Big Green Egg! The Ultimate Grill

Big Green Egg! The Ultimate Grill.

With the arrival of Daylight Saving Time, we have more time to do things outdoors, so let’s get to it! It is officially grilling season, but it’s only great if you have the right grill. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with old-fashioned gas grills if you don’t mind the occasional propane-enhanced burger. But for those looking to take grilling a step further, I recommend looking into a Big Green Egg.

Big Green Egg makes grilling easy and almost foolproof.

I grilled on traditional gas grills for decades and am sure there is nothing I didn’t ruin along the way. I burnt burgers, dried out chicken, and my medium-rare steaks tended to end up well-done. Consequently, I avoided trying things that were more complicated and stayed with the usual fare. On the other hand, I always felt…shorted. I liked to grill, but I just didn’t like the results. Then Eastgate Pools & Spas began selling kamado-style Big Green Eggs and I thought, “what the heck!”

I was a little intimidated at first, as this was a completely new way to grill.

I didn’t get scared off, though, so I read up on how to cook using indirect and direct heat and watched some YouTube videos. Consequently, I made my first special meal: a beer can chicken. It was very simple, but the taste was amazing. It was moist, juicy, and the flavor was enhanced by the natural lump hardwood charcoal I used. My next meal was more complicated. I did a 9-pound Boston Butt that I smoked at low temperature for ten hours. That’s ‘low and slow’, the mantra of any serious Southern BBQ aficionado. I shredded it, making the best pulled pork I have ever tasted. Since then, I have tried many things, including a delicious T-bone steak, cooked perfectly to a medium rare finish. It was the juiciest, best tasting steak I have ever served. Next was jambalaya with andouille sausage as the star. After that came smoked trout.

On the other hand, if these don’t entice you, you’ll find many other great recipes at https://biggreenegg.com/recipes.

Let’s crack the Big Green Egg shell and look inside.

So, what makes the Big Green Egg kamado-style grill so special? That is to say, how did it turn this bumbling gas griller into a pretty darn good grill master? It is simply the technique. Big Green Egg isn’t a gas grill. It uses natural lump charcoal, thereby eliminating unwanted gas-enhanced flavors. Place the charcoal in the ceramic fire bowl, then light it. Once going, an air current is generated from the bottom of the Egg through a port on the top. Control the air by adjusting these two ports.

In short, the more air flowing through, the hotter the grill will get. For a properly grilled steak, open them up and let the grill get up to at least 600°. On the other hand, if you are looking for that low and slow 200° temp, close both off most of the way. There is a learning curve, but that’s half the fun.

For me, the secret to a successful cooking project is the convEGGtor, a catchy name for indirect heat. It is simply a ceramic insert that keeps juices from dripping down and igniting, eliminating moisture robbing flare-ups. During a cook, temperature stays more consistent, and food doesn’t dry out like on a gas grill.

Perhaps most importantly…

Do not use charcoal briquettes in your Eggbecause many contain binders to hold the briquette together. Common binders are starch, clay, wood dust, molasses, and acacia gum. That’s a tree sap also used in watercolor paints. Moreover, some briquettes have been treated with lighter fluid to assist in getting the burn started. Consequently, odors from briquettes will imbed in the ceramic fire bowl and affect future cooking projects. Only use natural lump charcoal, such as Big Green Egg 100% Natural Oak & Hickory Lump Charcoal.

In conclusion

With a Big Green Egg, you can grill, roast, smoke, and even bake. I’m not ready to try a birthday cake on my Egg just yet. However, I can attest that my pan cornbread came out great and the smokiness actually enhanced the taste.

If you like to grill, and if you like juicy steaks, flavorful stews, and the best burgers you will ever make, you need a Big Green Egg. Eastgate Pools & Spas carries the most popular sizes and a huge selection of the Eggcessory items you’ll want. Stop in soon and see how great a grill can be. You’ll taste the difference.