You may have heard of it before, but just what is the Big Green Egg? The Big Green Egg is the Rolls Royce of grills and smokers, and it really deserves this title.
It has a ceramic body and is built with all the bells and whistles, such as:
Precise Temperature Control
You can grill, roast, smoke and bake at exact temperatures on an Egg by easily adjusting the patented air flow controls. There are multiple air vents, which controls the heat and helps make sure the Egg reaches and stays at the proper temperature. The metal top controls air flowing through the cooking chamber. A precision flow draft door, on the bottom of the egg controls the amount of air entering the fire box.
Safety
The Big Green Egg is extremely safe to use because the ceramic surface does not get as hot as a metal grill, and the heat source is protected within the ceramic fire box inside the base.
Easy Clean Up
The Egg features a stainless steel cooking grid and an elegant green exterior with a lifetime glaze that maintains its good looks and wipes clean easily without chemical cleaners. Inside, residual heat burns away any grease build up, just like a self-cleaning oven.
Now that I've covered all the technical terms, let's get started cooking with The Big Green Egg. Once you open the lid, load the charcoals, making sure there is enough airflow from the bottom vent. It's best to make sure no coals are in front of this opening as this would prevent air flow around the burning coals.
Once the coals are burning, and you have a good fire going, you want to go ahead and close some of the vents. I would start on the top, and start closing down the top vent leaving the rotating part open so you will have some air going through. On the bottom, slowly close the vent to keep a minimal airflow, which contributes to maintaining the heat.
The Big Green Egg has a temperature gauge. The ideal heat is between 300º and 350º Fahrenheit for griling. If you are smoking meats such as ribs, you'll want to keep the temperature to between 200º and 250º Fahrenheit. When smoking, you are cooking very slowly so that your ribs are moist, not hard and chewy. In this case, keep the lid shut to create more of an oven environment.
When grilling, you'll keep the top open. In this case, you are creating a hot and a cold zone for the grill. Once the coals start to burn, spread them around and divide them. This is important when grilling vegetables as you need to move them to a cool zone so they don't burn. This process also applies when using smoking chips, which should be scattered on top of the coals. Make sure to soak the wood chips for at least a couple of hours or even up to a day in advance.
These are the very basics for using the The Big Green Egg and it can do so much more than just grill and smoke (think even Tater Tots or inspiration for poetry). Just a reminder, The Chopping Block do have grilling classes at our Lincoln Square location through October. I am teaching the German Feast on the Grill class on October 9th which features this German menu:
- Marinated Grilled Brats with Horseradish Sauce and Potato Salad
- Grilled Pork Filets with Radish and Mache Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
- Bratapfel (Baked Apples on the Grill with Cinnamon and Sugar a la Mode)
You don't want to miss this class!
