Can I get some Big Green Egg stoke please?

[bagtagley]

Don't have an egg. Still smoking on an old Weber kettle grill. But, I wanted to put this somewhere.

I was short most of the ingredients I use for a typical rib rub, so I winged it. Salt, pepper, little sugar, some paprika and cocoa powder. I thought the cocoa powder would kill it, but damn it was good. Best bark I've ever personally created.

Another observation. The megamart had Niman Ranch baby back ribs on super sale. They were cheaper than the Smithfield ribs, so it was a no-brainer. I smoked two racks of the Niman Ranch and one rack of Smithfield St Louis style ribs I already had. Same rub, same everything, just a longer smoke on the SL style ribs. It's difficult to describe how much better the hippie ribs were. I prefer baby backs, so not completely surprising, but it was more than just that. The Smithfield ribs lacked the depth and richness of the other ribs. They almost had an off taste to them, one that I only noticed when eating the two together. IDK, just thought it was interesting.

[Grange]

^^^ That bark is super dark. Is that what you're going for? Does it still taste meaty and delicious, or does it get bitter at all? Just curious - never seen a shoulder go quite that dark. Do you use a lot of sugar in your rub?

Also... cottage cheese? WTF?

I tried a new rub recipe this time and yes it does have sugar (brown and granulated). The bark was quite good not bitter at all. I do prefer a darker bark as it tends to have more flavor. I don't wrap my pork butts, which can lead to a darker but. Over all this rub recipe was decent, but a little too much salt. I'd cut back on the salt. I'm planning on doing something different with the next pork butt.

I eat a lot of cottage cheese. May not be as good as homemade mac and cheese or even a crispy cole slaw, but much easier to "prepare" and I like it . It is also healthier though when eating BBQ healthy is not a word that comes to my mind.

[Flounder]

I didn't think Granges bark looked to dark. It's similar to what I get. Too lazy to make my own rub, I use Dizzy Dust coarse grind. Bark tastes great. Did an 18 hour smoke this past weekend and meant to get good pictures but didn't.

[4matic]

I eat a lot of cottage cheese.

When there's no Colby available?

[Pegleg]

I didn't think Granges bark looked to dark. It's similar to what I get. Too lazy to make my own rub, I use Dizzy Dust coarse grind. Bark tastes great. Did an 18 hour smoke this past weekend and meant to get good pictures but didn't.

Just curious, it's darker than what I usually shoot for as illustrated in my last post on the previous page of this thread (char siu bbq pork shoulder). Just wondering if I should be shooting for darker.

[Danno]

Did some low-and-slow char siu pork shoulder on the egg today. Came out brilliant - kind of a dim sum/bbq hybrid.

I would just like to point out that I ate some of this pork, and it was fucking delicious. PSILF.

[Beaver]

Can you cook with wood in an egg? I always have a good supply of apple (sometimes cherry or peach, apricot, pear....)

[undertow2]

Can you cook with wood in an egg? I always have a good supply of apple (sometimes cherry or peach, apricot, pear....)

No wood or briquettes... Only hardwood lump... Anything else voids lifetime warranty...

[undertow2]

I didn't think Granges bark looked to dark. It's similar to what I get. Too lazy to make my own rub, I use Dizzy Dust coarse grind. Bark tastes great. Did an 18 hour smoke this past weekend and meant to get good pictures but didn't.

Dizzy Dust is the shit along with all of their other rubs... Swamp Venom is at the top of my list along with Raising the Steaks...

[Grange]

Can you cook with wood in an egg? I always have a good supply of apple (sometimes cherry or peach, apricot, pear....)

Not with wood alone. I use lump charcoal and chunks of wood. I like black cherry for pork and hickory for beef, but have use several different kinds over the years.

[~mikey b]

Same with my simple smoker. I think you need the charcoal. I like to use green oak, almond or apple branches with lump charcoal.

[Flounder]

Just curious, it's darker than what I usually shoot for as illustrated in my last post on the previous page of this thread (char siu bbq pork shoulder). Just wondering if I should be shooting for darker.

