Any “Big Green Egg” (BBQ) owners?

[Mj2k]

Looking good. Did it cook evenly still?

Eventually it did, kept shovelling lit coals to the right hand side. I wasn’t central in my kebab as was too far to one side - I over estimated how much space twice as much thigh meat would take.

By then it was too later start moving the prongs about without making a huge mess.

[Mj2k]

Very pleased to find this thread!!
After a drunken argument with a colleague about which is better - my old Weber (had it 10 years) or his Big Green Egg - in a bar one particularly heavy night in Manchester, he arrived at my place for lunch the other day with a gift for me in the form of a Big Green Egg.
I set it up and have used it a few times for steak, tandoori chicken and pizzas. I have to say, what an absolute weapon the thing is!!!
I am off for a few days over Easter and planning to cook up my first brisket. Anyone have any tips or advice for me??


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What a generous friend! Which one did he get you?

Brisket is my nemesis. I am yet to get either the meat or the rub correct. Our leaner beef isn’t as good as some proper fatty US stuff, so there is a lot of good info on FB on lean cooking, and braising etc.

I used the exact same batch of home made beef rub on short ribs and it was amazing. On the brisket all it tasted of was pepper. I do not seem to be alone on that one speaking with friends.

If you haven’t done a long / low cook before I’d start with a pork shoulder. Infinitely more forgiving to temperature fluctuations (although with an egg once it’s dialled in, you’re good).

Good quality restaurant grade lump wood is also a must for these things, especially the long cooks. You can never buy supermarket charcoal again!

You will also likely want a remote thermometer to keep an eye on bbq and meat temps. Especially useful for alarms overnight.

I have a MEATER, but prefer the old school ones. I’ve just bought one of these: https://www.thermometersdirect.co.uk...ermometer.html

Which is my 3rd of this style over the last 15 years, easier to see at a glance vs having your phone on an app the whole time. At this price vs the cost of replacement probes I’m likely to order another as spares.

[MikeJSmith]

They're taking the p#ss, bought 3 average-sized ones in Tesco yesterday for £1.25

Yes, they definitely were. At least the lad working there (I assume not the owner) forewarned the customers and priced it up for them so that they could say no beforehand.

Perhaps an independent store has more exposure to price changes and could be impacted by them sooner than somewhere like Tesco.


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[mijyou]

Just seen the Aldi kamado is on sale at £319.99

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[Middo]

Just seen the Aldi kamado is on sale at £319.99

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That’s a great buy

[Bruce]

Anyone looking to crack a brisket should def give this a watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTRVllIPAF8

I have also ordered about four briskets from Swaledale meats online and they have been excellent.

The amount of fat on them makes them a little bit more forgiving than a leaner cut

[Mj2k]

Anyone looking to crack a brisket should def give this a watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTRVllIPAF8

I have also ordered about four briskets from Swaledale meats online and they have been excellent.

The amount of fat on them makes them a little bit more forgiving than a leaner cut

Will have to give them a look, thanks.

Another pork butt overnight tonight & then ribs on at 2pm. Then the following weekend it’s the kellybab again as requested by my parents.

Maybe then I can try a brisket.

[Chinnock]

Cote de boeuf tonight, with roast savoy cabbage, potato wedges and homemade bearnaise sauce; fantastic stuff!




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Low carb heaven!

[MikeJSmith]

Low carb heaven!

Ha, yes. Although you don’t see the big pile of potato wedges id made on the side!


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[Mj2k]

Last nights efforts





Plus a new 50cm stainless tray for carving shawarma into at the table vs over the table!

[Piemuncher22]

What a generous friend! Which one did he get you?

Brisket is my nemesis. I am yet to get either the meat or the rub correct. Our leaner beef isn’t as good as some proper fatty US stuff, so there is a lot of good info on FB on lean cooking, and braising etc.

I used the exact same batch of home made beef rub on short ribs and it was amazing. On the brisket all it tasted of was pepper. I do not seem to be alone on that one speaking with friends.

If you haven’t done a long / low cook before I’d start with a pork shoulder. Infinitely more forgiving to temperature fluctuations (although with an egg once it’s dialled in, you’re good).

Good quality restaurant grade lump wood is also a must for these things, especially the long cooks. You can never buy supermarket charcoal again!

You will also likely want a remote thermometer to keep an eye on bbq and meat temps. Especially useful for alarms overnight.

