Big Green Eggheads

[txav8r]

Totally agree on not opening egg. But if I have to at the "out of fuel" stage, that is just extending by starting over really. I would not deliberately plan to open the egg to add fuel, it is a "just in case". The attempt is to keep the temp under 200 and go for 24 hours. Not sure I can do that without staying up all night.

The AR(adjustable rig) is an aftermarket assembly sold by the Ceramic Grill Store...which happens to be here close to where I live. Check outhttp://www.ceramicgrillstore.com/big-green-egg-large-adjustable-rig.html I have the R&B combo but have added a D grate and other support rods. It enables me to do 4 racks of baby backs at once as well as pan under, and remove the stone or rotate the racks when needed. But mainly it gets the cook up above the felt line and is more controllable.

 

[JetPowered]

Don't be afraid the move the cook to an already pre-heated oven if the temps fall off at the end due to lack of fuel.The smoky flavor only really gets into the meat in the first few hours anyway. I've tried adding more fuel at the end to extend a cook and it just doesn't work out well. Plus you get black coal dust crap all over your food.

Thanks for the info an the AR Ring. Looks neat and will probably be purchased before the holiday. Either that or I'll say I found it under the seat of the new boat.

 

[txav8r]

Check out the ceramic grill stores other stuff! And if your up this way, stop in, they are in Denton and they are a regular fixture on the egghead forum.

Thanks for the tip on the finishing. I have done that before too. But ever since the egghead guys started talking about the Soos-Vide cookers, I have adopted a better way to finish or reheat. Just drop a sealed freezer bag in water at or near the temp you wish to have the food cooked to, and leave it. It won't overcook or dry out! When I cook a brisket/ pulled pork/ribs, I will reheat this way and it is almost like it came off the grill!

 

[steined]

With the digi q I have had a load last 24 hours when doing a brisket in a large. So it can be done! But I kind of cheat with the digi q!

 

[txav8r]

I have the maverick et 732. But I really need air control to go those long times overnight Unmonitored. It will work out ok!

 

[txav8r]

So I have been thinking...herein lies the problem! I have the ham, an 11.63 pound shank ham that is fully cooked and hickory smoked. I started it on the egg this morning and attempting to maintain about 200F and so far so good 4.5 hours into the cook. @Bruce does these all the time and cooks for 24 hours at 175. Keeping an egg at 175 without it going out is a concern. I intended 200 and get as close to 24hrs as the lump would take me. I cleaned the egg and vacuumed it completely both inside and behind the firebox, so it was clean at the start. I started with large lump and worked to smaller at the top, mixing in the apple and pecan wood (couldn't find hickory but pecan and hickory are almost the same in terms of smoke) in layers throughout the lump so it would give it continuous smoke. I am using my AR R&B combo rig with the ham at the felt line, a drip pan under with apple juice in it, and the indirect oval stone under that.

Here is my concern. My Amazing ribs temp guide shows a ham done at 145 internal temp. Any long cook will take the ham to the grid temp, which in my case will be around 200F. Will that be so done it will be lifeless? Any help appreciated.

 

[txav8r]

I should also add that after 4:30 on the egg, the internal temp of the ham is up to 122F. Hence my concerns. Also, I shipped my thermapen to Maui for vacation, so I don't have anything but my Maverick ET732 probe to monitor. I took care to set that probe at the center of the ham, away from the bone and hopefully away from the fat vein.

 

[txav8r]

I am considering a blower fan on the egg. Any suggestions? When I did a smoked ham for vacation, I was up twice during the night to catch the temp as it either dropped or spiked. Not serious and I decided to accept the 12 degree drop the first time. But I basted the ham another time that night, and of course, you open an egg and the temp then climbs some when closed. And it did, and took over an hour to stabilize and me to go back to sleep. So while my maverick is a decent cheap setup, I might want something to help with long cooks. Any ideas?

 

[txav8r]

Also, the SMOKED HAM thread is updated with this cook...

 

[JetPowered]

I've been happy with my BBQ guru digi q 2.

 

[txav8r]

Good to know! Thanks!

 

[JetPowered]

Now that I'm not typing on my iPhone, the Guru has a lid lift mode. It senses the sudden drop in dome temp and does not turn on the fan to compensate. In factif you leave the built in damper of the fan about half way it really cuts natural convection down to manageable levels. If the fire ever starts to die down it give short 'puffs' to stoke the embers. If the temp does not recover, it will give longer blasts of the fan until it senses temps rising back to your set level.

The only thing it doesn't do is give you the ability to remotely monitor temperature. Their Cyber Q model will do that, but it was too geeky even for this geek.

