Advanced Big Green Egg Cooking Class Notes

Advanced Big Green Egg Cooking Class Notes

Advanced Big Green Egg Cooking Class Notes

Today’s recipes

All my recipes are either on this site, at www.nicwilliams.com or copied on the Big Green Egg web site.

Setup & temperatures

  • Padron Peppers – Direct on the cast iron grid – 180-200°C
  • Planked smoked salmon – Direct on the stainless steel grid using a plank – 200°C
  • Reverse seared Picanha steak – Indirect with plate setter feet up and the stainless grid on top. 110°C. Then direct on the cast iron grid at 250°C.
  • Paella – Direct in the paella pan on top of the stainless steel grid. 180°C.
  • Smoked chocolate brownie – Indirect using the plate setter feet up, the stainless grid on top and the baking stone on top.  I used a silicon brownie tin but a metal one will also be fine. Cooked at 160°C.

Contact Details

Email: nic@meatsmokefire.co.uk
Twitter: @Fatb10ke & @MeatSmokeFire

Questions and Answers

What temperature should I cook my meat to?

The following chart from AmazingRibs.com is a great reference. Take a look around their site too because it is a wealth of knowledge.
Cooking_temps

What setup should I have for cooking pizza?

There are two or three possible setups for cooking pizza. As with most other things with the Big Green Egg there is no right or wrong way of doing it. However here are the options and the way I cook my pizzas:

  1. Plate setter feet up, stainless steel grid and baking stone. This method separates the pizza stone from being directly in contact with the plate setter. This is the same setup I would use for baking. I would recommend this route if you are doing thicker pizzas where you don’t want to burn the base of the pizza before all the dough is cooked through. A deep pan pizza would probably work best this way too.
  2. Plate setter feet down with the baking stone directly on top. This is my preferred method for cooking thin and crispy pizza. Get the Egg as hot as you can, at least >350°C. Give the Egg dome and baking stone 20 minutes to really warm up at this temperature. Remember to burp your Egg. Your pizza’s are going to cook in as little as 2.5 minutes.

As I recommended before the Super Peel (available from bakerybits.co.uk) is a brilliant piece of kit. I wouldn’t be without mine. I use this to put the pizzas onto the Egg.

I use the Big Green Egg aluminium pizza peel to take pizzas off the Egg.

The final setup that some of the chefs use is to buy the additional 2 inch fire ring to raise the pizza up slightly more into the dome of the Egg. I have one of these but rarely use it. I haven’t seen the advantages in the one or two cooks I have used it for.

How do I calibrate my dome thermometer?

There is a great set of instructions at http://www.biggreeneggic.com/calibrating-big-green-egg-dome-thermometer/

Your thermometer was shipped calibrated but if it has been twisted while it’s been installed it may need to be recalibrated.

How often do I need to replace my gasket?

This will all depend on how often you use your Egg and how good you are at keeping the gasket clean. A gasket covered in fat or melted cheese will need replacing sooner than one that is looked after. However the process of replacing them is very simple and the replacement gaskets are only £20. Remember to buy the kit for the large and XL Eggs as you’ll get more gasket.

Here’s a good video on the replacement process: https://youtu.be/VEBnS1m_-mg

 

What pans, drip trays and baking trays can I use in my Egg?

If you can cook in it in your oven you can use it in your Egg. Any metal products will be fine. You just need to be careful when you are using silicon based products as these are probably only rated to 240°C. Just make sure you keep your Egg temperature below that temp and make sure the silicon isn’t subjected to direct heat.

Le Creuset pans work fine but remember if you’re smoking your food then you’re either going to have a lot of smoke residue on the outside of your pan or a long cleaning job. I prefer to have a set of BBQ pans that I don’t mind getting smoky.

I am getting the ProQ Cold Smoke Generator, where do I get info on curing methods and times for fish and ham?

I did a really excellent course with Marsh Pig. Jackie who runs it is brilliant and you’ll make bacon, salami, smoked fish, sausages, coppa, biltong and beef jerky as well as being fed like a king for lunch.

http://marshpig.co.uk/events/

Tim Hayward’s book Food DIY is also great. It’s how I started. I make bacon, smoked salmon and guancaille, saucisson all from the book.

I also have the River Cottage book Curing & Smoking but I think a few of their techniques are a little dangerous (only curing bacon in salt for example). Otherwise it’s also a great reference.

Recommended equipment

BBQ Guru Digi Q DX2

This was the first of the forced draft controllers I used on the Egg to get the temperature to exactly the level I wanted. The Digi Q is the controller Big Green Egg rebrand themselves. It’s a superb piece of kit that allows you to set the temperature of your Egg exactly and even ramp down the temperature as the food reaches the temperature you set it to.

I’ve done a full review of this piece of kit and I use it all the time.

The best place to buy one of these in the UK is Battlebox.co.uk.

You’ll need the following:

  • Digi Q DX 2 £140
  • Pit Viper (10 cubic feet per minute) – fan £57
  • Adaptor (ceramic version for medium, large and XL Eggs). £19

Total £216

HeaterMeter

The HeaterMeter is an open source forced draft controller for your Egg. You can build your own following the instructions at heatermeter.com. What’s great about the HeaterMeter is it is web enabled meaning you can monitor and control your Egg from a web browser. If you setup your internet router correctly this can be from anywhere on the web. It’s definitely a more techie offering.

 

 

Pro Q Cold Smoke Generator

Have you ever thought about curing your own bacon, smoking your own cheese or perhaps smoking some salmon or other fish?

The Pro Q Cold smoke generator is an excellent device that allows sawdust to smoulder and the smoke permeate your food. I use it all the time especially for bacon and smoked salmon.

It’s available in the UK from HotSmoked.co.uk and you might be able to use the following code at the checkout to get a 10% discount MP10.

 

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