I count myself lucky to be the owner of a brand new Medium
egg along with one of Werever’s new designer Egg tables.
Oh, so I should say I’m a Werever kitchen designer. I’ve
designed many outdoor kitchens all over the country
during the past 5 years. I’ve really got my money out out my
grill from Depot and the electric smoker that I got at a garage
sale. It’s all over now they’re headed to the curb.
Finally now is the time I get to do a serious upgrade.
Being new to this Egg world I have found a wealth of information on the Egghead forum, on the BigGreen Egg web site. It’s a place that is full of a great group of characters. They are always willing to share everything from recipes to the newest gizmo to the newest rub. I’ve learned a lot reading it and have gleaned a few noteworthy things I’d like to share.
You should calibrate the dome thermometer. They don’t come out of the box perfect. Check it out with boiling water and adjust the nut on back so it read about 210 degrees.
You can use ½” copper plumbing tees on top of the plate sitter to when a dish indirect without your bottom heating too quickly and possibly boiling over or burning.
You can sort a full bag of lump charcoal by dumping into a wheelbarrow. Take two 5 gallon buckets one for large lump and smaller lump in the other bucket. Old gloves are a necessity!
Build your fire with bigger pieces of lump on the bottom then pack smaller pieces around it clear up to the top of the firebox.
You can lite your lump with a paper towel with a little vegetable oil on it to get it going right away. Just push it down into the center and cover with a small lump and light.
After lighting you need tocatch your temperature you want on the way up because of the high thermal mass the Egg cools slowly. Did I say sloooowly?
Cast iron skillets are great in the Egg for many uses. I cut the handle off mine with a hacksaw, leaving a nub so I can get a hold of it with my welding gloves.
Welding gloves allow you to grab a blazing hot cast iron grill or plate sitter safely.
You can treat a new cast iron grill like a new cast iron skillet. Rub lard or oil onto new iron and bake at 200 degrees for 2 hours, cool, and wash and repeat. After about 3 bakes/wash cycles you will not be able to wash it off. Your iron is now coated and will be easier to clean and less susceptible to your food sticking and ruining your great grill marks.
So much to egg, so little time.
My blog entries are going to be focused on my standard recipes that I will share – along with my continuing eggucation. I‘ll be ready to test out the Big Green Egg cookbook when I’m a little more comfortable with getting the basics out of the way.