 

[MikeyL]

I am considering a blower fan on the egg. Any suggestions? When I did a smoked ham for vacation, I was up twice during the night to catch the temp as it either dropped or spiked. Not serious and I decided to accept the 12 degree drop the first time. But I basted the ham another time that night, and of course, you open an egg and the temp then climbs some when closed. And it did, and took over an hour to stabilize and me to go back to sleep. So while my maverick is a decent cheap setup, I might want something to help with long cooks. Any ideas?

MEL: 2 points: I do not know if you already own 1 of these, but if you do not, I can assure you this unit works. And works EXTREMELY WELL with a BGE.
It is called a DigiQ.
http://www.bbqguys.com/category_path_17910.html?source=adwords&gclid=CMOerfrV88ACFbTm7AodkQIAmg

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=digiq&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=30917175741&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16671597466375520608&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_373md7pv9l_e

http://store.thebbqguru.com/weborderentry/DigiQ DX2

Close friends of mine, who are VERY adept @ cooking real BBQ (NOTE: Barbeque is a NOUN !!!!!!!!!!!! It is NEVER a "verb" !), have added this unit to their BGE's and are VERY pleased with the results. Bottom line: It does EXACTLY what it claims to. And they were having virtually identical problems/symptoms, as you described. The DigiQ cured those !

Lastly ........... Ya know ..... I love my LANG Cooker too. Love cooking with REAL WOOD, Hickory and Southern Red Oak.
Thus: You and I oughta have a "cook-off" sometime. I suggest the state of Georgia ......... Hey we could even do it @ Lake Oconee !
'Jes a brilliant idea ! LOL.

Best Wishes, Hope this helps, Mikey Lulejian - Lke Oconee, GA

 

[MikeyL]

I should also add that after 4:30 on the egg, the internal temp of the ham is up to 122F. Hence my concerns. Also, I shipped my thermapen to Maui for vacation, so I don't have anything but my Maverick ET732 probe to monitor. I took care to set that probe at the center of the ham, away from the bone and hopefully away from the fat vein.

Pork is completely "done" @ an internal temp of 135 !!!!!!!!!!! Tops ! If it reads 135, and you take it "off" .......... By the time you deal with it, even immediately (which no one does) it'll be @ 140 !
Now .... cooking to make PULLED pork .......... you wanna use the TWISTED FORK method. And by the time you can insert the fork (in the pork Boston butt, or Pork shoulder) and twist it around, the meat is @ 195 +
Hoping this helps you, Mel, even tho it is not the day you asked for it.
Many Best Wishes your way, Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[txav8r]

Uh...well, better read the rest of the thread and the reference to the Smoked Ham thread @MikeyL , it was a fully cooked ham to begin with. The idea wasn't to "cook" it, it was to make it fall off the bone done, add more smoke to it, and get a pull apart meat out of a ham. I succeeded thanks to @Bruce . Another lesson learned...it doesn't all come out of books, nor are we always right about everything we think we are right about. No need for a cook off...you already know your the best, right? But I do appreciate the info about the DigiQ...I know about it, have talked with many about it, and it is in the lead for my vote at this point. But I want to get more opinions about others and any negatives to it or others. As I said, I have monitor capability now at grid and meat level, I just need temp regulation while I am not watching. They cyberQ sounds like a good idea, but I don't think Tom at the CGS looks at it favorably either, for the same geeky reasons @JetPowered . When you lower the temps to 200 or less, maintaining that temp through a long cook is tough. And I will do more of these hams now that I know about them. That ham was perfect! I guess some just like their ham well done? Who knows, it was good, and good is good.

 

[cwoav8r]

@txav8r have you tried frying a turkey? I like the low and slow for all other BBQ, etc but give the fryer a try if you get a chance. It can be dangerous if you don't follow the 101' of frying but that is true of anything. The best part of frying the turkey on Thanksgiving is making the Stuffing Balls - (ground sausage, pork, break made up as a snow ball). You drop them in after the turkey and you have something that is hurtful

Okay... Just found this thread, and Mel... sorry, but I have an ulterior motive for hijacking your post...

I have been frying turkeys since 1990, when I met my father in law (originally from Louisiana). I breezed through this thread so I may have missed a few things...

I too was a little put off by fried turkey @txav8r , but over the years I have learned that lowering the bird in the oil (peanut oil to be exact) at the proper rate will seal the juices in and very little, if any, oil will penetrate into the meat. The difference in fried and oven (or otherwise) baked turkey to me is night and day. I have fried over 25 gobblers to date, and I have found it very hard to screw one up... and when placed against a baked bird, I am always disappointed that there is less of the fried to take home for leftovers.

Now... let t be known that I am not the cook in my family, my wife is... Twice a year I step up to cook the focus of the meal, Thanksgiving and Christmas, when I get a chance to perform the miracle of the 1.5 hour turkey, but I must say that it is the seasoning, and injection of same, into the bird (that she does) that makes me look like a genius.

