![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bryant
We got a Big Green Egg. (Darry Smith, Eggs By The Bay, sold it to us. Great guy, highly recommended.) Pricy, but cheaper than an iPad and we’ll be using it longer, so no qualms about the purchase.
Neither Susan or I have any grilling experience. We’ve done three meals, all of which turned out perfectly from a cooking perspective. I am not great at marinades yet but that’s a different question. The Egg is stupid easy to use. This weekend we embark on a pork butt as our first smoking attempt.
Notes for posterity:
The chicken was at 350ish direct heat, 15 minutes on one side then flipped and around 10 more minutes. The last ten minutes we dumped in leeks and potato wedges on the cast iron half-pan, which came out perfect. The wedges were parboiled first. I think next time we’d want to do the wedges a bit hotter for more of a crust.
The pork chops were an inch or so thick. We gave ‘em ten minutes on each side at 375. Also direct heat.
The salmon got ten minutes skin side down, two minutes skin side up, again 375 degrees, again direct heat.
After the pork butt smoking, the gasket adhesive should be well and truly cured and we’ll be able to experiment with higher heats.
Mirrored from Population: One.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-07-19 05:37 am (UTC)I am jealous! :)
Date: 2012-07-19 12:34 pm (UTC)I am sure you have read up a bunch on it so this is probably all repeat advice, but...
Remember that this can be an all day affair depending on the temp you smoke at and the size of the pork butt.
1) Make sure you tie the pork up tight. As the connective tissues start breaking down the meat will open up and dry out. You can use butcher's twine, or they even sell silicone rubber bands to use. Getting those on can be messy though as they rub on the meat and then snap into place spraying raw pork juice.
2)Decide if you want chopped pork (180 degrees) or pulled pork (190-200 degrees). I use an oven probe thermometer with the cable sticking out, I am not sure how well that will work with the green egg, but if you can find a way to make it work as cooking to temp is the only way to do it.
3) Ignore the purists. Towards the end there is nothing wrong in wrapping it tightly in foil and putting it in the oven to finish it if you need to cook it a little longer at higher temp to get it where you want it. :)
4) Let it rest before chopping/pulling. I am sometimes impatient and pull the pork before letting it rest and then I pay for it with dried our BBQ.
If you want a super simple Carolina slaw to go with it:
Carolina Sweet Vinegar Slaw (that I have left the green pepper out of)
Ingredients
Sauce:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
12 drops Franks, Texas Pete, or other similar hotsauce (or more or less to taste)
Slaw:
1 cabbage, core removed, sliced thin so it is shredded
1 medium onion diced or minced depending on how big you like your onion in slaw
celery seed
salt
pepper
Bring the sauce ingredients to a boil and then set aside
In a large bowl put the cabbage and onion, sprinkle with celery seed, salt, and pepper. (I don't have specific amounts I sort of go by how big the amount of cabbage ends up being)
Pour sauce over everything, toss well, and put in fridge. This is best done a day ahead of time, and toss occasionally when you happen to think about it.
You can pour the sauce on right after it has boiled clear which will speed up the process because it will wilt the cabbage. You can also dice up some green pepper and mix it in at the beginning if you like.
If you want to do an Eastern NC style vinegar BBQ sauce just get some cider vinegar and whatever BBQ sauce you want to use and thin the sauce with the vinegar to taste. :)
Re: I am jealous! :)
Date: 2012-07-21 05:28 pm (UTC)Very exciting. I'm getting the Egg to 220 or so stable temperature now, which is finicky work but fun.
Re: I am jealous! :)
Date: 2012-07-23 01:02 pm (UTC)