Mitchell - Smoke it like a pro on the Big Green Egg & other ceramic cookers : an independent guide with master recipes from a competition barbecue team--includes smoking, grilling and roasting techniques

SMOKE IT LIKE A PRO

ON THE BIG GREEN EGG & OTHER CERAMIC COOKERS

AN INDEPENDENT GUIDE WITH MASTER RECIPES
FROM A COMPETITION BARBECUE TEAM

ERIC C. MITCHELL

PITMASTER OF THE COMPETITION BARBECUE TEAM YABBA DABBA QUE!
AND CERTIFIED JUDGE BY THE KANSAS CITY BARBEQUE SOCIETY

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To my wife Cindi, my children Greg and Rebecca, my mother and father, Madeline and Warren and to all my family, whether by blood, marriage or smoke.

The Big Green Egg and I have been keeping each other company since the year 2000. We were first introduced by my brother-in-law, Bill Tombari. Bill and his wife Sandy had a pool and outdoor patio where they liked to entertain. When Bill turned 50, Cindi and I wanted to give him something special. After a lot of research, we decided he needed a Big Green Egg so he could entertain by smoking, grilling and baking to his hearts content. Bill loved his Egg and said I should get one, so I did!

I am not a chef, but rather a food enthusiast. I grew up with a brother, four sisters and thirty-eight first cousins. All my family members are great cooks. Several were farmers, so I grew up on farm-raised meats, fruits and vegetables. Every gathering still centers on family and food.

After I got my first Egg in 2000, I started learning to barbecue, grill and roast meats that I never had before. I was so obsessed that we traveled all the way to Maryland to cook at three Eggfests in Waldorf. We brought back more Eggs!

In 2006, after seeing barbecue competition shows on TV, I asked Cindi to consider entering competition barbecue contests with me. She said yes, so we became certified Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) judges. After judging a few contests, we decided to compete. We became members of the New England Barbecue Society (NEBS). Our first trophy was plastic and was worth $5, but we were hooked! In 2007, we were awarded the NEBS Rookie Team of the Year. Since then, we have won many awards. Weve competed twice at the Jack Daniels Invitational World Championship of Barbecue in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and once at the American Royal Invitational in Kansas City, Missouri.

KCBS contests have four barbecue meat categories: chicken, ribs, pork shoulder and brisket. In New England, many KCBS contests also include a NEBS grilling contest of four categories, such as beef tri tip, Cornish game hen, pizza, wrapped in bacon or dessert. I had never cooked in some of the categories, but as we competed I began to get more comfortable with the Big Green Eggs versatility. We seared steaks, roasted venison tenderloins and baked pies.

For the last several years, Cindi and I have been performing food demonstrations at Big Green Egg dealerships in New England and New York for Tarantin Industries, the Northeast Big Green Egg distributor. We average twelve demos a year. We demonstrate the versatility of the Egg with all we cook.

I trust that this book will bring out your passion for cooking on the Big Green Egg. I have half a dozen Eggs that we use all the time. In fact, everywhere I have a pillow, I have an Egg!

Eric C. Mitchell

Firstly, never use lighter fluid in the Egg! It can soak into the pores of the ceramic, and the smell and the taste will last. For this reason, beware of buying a used Egg; it may have been ruined by lighter fluid.

Before lighting your Egg, stir around any leftover lump to and through the bottom fire grate in order to let any ash settle. I use an ice fishing ice skimmer; you can use a large, perforated metal spoon or the Egg ash tool. Periodically, clean out the vent holes in the side of the firebox to keep them from clogging. Open the bottom vent all the way and rake out the ash into a metal bucket. Make sure the hole in the bottom of the firebox lines up with the vent opening.

Some people start their Eggs with chimney charcoal starters, then dump in the hot, burning lump. I prefer to light the lump in the firebox because it is less messy. I use a hand-held gas torch using Mapp gas. These are hotter than propane; plumbers use them to solder copper pipes! This kind of torch has a self-lighter and can be set to stay burning without your having to hold down a button.

Dump your lump charcoal into the Egg up to the top of the firebox at the bottom of the fire ring. If you are planning to do an overnight cook, load maybe an inch higher but no more. You need to leave room for air to circulate and draft properly.

Unlit charcoal and smoking wood chunks

Adding a plate setter

Drip pan on the plate setter and grid on top

Make three divots in the charcoal in a triangular pattern, always with one in the rear. The egg is always hotter at the rear. Hold the flame in each divot for a minute or so before going on to the next. If the torch goes out while you are holding it in place, it means the fire is getting hot and consuming oxygen. If a flame remains in the charcoal for a few seconds after you remove the torch, close the lid, keeping the daisy wheel all the way open. The Egg dome temperature should be up to 300F (149C) in about 10 to 15 minutes. If you need to, burp the Egg () and hit each spot with the torch again.