On to the purpose of my post...

@4x15mph , these Stuffing Balls you speak of, I need more details of the recipe... I so want to make these this year... willing to trade the wife's injection recipe for details if interested...

Let us all give thanks for the recipe that we are about to receive... hopefully...

 

[4x15mph]

@cwoav8r , stuffing balls will be a big hit for everyone. There are 2 recipes that I can share with you. The first was the "original" that was told to me while standing in line at home depot buying the peanut oil for the fryer. A guy turned to me and told me this simple version which is really just stove top stuffing mix as the main ingredient. You add water to the mix making sure the consistency is moist and shapeable. Not too much and not too little. You then shape these into meatball sized balls and place them on a sheet. I store then in the refrigerator up until they are ready to drop in but this does affect the overall moisture in the ball so be careful not to dry them out otherwise they will fall apart. When the turkey is done, you bring the oil down in temperature slightly and place, not drop, the balls in carefully. Do this 1 at a time and do not load in too many where they are on top of each other but instead fry them in batches. I watch for them to be crispy and I also always have to test one to make sure that the inside is done. Take them out and put them in a dish lined with paper towel on the bottom. Figure on at least 1 per person and make sure you have extra for leftovers since this will rival the best leftover (fried) turkey sandwich.

I usually make at least 2 boxes of the stove top recipe and I usually buy 1 cornbread flavor and 1 turkey. Go with what you like

Now, my brother in law and I have turned the fried turkey holiday dinner into a competition and we try to out do one another. That has brought about my brother in law's recipe which is entirely homemade and very good. I don't have his exact recipe but it is really more about homemade stuffing with add-in ingredients. It is sort of like : http://www.southernplate.com/2010/05/southern-stuffing-balls-guest-blog-post.html

I continue to use Stove Top as my starting point but I also add ground sausage which is a requirement. Over the years, I have improved them by adding dried cherries and/or cranberries, crushed walnuts, and cajun spice on the outside.

Remember: Burner off on the turkey fryer when lowering the turkey into the oil. You probably know this but this eliminates most of the hazard of frying with oil.

Please send the injection recipe. Thank you

 

[cwoav8r]

Thank you @4x15mph , looking forward to trying this out!

I take it they will float so no need for a basket...

I will get the injection recipe to you tonight...

Thanks again!
Ed

 

[cwoav8r]

First, just a shout to the @Administrative group for picking such a great forum community software package! I was just finishing this post when my computer BSOD'd... not to worry, because I knew my draft would be saved... and it was. Have I said I love this place today?

Now...

Every turkey that I have ever fried has been the hero because of the marinade injection that my wife does the night before. I was all prepared to share the greatest recipe on earth, and when I told her I needed it, her response was "I don't have a recipe, I make that crap up as I go".

So, with that, I challenged her to recall what she did last year... and this is what we came up with, she added this disclaimer: if it doesn't' look or taste right I add something else until it does... gotta love her...

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
4 tbsp Zatarain's Creole seasoning - or Tony Chachere's Original Creole seasoning
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Bring to a boil, let it cool slightly and strain to avoid clogging the needle on the syringe. Inject from the inside very slowly, allowing the marinade to cool and prevent it from leaking back out. Inject the thighs and legs with as few skin punctures as possible. The less you puncture the skin, the better, to keep the peanut oil from getting inside the bird.

After the injection process is completed, rub with butter, sprinkle with Emeril's Cajun seasoning inside and out, and rub in. Wrap with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

The slower you can drop the bird in the fryer the better, searing the skin and sealing the juices in. I usually take about 10 to 15 seconds dropping it in.

So, use at your own risk, and adjust as you see fit... I will however, promise to accurately document this years recipe for future generations, and start an appropriate thread.

On a side note, a co-worker told me today that I needed to switch to an infrared frier. He used one last year and could not tell the difference between oil fried and infrared fried. I thought about it for one second, and decided that the prospect of stuffing balls was way more important, so I am sticking to oil.

And, @txav8r Mel sorry again, this was way out of context for this thread... but @4x15mph started it...

 

[txav8r]

Hey, were all in this together, I have a turkey frying rig, but have only used it to boil shrimp and crawfish, so I can't say that I have any experience with frying turkeys. I will say that there is also a night and day difference in an oven roasted bird and a bird cooked on the BGE, however. It is thin, tasty, and moist. I most certainly will try another BGE turkey again, as it too was the best turkey we have ever had. It is not a slow roasted bird, instead cooked at the same temp as you would cook it in the oven. I might have to give those stuffing balls a try before I do a turkey! I always overthink things...and part of that led me to thinking about what I would do with gallons of leftover peanut oil. Hopefully, you guys can shed some light on that, what it costs, what you do with it and such. Good info here!