I have a MEATER, but prefer the old school ones. I’ve just bought one of these: https://www.thermometersdirect.co.uk...ermometer.html

Which is my 3rd of this style over the last 15 years, easier to see at a glance vs having your phone on an app the whole time. At this price vs the cost of replacement probes I’m likely to order another as spares.

Just re visited this thread. A couple of answers to your questions! The one he bought me was the large version - complete with the wooden “wings” a stand, a cover, the cast iron grill as well as the normal one - basically everything to get started.

In terms of charcoal, I’ve been using Big K restaurant grade for years which more recently I’ve been mixing with Binchotan. I also like to occasionally use a lump or two of apple wood which I find gives a nice subtle smoke or wood fired flavour if I’m cooking pizzas - which the family love!!

Since reading your reply, I’ve also purchased the MEATER +. A nice bit of kit, but I recon reading about 5-10 degrees lower than the actual temperature. I used it for the first time this weekend doing a slow roasted lamb shoulder with roasted potatoes and roasted baby cabbage. I learned a good lesson, don’t trust the MEATER, use it as an indication and then check with a second meat thermometer when I open the lid to see how it’s doing.

Next on the list is pork ribs for the kids before I attempt some beef ribs. I’ve been doing a fair amount of reading since your post, and there’s a fair bit out there talking about the difference in fat content between the American brisket and the UK brisket. I recon beef ribs are the way to go first off before I try the brisket.

Couple of pics from the weekends epic - lit the barbe at half 7, ended up eating about half one I think.





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[Middo]

Can you not calibrate the Meater?

[Piemuncher22]

Can you not calibrate the Meater?

Hmmmmm that’s an interesting one. I have no clue!! Maybe I should have done that before I used it. Certainly nothing about calibration in the instructions.


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[Saint-Just]

I don’t think you can but you can calibrate your cooking accordingly.
Mine is usually very good externally but 3-4° under internally, so I set a lower target temperature.

[Coot]

One 'bab on the go

[Mj2k]

Looking great, love a kebab on the egg.

Szechuan slow smoked leg of lamb for dinner tonight with home made bao buns.

[Coot]

Went down a treat

[Mj2k]

Went down a treat

Gorgeous!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143312669...mis&media=COPY

I have a 55cm one of these to carve at the table.

[Coot]

Ah nice - Mine was only 12in or so (snigger) and most of it went all over the table.

I knocked the extension cable half way through and the joetisserie stopped turning for a while - only noticed as went to get a photo.

On a related note, I've had the Kamado Joe for about 12 years and the inner firebox has been cracked for a while but doesnt stop it from working.
Finally got round to fxing/getting a new one and couldnt find the bits anywhere.

A quick email to Kamado Joe and it turns out all the ceramic bits have a lifetime warranty and £350 of new bits are on their way to me. Which is nice.
Found the original receipt and it was £580 or so at the time.

Gorgeous!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143312669...mis&media=COPY

I have a 55cm one of these to carve at the table.

[Coot]

Looking great, love a kebab on the egg.

Szechuan slow smoked leg of lamb for dinner tonight with home made bao buns.

I think you're only missing the breadknife in that shot to have the same set as I do...

[Middo]

Went down a treat

Looks great- Also reminds me I need some charcoal and a charcoal basket.

[Mj2k]

I think you're only missing the breadknife in that shot to have the same set as I do...

I somehow purchased the majority of these about 23 years ago in my early / mid 20s. Clearly seemed to think I had a huge disposable income. Thinking about sending them away for a professional sharpen as there is no way they are as sharp as new despite my efforts.

Yes, when I was carving onto a chopping board it was all over the glass table, the floor etc. mounting the spit on the circular base & then carving with an old school thin carving knife (not running a global against the metal forks!)

[Mj2k]

Came out great, but need a larger cutter for the bao buns.

[MikeJSmith]

All looking good chaps.

I’ve got a half leg of lamb marinading overnight for the Joetisserie tomorrow and a shoulder of pork brining ready for a long slow pulled pork on Monday. First time I’ve tried these on the Kamado.

I’ve removed the skin from the pork to make some scratching too


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[Middo]

All looking good chaps.

I’ve got a half leg of lamb marinading overnight for the Joetisserie tomorrow and a shoulder of pork brining ready for a long slow pulled pork on Monday. First time I’ve tried these on the Kamado.

I’ve removed the skin from the pork to make some scratching too


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Any particular recipe for the joetisserie? I’m going to fire mine up tomorrow.

