Thinking about getting a good smoker for the coming summer cookouts...

I have been to quite a few cookoffs over the years, and last year when I took my son to a local event, more than half of the competitors were using the Big Green Egg...

Four of the top five winners were BGE users...

I don't personally know anyone with a BGE, but having looked at them and eaten what came from them, I'm beginning to think it may well be the smoker for Jr...

I like the XL version... the others appeared to be a little small for smoking a turkey or several racks of ribs and loins...



Do you have one... and other than covering them up in the off season, is there anything I should do to make sure it stays in good shape when/if I get it...

 

Actually... I am thinking about the big family get-togethers... 28 pound turkey... 2 loins and 3-4 racks of ribs for the afternoon event... I was looking at the XL version and thought it might be big enough, I just was thinking I didn't want to get one of the 55 gal drum types for the crew to enjoy my diggs...

I have a 5 burner BBQ with a side burner for grilling fast... I wanted this thing to compliment the tools I have...

I just read a little bit about the BGE, I don't have anyone I know that does have one, and when I mention it to some of em they say I'm crazy for spending that kinda coin on a cooker... but again reading about it is something I will admit it sounds impressive (albeit pricey) but the idea of a 20 hour smoke is very tempting indeed.

And the difference in the cooked meat was something that even made my son take notice.

Thanks Evan.

 

I took your advice Evan... Large BGE... waiting to get the digitemp...

I also picked up another grille, cause I need to cook a lot of burgers and dogs... Master Forge... yeah it's not the same as my dependable Weber gas grille, but it is twice as large and has a nice side table... and it will be under the cover of the patio so there isn't as much of a need to protect it from the weather.

 

That's what I'm thinking Bra...

 

I cooked/smoked a 22 lb turkey for the 4th... 6 1/2 hours and it came out fricken fabulous...but it was just barely able to be closed inside with the neck of the bird showing prominently in the opening at the top of the cooker.

I only invited my children over for the 4th...

The neighbors on either side came over as well as the former neighbors down the street, and all their kids... plus my three kids and two grandkids and the boyfriends... the bird was completely gone except for a small piece of the breast I cut off for a friend at work...everyone thought I was a genius cook... I know it was in the prep and the tools used to do the cooking.

I brined it over-night in half apple juice, and in the morning rubbed on minced garlic and course ground lemon pepper generously and let that set for 2 hours... put in a couple of hand fulls of hickory chips mixed throughout the lump...and lit it... I put the bird inside on the turkey stand in a pan on top of the plate setter when the white smoke subsided after 16 minutes...

I have the CyberQ and fan hooked now up and I did not open the cooker until I heard it beep at almost 6 hours later... checking the bird I found the breast was done, but the thighs were not, so I moved the sensor to the middle of the thigh, and put a tent of foil over the top of the bird, and closed it back up... 45 minutes later - all was done.

Cooking brisket and tri-tip was just as easy (we've cooked on the BGE 4 times before the 4th), and I understand now, faster without the CyberQ (because it will keep the temp low and even throughout the smoke without the spikes that can happen when you have a breeze as we did all day)... next will be some ribs and a nice pork butt (using my Uncle's recipe with cola)... the gal down the street (former neighbor), after a couple of glasses of white zinfandel, says she can out cook me, welllll... if I don't make the turkey again, because she said, the turkey was perfect, and she doesn't remember ever having one that juicy and fully smoked... and she isn't going to try.

Thanks for the nudge Evan... even though it is on the high end of the BBQ stuff... I think I am going to have a friend for life in this little smoker.

Bob Jr

 

I smoked another turkey... apple brine soak for 8 hours in the fridge, pulled it out of the brine pan letting it drain and propped it up on the stand to cook it upright, and a light dusting with garlic powder and lemon pepper just to give the skin something a little extra for the folks that like that part best... it took about twenty minutes for the coals to settle in at 250... and I closed the lid at 4:38pm... the first buzzer went off at 12:30am... so I moved the temp gauge from the breast to the thigh, wrapped some tin foil around the top of the breast, and closed it up again... the alarm went off at 1:20am... I double checked to make sure the temps were good, and pulled the bird out to pop it into the fridge to bring to work for a co-worker's baby shower (their first)... the entire bird was stripped clean by the folks... I mean the entire 20 lb bird... we had lumpia and a number of other Phillipean delights as well as cold cuts chips and salads, cake & ice cream... which, there was some of all of that left after the luncheon... but the bird was gone... heck, I even saw one fella sucking on a wingtip... people were picking at the carcass during the entire time we were there...

They all now think I am a magical chef that can make the most moist and tender roasted/smoked turkey ever...

Again I want to thank y'all for nudging me to get the BGE... I know all the magic in inside the egg and setting the cyberQ... I just answered the buzzer to remove the bird...

It IS worth the coins.

 

Just a mention about the last near a year now with the BGE... officially I have standing orders for smoked bird on Thanksgiving... I will be cooking for the three days prior to deliver enough to those I foolishly gave some of the proceeds of the smoker too...

I do think the large BGE I now own is perfect for just me and the frau... I appreciate the input from owners that helped me go ahead and commit the coins... it is soooo worth it... as will be today's chicken.

After I installed an electronic cooking management system (CyberQ), the BGE has performed flawlessly - and made some of the most flavorful and tasty main course items I have ever made myself at home... however, it isn't big enough for a large bird that I usually supply to the Thanksgiving table...

Ssooooo... I have been scheming...

I should build a nest in the corner of the gazebo pad to hold an XL BGE and leave the large BGE in the rolling nest so I can move it out to the yard when I want to use it... of course, that will mean I'll have four outdoor cookers - now I only have three... I think I can put it in the gazebo pad and not go over my summer budget, if I don't repair the Corvette until later...

I don't really have time to drive... soooo... hmmmm...