It’s springtime in Albuquerque, which means sunny warm days but it also means wind. Were not talking about breezes, we’re talking 60MPH+ windy. The sky is so brown with dirt you can’t even see the mountains. It’s like every molecule of dirt in the state is flying around in the atmosphere. Since I don’t consider dirt a desired flavor profile, I’m not doing any grilling this weekend; I’m staying inside watching the Masters and napping. Between watching golf and napping I still managed to whip up this little blog post.
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Searing a Prime Rib on the Big Green Egg |
I had been grilling for years on gas grills and had developed some solid grilling skills. I could cook a perfectly medium rare steak; grill boneless chicken breast without drying it out and even cook and entire meal on the grill. Everything I cooked tasted good and cooked correctly, but it was missing something, smoke. I tried the smoker boxes, wrapping wood chip in foil but that just wasn’t cutting it. So began my quest to purchase the perfect smoker/grill.
Now buying new grill is not a trivial purchase. I compulsively and obsessively searched the Internet for the best smoker/grill I could find. First thing I wanted in a new grill was smoke, the second thing I wanted was wide range of cooking temperatures and third it had to be easy to keep clean. I ultimately decided on a Big Green Egg. I consider the BGE to be the Harley of grills; it’s expensive, cool and has a huge cult like following.
The Big Green Egg met all of my specs. Smoke comes from the use of lump charcoal and can be supplemented with wood chunks or chips. It can cook at very high temperatures, I’ve had mine up as high at 900F, and it is excellent for the low and slow smoke that I was desperately trying to achieve. As for cleaning, it’s ceramic just wipe it off with damp cloth and it’s good as new.
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Burgers on the BGE are the BEST! |
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Terracotta Pots can’t smoke like this. |
Shortly after I bought my Egg I was watching an episode of Good Eats with Alton Brown. He made a smoker out of two terracotta pots, a hot plate, a grate and a steel bowl, total cost of his smoker $75. He then proceeded to smoke a pork shoulder on his homemade smoker. I felt really stupid but then decided he can keep his terracotta pots, I’m sticking with my Big Green Egg. I’m willing to bet my pork shoulder is better too! Chow for now!
Those burgers are looking good!
OH MY!!! What kind of grill is that?! “BGE”? Lookin' good my friend! 😀
Laughed my butt off when I read about you, your temper tantrum, and the spatula! I thought I was the only one that had out bursts like that… the grill may be smokin', but I fume… then begins the quest to figure out how to correct things.
I told your wife yesterday that my daughter and I drool over your blog… and on many occasions have thought about inviting ourselves to dinner. The pics and descriptions are great!
She said to come on over… while I'm sure the drive from Southern California to ABQ for some of your cookin' would be worth it… but with the dang gas prices being what they are we won't be making a road trip like that anytime soon. LOL
Glad there isn't smell-a-vision/internet… it would drive me bonkers!
Wait….you actually eat BEFORE 8pm sometimes? ha ha
If my wife had $1 for every time that I said, “This is not going to be good, it's going straight into the trash” (and then later had a great meal), she'd be rich.
You can't rush greatness, it's ready when it's ready.
Great thoughts you got there, believe I may possibly try just some of it throughout my daily life.
Hotplates grills
Great thoughts you got there, believe I may possibly try just some of it throughout my daily life.
Hotplates grills
Love my Big Green Egg makes the best food you'll ever eat. im about to go throw on some babybacks
Larry
ABQ