[MikeJSmith]

Just garlic and rosemary.

This is what I wanted to do but my wife doesn’t like parsley, so the chimichurri is a no go. Will roughly follow the cooking guides here though, but will probably turn up the heat at the end to crisp it up a bit.

https://www.kamadojoe.com/blogs/reci...th-chimichurri


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[Mj2k]

All looking good chaps.

I’ve got a half leg of lamb marinading overnight for the Joetisserie tomorrow and a shoulder of pork brining ready for a long slow pulled pork on Monday. First time I’ve tried these on the Kamado.

I’ve removed the skin from the pork to make some scratching too


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I’ve never brined my pork shoulder, just yellow mustard and rub. I need to try a few variances soon as been cooking the same recipe for 13+ years!

[MikeJSmith]

I’ve never brined my pork shoulder, just yellow mustard and rub. I need to try a few variances soon as been cooking the same recipe for 13+ years!

I’ve been “dry brining” based on Smoking Dad BBQ YouTube and have previously wet brined chicken before but this is the first time I’ve wet brined for ages. Then it’ll get an overnight with the dry rub before going on Sunday night.

This is the recipe I’m following:

https://meatsmokefire.co.uk/recipes/pork/pulled-pork/

It’s probably a good idea to mix it up a bit, but difficult when you’ve got a process nailed down


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[Saint-Just]

Just garlic and rosemary.

This is what I wanted to do but my wife doesn’t like parsley, so the chimichurri is a no go. Will roughly follow the cooking guides here though, but will probably turn up the heat at the end to crisp it up a bit.

https://www.kamadojoe.com/blogs/reci...th-chimichurri


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I find rosemary superb with pork but too strong for lamb, especially lamb at this time of the year. Thyme is best imo.

[Mj2k]

I’ve been “dry brining” based on Smoking Dad BBQ YouTube and have previously wet brined chicken before but this is the first time I’ve wet brined for ages. Then it’ll get an overnight with the dry rub before going on Sunday night.

This is the recipe I’m following:

https://meatsmokefire.co.uk/recipes/pork/pulled-pork/

It’s probably a good idea to mix it up a bit, but difficult when you’ve got a process nailed down


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Thank you - Nic knows his stuff and has been a great help over the years (got me a second set of forks for the spit, so I can keep 2 kebabs separate on it....still to do lol)

Will have to give that a go, as you say easy to get set in my ways & just far too relaxing these days knowing what works (and to ignore the fact the MEATER cannot work out low & slow timings!)

My lamb last night went from being 2hrs to be ready (4hrs too early), to after wrapping in butchers paper when it suggested 10hrs!

[MikeJSmith]

I find rosemary superb with pork but too strong for lamb, especially lamb at this time of the year. Thyme is best imo.

Good call. I did actually add some thyme to this marinade as I had some for another dish, I generally go for more the merrier!

Our outdoor kitchen / dining / seating area is finally coming together:




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[Middo]

Just garlic and rosemary.

This is what I wanted to do but my wife doesn’t like parsley, so the chimichurri is a no go. Will roughly follow the cooking guides here though, but will probably turn up the heat at the end to crisp it up a bit.

https://www.kamadojoe.com/blogs/reci...th-chimichurri


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Sweet - thanks for posting.

[Middo]

These have a good reviews, 10% off for blue light too.

https://www.grden.co.uk

For those interested the ash basket will fit a KJ

[Mj2k]

Porchetta in the minimax today and the spuds & veg in the XL. Feels the wrong way around but can fit the sides in the smaller one.

[Mj2k]

Porchetta in the minimax today and the spuds & veg in the XL. Feels the wrong way around but can fit the sides in the smaller one.

Learning that when your eggs are as far away from the kitchen as possible it’s a lot of walking, running and swearing!



Getting there though!

[gorrie]

I’m dipping my toe in to this smoker stuff. Not committing to it fully for now though… have only bought a cheap thing from Amazon that vaguely resembles a Weber if you squint really hard.
Have got some Big K lump wood, and a small joint of pork rib as a trial (about 4lbs). I plan to give it a shot tomorrow, after doing an initial cycle today to burn off any nasty stuff.



Will report back… I’m not expecting big things for this first trial ! I’ve not got any of this probe stuff.. so I’m going to aim for 6hrs based on what I can see (90mins per lb at 225f ?).
Andy.

