Maybe I AM stupid (1 Viewer)

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Hmmmm, good ideas above.

I've been busy on the EGG, just haven't been taking pics. This week I did cut up chicken, whole chicken (beer can), 5+lb chuck roast, country-style pork ribs, turkey legs and a cake from a Duncan Hines box. The cake turned out well. Can't tell I did it on a grill. I've done it all indirect with the plate setter to this point. Looking forward to bread and pizza one day.

I'm getting the hang of the temp control pretty well. My biggest issue so far is when I need to rapidly cool it down and hold a lower temp. Not sure if I should close all the vents and wait or close the bottom vent and open the grill or what. Some patience would probably go a long way for me on this one.

I've purposely overcooked some chicken breast (non-brined) and it still turned out moist. I'm loving this grill.

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Today I put on 2x 7lb pork butts at 800am. I got the EGG holding 240* by 845am. It's now 6 hours later and it's still holding 230-240*. Meat is at 164*. I love this grill. The only bad thing is not getting to look at the meat while restoking the coals ala my old grill.

Elkaholic (MUD member) recommended Wicked Good Charcoal. I've been using it and will say that it seems to last longer. There's lots more left after long cooks than there was from the BGE brand. Granted, there are fewer tiny pieces which must have an impact. I'm unsure of a favor difference between the charcoal brands at this point.

--john
 
^ FWIW John: Any given brand/bag has a mix of small, medium and large pieces of lump. Its a little bit of a pain but worth it to separate the smallies for quick burger type grill events; the mediums for, well, medium length grill sessions; and the large pieces for if/when you want north of 550-600* for Neapolitan pizza sessions.

If you haven't been here its a good resource all things charcoal...lump included of course: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpindexpage.htm?bag

We have good sources for mesquite lump out here but I've yet to find a source for hickory/oak/almond lump. Most everything we have that isn't specifically labeled mesquite is a blend with mesquite in it.
 
Used the toaster oven to make Acorn Squash stuffed with spinach, goat cheese, creamed corn and something red that I don't remember adding. Cooked just the halved squash for 30 minutes at 400* with a little salt, maple syrup and honey, then I added cooked spinach and canned creamed corn and cheese and cooked for 15 more (thanks to ROBBS6940 for the inspiration). Drain out the liquid before adding at 30 minutes and save it to baste with at the end. I really need to start taking better pics - I swear my food looks edible in person!

--john

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The EGG is giving me fits right now. I'm at the bottom of the coal bag and have a healthy mix of dust, tiny, small and jumbo chunks. It's all over the map, temp wise. Shouldn't be too much of a hassle since it's only some chicken quarters and they'll be done soon.

--john
 
Shrimp stuffed acorn squash last night. The filling was sautéed diced shrimp (cajun seasoned), onion, ginger, garlic and scallion that I mixed with some panko, a little honey goat cheese and chopped tomato that I roasted while the squash was cooking. Pretty good combination of flavors on this one. The wife suggested using crawfish next time for the sweetness; crab would probably work for that, too.

I started out wanting to go the Asian route but somehow ended here. Materials on hand, I guess. Used the super duper toasterator again for this instead of the EGG as it was about 18* outside and my bones objected to going out again.

--john :beer:

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Nice looking wintertime meal!

Hope to be in Charlotte in the next year, I'm coming over for dinner!

(My brother lives there, #1 Dtr just wrecked his 200 series)
 
So I managed to fit a whole chicken in the toaster - had to bend up the pan handles to fit. I went really simple with this one: Half lemon, some garlic and thyme sprigs inside the brined bird sitting on sweet potatoes and red potatoes. I oiled the bird (dried well) and used a rub and even finished it under the broiler but didn't get the skin to crisp. 425* for 20 minutes and 350* for the balance. Wow, almost as perfect as I've ever achieved, even without crisp skin. That damn toaster oven continues to surprise me.

I made the wife tortillas using the sweet potatoes, chicken, guacamole, lettuce and cheese. Simple and effective. I ate ramen with the 13-yr old we've got staying with us tonight. I asked her what she wanted (we usually go for sushi with her) and she demanded ramen. 12/$2! That means more beer money for me.

--john

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I was happy to realize that the small Lodge CI pan fits in the toaster oven so I made this. Started on the stove top, finished in the toaster oven. Added some steamed beans and homemade roasted red pepper hummus for a Mediterranean flair. Chops got a EVOO/rosemary marinade then got coated in za'atar before cooking. Used the za'atar on the beans, too. Fresh tomatoes rounded it out for color.

