Contents
Guide
Rays expertise in the BBQ industry is smokin. This is a must-read from one of the best in the trade. You will love the knowledge he brings.
BARBARA LATIMER, president, National Barbecue and Grilling Association
Ray Sheehans expert knowledge and indispensable guidance will help you get the most out of your Big Green Egg. I am thrilled to learn from this barbecue master.
JIMMY CARBONE, founder of Sauce King NYC
Ray Sheehan is a true guru of barbecue and grilling who you can trust with all manner of smoked meats and tasty sauces. Both beginners and veterans of the Big Green Egg will love this book.
SEAN LUDWIG, co-founder of The Smoke Sheet and founder of NYC BBQ
Rays new book gives the novice enthusiast a solid foundation in kamado-style cooking, and his recipes will inspire even the most seasoned Egghead! I cant wait to try these recipes in my backyard.
RYAN COOPER, founder of BBQ Tourist and co-founder of The Smoke Sheet
Ray is an expert cook who shares the knowledge, insights and techniques necessary to create wonderful dishes and ensure success every time you fire up the Big Green Egg.
TIM OKEEFE, Kansas City Barbeque Society judge and cookbook coauthor
Whether youre a Big Green Egg novice or an expert pitmaster, Rays book will become your go-to for all things Big Green Egg.
VIC CLEVENGER, founder of Chimney Cartel
In his new book, Ray tackles the home BBQ aficionados holy grail, the renowned Big Green Egg. Eminently readable and chock-full of tips, tricks and techniques to take anyone from novice to master. Absolutely a must-read for the kamado crowd!
JOHN COHL, culinary entertainment radio and podcast host
Rays got that touch that keeps a recipe feeling like comfort food but with flairs that make them stand out among your guests and tailgatersand most importantly, on your taste buds.
JANE EHRHARDT, food & drink editor, Tailgater Magazine
BIG GREEN
EGG BASICS
From a MASTER BARBECUER
RAY SHEEHAN
Author ofAward-Winning BBQ Sauces and How to Use Them
The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the authors copyright, please notify the publisher at: http://us.macmillanusa.com/piracy.
For my wife, Kelly
The most amazing parts of my life have not just been beside you, they have also been because of you. Through the years we have accomplished so much together, but it has been your unyielding support that has made my barbecue dreams, and many others, a reality. I am blessed to have such an incredible woman as my biggest fan and loudest cheerleader. Thank you for always believing in me and loving me the way that you do.
I love you.
If this book caught your attention, then it is probably safe to assume that you are an outdoor cooking enthusiast who would like to learn about kamado-style cooking. When it comes to kamado-style cooking, the Big Green Egg is billed as The Ultimate Cooking Experience. That is because it is one of the most versatile and durable cookers on the market today. Feel like searing some steaks over direct heat? Slow smoking your favorite barbecue meats? How about creating brick ovenlike pizza and baked goods? The Big Green Egg can do it! With its egg shape and thick ceramic walls, this kamado-style cooker can maintain a steady, even heat, helping you achieve great results right away. With some knowledge and a little practice, you will learn how to grill, smoke, roast and bake like a pro in your own backyard.
What makes me think I can help you? Well, I was you. I have been on a quest to learn all that I can about barbecuing for the better part of my adult life. What started out as experimentation with a kettle-style charcoal grill has grown into an all-out obsession with outdoor cooking and a growing arsenal of smokers, grills and kamado-style cookers. In 2014, this obsession led me to get involved in competition barbecue. Since then, my BBQ Buddha Competition team has competed head to head with some of the top pitmasters in the country. We have gotten top ten calls in such categories as chicken, ribs, pork, brisket, bacon, chili and even crab cakes. Around the same time, I began creating the sauces and rubs that we would use to flavor our cue. They were so well received at cookouts, family gatherings and on the barbecue circuit that I decided to make a go of it as a business. The BBQ Buddha brand was born! Soon after creating this all-natural line of BBQ sauces and rubs, the awards started coming in, but this time for the sauces themselves. My BBQ sauces have received top honors at some of the biggest national and international competitions, such as the American Royal Best Sauce on the Planet contest, the National Barbecue and Grilling Associations Awards of Excellence, the Scovie Awards, the World Hot Sauce Awards, the International Flavor Awards (the Flaves) and the Sauce King NYC Championship. I also authored Award-Winning BBQ Sauces and How to Use Them: The Secret Ingredient to Next-Level Smoking, which won BBQ Book of the Year from both the National Barbecue & Grilling Association and Barbecue News Magazine for 2020.
Over the years, my business has grown to include teaching barbecue cooking classes, pop-up dinners and speaking engagements. I am proud to be a part of this barbecue community and thoroughly enjoy sharing my experiences, tips and best techniques for grilling and smoking to preserve the barbecue culture and pass it on to the next generation of cooks and pitmasters.
If you are seeking a solid foundation in kamado-style cooking, then you are in the right place. In this book I will cover everything you need to get started, including how a ceramic cooker works, lighting the fire, temperature control and more. With 60 standout recipes, and chapters that are organized by technique, you will become familiar with every aspect of cooking on the Big Green Egg. It wont be long before you master these recipes and begin creating your own. Are you ready to crack open the Big Green Egg and take your grilling and smoking to the next level? Lets go!
Kamado-style cooking is extremely versatile and allows you to use such techniques as hot and fast with direct grilling, low and slow for smoking, as a convection oven for roasting or baking and even as a high-temperature pizza oven. Its airtight cooking chamber helps keep food moist as it cooks. In fact, the secret to achieving great results when cooking on a kamado centers on three things: heat retention, airflow and temperature control. For this reason, I recommend that you cook primarily with the lid closed. This will allow the heat to radiate inside the Big Green Egg (a.k.a. EGG) and keep moisture from escaping. Kamados are also extremely economical when it comes to fuel consumption. A single load of charcoal can last eighteen-plus hours, depending on what size cooker and lump charcoal you have, while holding a constant temperature.