[Mj2k]

I’m dipping my toe in to this smoker stuff. Not committing to it fully for now though… have only bought a cheap thing from Amazon that vaguely resembles a Weber if you squint really hard.
Have got some Big K lump wood, and a small joint of pork rib as a trial (about 4lbs). I plan to give it a shot tomorrow, after doing an initial cycle today to burn off any nasty stuff.

Will report back… I’m not expecting big things for this first trial ! I’ve not got any of this probe stuff.. so I’m going to aim for 6hrs based on what I can see (90mins per lb at 225f ?).
Andy.

So how is it going? Managing to dial your temperature in well?

I found when I was using my Weber Smokey Mountain, that I got better burn times and consistency when using premium briquettes compared to lump wood - have a look at the snake / minion method.

Also, with the WSM there was an good article on leaving the top vents open & controlling temperature on the bottom vents only which is how I used to do it.

[gorrie]

Well, I was a little later in starting it… it was probably about 10:40am before I was ready to add the pork.
I’ve kept the top vent wide open the whole time.. bottom vents were wide open to get it up to temp, and then I started nudging them closed to experiment. I did struggle a fair bit to keep a steady temperature. I guess that’s down to it being a cheap model.
I had to go out for a couple of hours as well and when I returned I needed to add some more lumpwood. Clearly I hadn’t put enough in to begin with. My water bath has been ok.. I did add some more at about 3hrs in.. just to make sure.

I’ve been surprised just how much fuel was required.. so next time I’ll be making sure that I’m cooking enough to make it worthwhile.

As this is my first attempt, I cut the joint in the middle at about 4pm to check how it was looking…. it seemed to be almost there and I had a nice pink smoke ring (no real bark to talk of though).
I’ve left it on for another 60mins and thrown some Potatoes in foil straight on to the charcoal to have with it shortly. Will add a picture soon !

[gorrie]

I am pretty pleased with this result as a very first attempt.




If I was using this cut of pork again, I’d try removing the fat first to cook that separately hopefully getting a good crackling. But the pork itself, just wow.. tasted tremendous (even Mrs G agreed), and was so moist and tender.

Now, need to think what to cook at the weekend !

Andy.

[Mj2k]

Well, I was a little later in starting it… it was probably about 10:40am before I was ready to add the pork.
I’ve kept the top vent wide open the whole time.. bottom vents were wide open to get it up to temp, and then I started nudging them closed to experiment. I did struggle a fair bit to keep a steady temperature. I guess that’s down to it being a cheap model.
I had to go out for a couple of hours as well and when I returned I needed to add some more lumpwood. Clearly I hadn’t put enough in to begin with. My water bath has been ok.. I did add some more at about 3hrs in.. just to make sure.

I’ve been surprised just how much fuel was required.. so next time I’ll be making sure that I’m cooking enough to make it worthwhile.

As this is my first attempt, I cut the joint in the middle at about 4pm to check how it was looking…. it seemed to be almost there and I had a nice pink smoke ring (no real bark to talk of though).
I’ve left it on for another 60mins and thrown some Potatoes in foil straight on to the charcoal to have with it shortly. Will add a picture soon !

The fuel aspect was why I used briquettes in the Weber was higher heat for longer - lump wood stuff got used too quickly, but is all you can use in a ceramic.

I ditched a water bath and used to use broken ceramic pot in the pan, there for a heat soak more than the moisture tbh, and much less mess to clear up!

The temptation to keep tweaking vents is high lol, I used to find a cocktail stick / skewer helpful in getting the same repeatable gaps.

If you are having air leaks between sections, roll up some foil into a sausage shape and use it to create a better seal between sections.

Something like this is really handy for keeping an eye on meat and the bow temps: https://www.thermometersdirect.co.uk...ermometer.html

First cook & then leaving for 2 hours, wow you have balls of steel! Been doing it well over a decade and still not that brave!

Anything I have put straight onto the charcoal in foil has ended up burnt offers - I wish you luck with the spuds.

Enjoy the consumption of your first smoke!

Edit - I tend to do 3 butts at a time to make it worth the effort if low & slow.

Edit 2 - pics now up! Looks great - yes remove the fat & get the flavour on the meat itself. Got for the full pork shoulder and do pulled pork next weekend - it is very forgiving. Or shoot with ribs, as a shorter cook, but easier to screw up...but not too difficult to master - have a look at www.amazingribs.com

[gorrie]

Thanks for all those suggestions. The foil for the air gaps is definitely something I’ll look at, because I could see that I was definitely losing a fair amount between the sections… so special thanks for that !

