[Rhodes22-list] Big Green Egg

[TN Rhodey]

Richard,

Wow Richard it sounds like you are in search of the perfect grill. I bet you 
make some good stuff!
My comination of Brinkman Smoker, Little Weber, and Ducane have served me 
well. You know some of the best pork I ever had was in Hawaii and they don't 
even use a grill or smoker....just bury the whole thing....maybe I need to 
give that a try?

Your description of BBQ is for the most part dead on. Regarding broiling... 
Most chefs/cooks consider broiling a top down high heat method of cooking. 
This is NOT the same as grilling. Grilling is high heat from the bottom.

The big advantage and difference to grilling food over broiling is the 
flavor is enhanced as the juices drip down into the heat creating extra 
smoke for flavor. Note that you can also grill indoors using grill pans and 
this is what I use on my boat. I get grill pan hotter than hell and add wood 
and steak to pan. Cover for about 4 minutes, flip then cook covered 4 more. 
I don't know what you would call this but it tastes awesome. I never broil 
steaks in my home oven.

Baking usually takes place between 300 - 550 degrees. If your grill only 
generates 350 - 500 degrees I guess you can technically say you baked a 
steak on the grill. However it will taste much better than the same steak 
baked in your oven at 350- 500. Of course this is due to the fat dripping 
onto the coals blending with the smoke of the charcoal or wood being used.

I do agree old style true charcoal is much better than the briquettes but 
than again I use propane and wood for grilling because it is so easy!

Fair Winds,

Wally


>From: "Richard Smith" <sailnut at att.net>
>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Big Green Egg
>Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 13:17:33 -0500
>
>Let's get our terms straight....
>
>Broiling = high heat (700+) and FREE air circulation around the cooking 
>food
>(no lid).
>BBQ = Long, slow, low heat (200) in a dry environment.  The food is 
>flavored
>by spice rubs and the combustion products of the fuel.  Fuel is hardwood
>lump charcoal or small wood logs previously burned down to embers in a pit
>of some find.
>
>No gas fueled covered grill can successfully broil a steak!!! Covered 
>grills
>can at the best bake them at high heat  The only cookers available to the
>home cook which can truly grill are infrared grills (TEC) or the cheap
>charcoal fired non covered.sheet metal affairs available at largish 
>hardware
>stores.
>
>BBQ... No gas fueled covered grill can sustain the low temps and smoke
>circulation needed to properly barbecue.
>
>   The options are...
>1:  Offset smokers (New Branfules etc).  Professional favorites because of
>large volume.  They require constant attention and are heavy, ugly, given 
>to
>cold and hot spots very difficult to clean and consume fuel in vast
>quantities.
>2:  Bullet smokers.  These use a water pan to moderate the heat of the
>burning coals.  The generated water vapor removes them from the traditional
>BBQ definition above.  Not to say they won't produce wonder "Q"!  The Weber
>Smoky Mountain is an excellent cooker and can produce wonderful smoked 
>food.
>3:  Ceramic ovens Here we come to the BGE and the Kamado.  These rather
>grotesque devices are large, heavy and limited as to the quantity of food
>they can cook (even in the larger sizes).  A Kamado can maintain a 200
>degree temperature for 24 hours with little attention and no refueling.  By
>opening the top and bottom vents, because of the draft effect (fuel at
>bottom - chimney at top) extraordinarily high temperatures can be reached.
>A Kamado can get hot enough to melt it heavy stainless steel grate.  That's
>approaching 2,000 F!!  The ability to reach high temperatures coupled with
>the mass of the unit allows it to soak up the heat and function as a brick
>oven.  Wonderful pizza and breads.
>
>BUT... BGE's and such, despite what the manufacturer would claim are not 
>the
>proper devices  for broiling (see above).  Lot's of work around's published
>but they (eggs) are inherently not suited for fast high heat cooking.
>
>4: Combination units.  A Weber kettle (wonderfully engineered product)
>fueled with chunk charcoal can broil and smoke rather well.  The cost is
>less then $200.  The Hastybake is a terrific grill/BBQ oven.  But, its
>expensive and because of rapidly accumulating grease a filthy machine.  
>That
>aside it smokes and grills wonderfully ($700 and up)  The medium size is 
>the
>one to get.
>
>When I refer to charcoal I mean hardwood lump charcoal.  It burns hotter,
>longer with less ash then Kingsford and the like.  It can also be relit.
>
>For what it's worth I have owned and discarded Charmglow and Ducane covered
>grills.  A Weber Kettle and Smoky Mountain.  More recently a Hastybake 
>which
>burnt out from constant use.   Presently I own a TEC Cherokee used for
>grilling and a Kamado #5 for everything else.  It's a tough call between 
>the
>Hastybake and the TEC/Kamado.
>
>Richard Smith
>
>__________________________________________________
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