If yours tastes good I wouldn't worry about it. I would guess the difference is related to the difference in rubs. Cook to temperature. I usually start it about 210 and try and keep it between 200-225. I cook until 198-200 internal. I toss a hunk or two of hickory on as I put the pork on and get a nice deep smoke ring.

[Flounder]

Dizzy Dust is the shit along with all of their other rubs... Swamp Venom is at the top of my list along with Raising the Steaks...

Agreed! Makes a boring but healthy boneless/skinless chicken breast taste so good.

[Cruiser]

Anyone ever make their own charcoal? Wouldn't think it'd be all that difficult. Just cut some nice sized wood chunks and then light them up. Once they're really burning just spray them down with water until they're cool and then let them air dry. Amirite?

[Game Over]

To make charcoal you need to burn wood incompletely by depriving it of oxygen. Easiest way to do this is to put some wood hunks in a metal bucket with airtight? lid (edit-i cant recall if its airtight or not?? simple google) and build a fire around/on top of it in a metal 55 gallon barrel.

[irul&ublo]

Anyone ever make their own charcoal? Wouldn't think it'd be all that difficult. Just cut some nice sized wood chunks and then light them up. Once they're really burning just spray them down with water until they're cool and then let them air dry. Amirite?

Google is your friend...

http://m.wikihow.com/Make-Charcoal


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[Cruiser]

Yeah, that's way more involved than I figgered. Not gonna be doing that anytime soon.

[irul&ublo]

Plus compressed charcoal burns way more regular than lump. Muy better for long slow burn


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[Cruiser]

Briquettes in an egg? Blasphemy! You shut your dirty whore mouth.

[Cruiser]

Brined and rubbed with basil pesto before smoking over cherry wood at 325* for a bit more than an hour until the breasts hit 180*.

[Bobby Stainless]

Bacon wrapped smoked oysters and some sausages.


Shoulder

[Game Over]

We have a independent hardware store that is a Egg dealer. Every time Im in there I ogle them and today I got the green light to get one. SO question is--> What size did you guys choose and why? We were thinking bigger as a tiny one that could hardly fit a chicken was $600 compared to the biggest (i think XXL?) at $1200. Is the charcoal expense between the sizes worth considering?

[undertow2]

We have a independent hardware store that is a Egg dealer. Every time Im in there I ogle them and today I got the green light to get one. SO question is--> What size did you guys choose and why? We were thinking bigger as a tiny one that could hardly fit a chicken was $600 compared to the biggest (i think XXL?) at $1200. Is the charcoal expense between the sizes worth considering?

SC, the large Egg is perfect for family and friends... It will cook way more than you need and is by far the best seller... Just make sure you get the plate setter for indirect and if you are not handy and build a table for it get the Egg Nest... You will never regret this purchase... Mine is 10 yrs old with lifetime warranty snd all parts Re still original and still getting it done...

[habituallybored]

We have a independent hardware store that is a Egg dealer. Every time Im in there I ogle them and today I got the green light to get one. SO question is--> What size did you guys choose and why? We were thinking bigger as a tiny one that could hardly fit a chicken was $600 compared to the biggest (i think XXL?) at $1200. Is the charcoal expense between the sizes worth considering?

Agree. Get the large, perfect family size. I definitely wouldn't go smaller. I still keep a weber around if I need to throw something else on when cooking easy stuff for a large group.

[Cruiser]

If I had it to do over I'd consider the xl. My large is great but the egg is so damned efficient that cranking up the xl wouldn't be any more trouble and it'd offer me a little more surface area for ribs. As it is I can get like 4 racks of baby backs on but i need to use a rack that holds them up on their sides. I'd really rather have the ability to lay them flat. An xl could accommodate 4 racks flat if you were careful about trimming and placement and when we entertain the extra capacity would be nice. That said, I've done 3 whole pork shoulders in one cook on the large and that's enough meat to feed everyone and still have leftovers.