Spuds came out really well… double foil wrapped them with the outer foil being wrapped looser than the inner, to give a bit of a buffer between layers.

[Mj2k]

Thanks for all those suggestions. The foil for the air gaps is definitely something I’ll look at, because I could see that I was definitely losing a fair amount between the sections… so special thanks for that !

Spuds came out really well… double foil wrapped them with the outer foil being wrapped looser than the inner, to give a bit of a buffer between layers.

Even the Weber ones have lots of leaks. https://www.virtualweberbullet.com/ was a good source of information when I was using a bullet smoker, so should apply to you.

One thing to check is whether your middle section is actually true & round - I had to squeeze mine to get it the right shape & it reduced a lot of leaks.

Will be trying the spuds option again based on your approach, but have to lift off lots of hot ceramics to do that & may just pop them on the grill.

I had so much fun learning on my WSM, which was a huge jump vs trying to cook low & slow on a Weber Kettle !

[Corporalsparrow]

Despite the lack of a crust, this 9.5hr beef rack cook was the greatest thing ever to have been consumed by a living being.

[Mj2k]

That does look good but amazed you did not get any bark after that length of time!

I’ve always been disappointed when the meat falls off the bone as info to serve it with beef ribs.

Where did you buy that from? It looks superb.

[Corporalsparrow]

That does look good but amazed you did not get any bark after that length of time!

I’ve always been disappointed when the meat falls off the bone as info to serve it with beef ribs.

Where did you buy that from? It looks superb.

https://www.tomhixson.co.uk/product/...short-ribs-804

[Middo]

On the subject of quality meat, I am lucky to have a consumer direct farm close by and this place for the posh stuff if I fancy an Uber treat.

https://butcherfarrell.co.uk

The miso bavette skewers are ace and he now has mail order options.

[gorrie]

Tried my 2nd cook with the cheap Amazon smoker today.
Pork shoulder (removed the fat this time) and I also threw on a beef joint (silverside) which was quicker to cook.

Think the pork worked out better this time:-




I think I’ll make pulled pork with it and stick it in tubs for meals the rest of the week.

The beef was ‘ok’… had some on a panini with some whole grain mustard. I think it was overly smokey tasting though, so will probably stick to pork in future.



I’ve also picked up a mini Kamado (Aldi), so I’m looking forward to having a go with that.
I was planning to make a pizza steel for it and have ordered some 5mm steel… but my wife has gone and ordered an Ooni today.. so I’m now not sure what to throw in the Kamado.

Andy.

[MikeJSmith]

I did a beer can chicken this evening, no photos I’m afraid, but it was superb. Another meal wolfed down by my 4 year old, which is a good sign and my wife also said it was the best thing she’s eaten in some time. I did roast potatoes with it which were perfect, so that helps! Then did the Alabama white sauce which is superb with chicken.


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[MikeJSmith]

Tried my 2nd cook with the cheap Amazon smoker today.
Pork shoulder (removed the fat this time) and I also threw on a beef joint (silverside) which was quicker to cook.

Think the pork worked out better this time:-




I think I’ll make pulled pork with it and stick it in tubs for meals the rest of the week.

The beef was ‘ok’… had some on a panini with some whole grain mustard. I think it was overly smokey tasting though, so will probably stick to pork in future.



I’ve also picked up a mini Kamado (Aldi), so I’m looking forward to having a go with that.
I was planning to make a pizza steel for it and have ordered some 5mm steel… but my wife has gone and ordered an Ooni today.. so I’m now not sure what to throw in the Kamado.

Andy.

How did the pulled pork work out? What temperature did you get the pork to and how long did it take?

I got an Ooni this week too; so far only done an skillet of chicken thighs but that worked well.

I have the outside kitchen space set up now, at least until I can build a proper unit.





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[gorrie]

How did the pulled pork work out? What temperature did you get the pork to and how long did it take?

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Wife says she’s wanting it sliced for rolls / sannies instead now. Got the core temp to around 180f, and it was in for around 6.5hrs (it was just a small 1.5kg joint).

What model Ooni did you go for? We’ve gone for a multifuel one, but to be honest I’m unlikely to use gas…. there was a deal online at Lakeland, and combined with various cash back deals, we got the Karu 12 with the cover/bag for about £250.