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Heat large roasting pan over two burners set at medium-high heat. Place roast in hot pan and cook on all sides until nicely browned and about 1/2 cup fat has rendered, 6 to 8 minutes. [p]2. Remove roast from pan. Set wire rack in pan, then set roast on rack. Generously season with salt and pepper. [p]3. Place roast in oven and roast until meat registers 130 degrees (for medium-rare), about 3 1/2 hours (or about 30 minutes per pound). Let stand 20 minutes (a bit longer is fine) before serving. [p]4. Transfer to cutting board and carve.