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spressomon said:
John,

The most challenging aspect for me of moving from gas fueled BBQ to a charcoal fired egg style BBQ has been the relationship between air in, air out and the amount of the open/restricted horizontal plane the charcoal occupies in the basket. If the charcoal is piled in the middle of the charcoal basket with space around then the air that enters the bottom vent takes the path of least resistance...which in this example is around the very coals that need air to burn effectively. Once I understood this I could arrange the coals in such a fashion to force air up through the pile of charcoal instead of around it. It was amazing, in oven temp, the difference!

The problem didn't really manifest itself until I needed oven temps above about 450*F. And the problem drove me nuts, until I figured out this relationship, when I needed to get the oven to 700-800*F for my Neapolitan pizza bakes. If the charcoal wasn't arranged properly the temp would typically stall out in the 350-400*F regardless how much coal I had...other than filling the basket with too much charcoal.

I've now got a sear basket which is essentially a steel plate that blocks off 1/2 of the charcoal basket. This forces, essentially, the same amount of air on to the other 1/2 of the grid that holds the charcoal. This effectively allows 2X as much air to flow over the coals compared to a full size charcoal basket.

Anyway...you might already be familiar with this. If not then be prepared.

Dan
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Yes, this has turned out to be true. Good info here.
 
BTW, Microwave #2 caught fire and died this past May. It was spectacular. It was flaming inside while I was throwing it in the front yard. I thought about opening it so I could use a fire extinguisher again but decided the cleanup wasn't worth it. And the wife was yelling at me. Popcorn, FWIW.
 
Funny stuff on the popcorn. The hospital I work in has a campaign to stamp out microwave popcorn due to fires. We have had numerous popcorn fires over the years. Now, if you're caught making the microwave popcorn, it's grounds for termination. Who knew?

So my NC visit plans have been upset by a divorce, a new baby and a new marriage (in that order). It might be next summer until the dust settles. I'm still coming over for dinner. LOL.
 
So it's been almost a year into this EGG/toaster oven/no kitchen oven experiment. Can't say we miss the oven. The gas stovetop is still going well, though. The EGG has been awesome and I've experimented a lot with various brands of coal. BGE brand, Wicked Good and the 5lb bag from Harris Teeter have proven themselves to be non-sparking and mostly medium to large chunks. The red bag of Royal Oak at Home Depot is a good budget/last minute choice but I've found that it'll either spark heavily or be full of small pieces and dust. I've not gone out of my way to sample coal from non-local sellers. Honestly, I use the EGG to cook indirectly 90% of the time. I tried pizza once but it was just a basic recipe on a sheet pan; no time to get as involved as many of you are. I want to get the accessory that blocks off half of the grill to cook indirectly above it while cooking direct on the other side of the grate.

The toaster oven is great. Toast turns out fine, no matter how many slices at once. The oven function works very well. The convection function doesn't seem to be too far off of the standard oven function. I've compared it with preheated cast iron skillets, cold sheet pans, preheated sheet pans, etc, and haven't found a reduction in cook time. I think I'm limited to a 10" Lodge skillet as far as size. The handle is the limiting factor. Thinking about cutting off the handle from a 12" skillet.

--john
 
FJ60Cam said:
I've decided I need one of these. Is the large big enough? Do you ever run out of room?
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The large has been just fine for me. I haven't run out of room yet, but I only need to cook for two people. That said, I usually cook as much food as the grill will hold. With the plate setter (I think they call it something else now) in place, I can fit 8-10 chicken leg quarters (leg & thigh) on the grate. Two pork butts fit at about 10lbs each. One to two more can fit on the second tier if they're a couple pounds smaller. Second tier is not included.

I contemplated getting an XL when a great deal came my way on a used model. After talking to others with the XL, I decided I was fine the the Large. Most people with the XL told me they go through double+ the fuel I do. @CharlestonG8R might be able to weigh in on this - pretty sure he has an XL.

I'd think the XL would be a great fit for people who entertain crowds and would like to have a few different things going at once with the various accessory grates/plates/whatever or who need to cook 3 turkeys at once. A full packer brisket would probably fit better on an XL.

There's a brand that sells pretty well around here at the outdoor living stores (can't remember the name) that's a little cheaper and oval-shaped. I've often wondered if the shape might be a better idea for usable space.

I'd love to build a table for the EGG but I've been well served by the Nest and Wings I found cheap on CL. I'd definitely have built one if I didn't score the deal. Maybe this winter...

For $5000 they now have the XXL...
 
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