(AW) It's Chilli outside

Hot hot hot

Time to try out the dutch oven! Only one obvious choice for such a cold day, and that is a 3 meat chilli with beer and chocolate. 

What we did

A Smoked 3 meat Chilli - Bacon, Beef, Venison, onion, chipottle chilli, a secret mix of herbs and spices (including more chilli), tomatoes, and larger! Smoked on the egg in a Dutch Oven at 300f for 3 hours (after searing the meat at 400f).

(AW) It's Christmas..............

Time to get a bird hot, moist and stuffed

Ok, after this adventure of Egging, I wouldn't be able to call my self an egger if I din't risk the ultimate meal. Christmas Dinner!

So we prepped the bird, injected her with juice and butter, covered her in bacon (mmmmm bacon) and using the Digi Q, slapped her on the egg on Christmas morning.

The bird was sooooooo moist and tasty. Never gonna have turkey any other way!!!!

Other pressies

Well, Santa was very kind to me, and I got some more BGE kit! A dutch oven, books and some rubs!

(AW) Night Night Piggy

Digi Q works in the dark

Well, the over night low and slow worked a treat. Set the BGE to cook over night at about 200f for about 16 hours!

What we did

Injected with a 50/50 mix of apple juice and cider vinegar, and then rubbed with a mix of 'paprika, sugar, chilli powder, onion granules, black pepper, ancho chilli powder, chipotle chilli powder and garlic granules'. Cooked at 220f until the meat hit 165f, then wrapped it in foil, and back in the egg until the meat hit 190f. 

(AW) Gonna pull a pig this xmas

Prepping the Pork

Pork butt injected with a mix of apple juice and cider vinegar, covered in our pork rub, ready for a low and slow tomorrow...

(AW) More Pizzas

Tried the pizza stone with more pizza this time. Again, perfect crispy bases and tasty toppings!

(AW) Perfect Fillet

I've got a steak in the BGE

Again, despite the cold weather, perfect steak makes everything better....

What we did

Seared at 650f for 1 1/2 mins a side then dropped to 350/400f and cooked until the internal temp hit 135f.

(AW) Digi Who?

Life changing tech

After chatting with my BGE guru up north (MN) I have bit the bullet, re-mortaged the house, and bought a Digi Q DXII for the BGE. Now low and slow can take place over night!!! No more 4 am starts!!!!

(AW) Pizza Slut

Boy's night in

Being neglected by my wife, my son and I had a Saturday night to keep ourselves entertained and fed. Time to try the Pizza stone! So we raided the fridge for toppings, and set up the BGE, and made pizza.

Old baker's trick

One thing I was told, was to use baking paper instead of pelenta to prevent the pizza dough sticking, and to let you make them in advanced.

Overall, the Pizza's were a resounding success, and has prompted us to get more creative with our toppings!!!

What we did

Home-made dough, topped with the usual stuff. Cooked on the BGE with the plate setter legs up, grill and then Pizza Stone. Cooked for 10 minutes at 550f. Epic

(AW) Fossil Fuel shortage

Another trip to restock

Running low on lump, so another trip to Gog Magog farm shop. Whilst purchasing the lump I spotted a BGE Pizza stone for sale. Well, not one to pass by the opportunity to create something else on the BGE, I had to buy it. Bring on the next opportunity to cook Pizza!!!

(AW) Ribs II

A second attempt

After the not-so perfect first attempt at doing ribs, I was determined to get it right. So plenty more internet research has lead us to 3 and 3.

And this time we 
nailed it. Ribs where the meat just fell of the bones. Again drenched in MN's BBQ sauce.

What we did

Left these Flintstones throw-backs overnight in the homemade bbq rub, then cooked at 250f for 3 hours in the rib rack, then wrapped in foil, and cooked for another 3 hours at 250f. Finally unwrapped and glazed in homemade bbq sauce and cooked for another 10 mins to sticky it up. The meat just fell off the bones.

(AW) Nothin spare about these ribs

First BBQ ribs

Time to test the kit that I ordered. So, ribs here we go. After much research, it looks like 3 and 2 might be the way to go, so we cooked these badgers for 3 hours in the rack uncovered, and then 2 hours in foil. 

They were super tasty, but no where near soft enough. Need to tweek the timings and temp I think (not to mention getting bigger ribs!)

(AW) Birthday Tea

Flintstones steaks

This weekend was our son's 17th, so we did a pulled pork and some epicly big steaks. We did the pulled pork the night before then reheated it in the steamer on the day, whilst cooking the steaks! The whole lot was a major success, including MN's BBQ sauce recipe.

(AW) Return to Pulled Porkville

Longer and Lower

Decided to try again with the pork butt. This time, we kept more control over the cooking temp.

 

What we did

Marinated over night. 15 hours at 225f, removed at 165f, wrapped in foil and then cooked until it reaches 190f. Pulls a treat.

(AW) Kit Arrives

The rib rack and the meat injector arrives. Bear claws ready to rip apart some pork.

(AW) All the gear (some idea)

Wallet open again

Decided to get some more Egg kit. 

Looking forward to injecting some meat, and trying some ribs....

(AW) Prawnado

Egging Nemo

The BGE makes these beasts of the sea not only super tasty, but creamy to boot. Epic food.

(AW) Lamb Shanks

Good, but no cigar

Decided to go 'off piste' and try a low and slow cook with lamb shanks. Although the cook went well, the end result just wasn't 'mind blowing'. Not sure if we need to try a different temp/time combo or a completely different method.

Shame.

(AW) BGE Porn

They are breeding

Went shopping for more lump charcoal, and spotted this outside Cambridge at the Gog Magog farm shop. Found this. A whole family of BGEs.

(AW) Wooden Wings

Improving the Egg

Non cooking day. Decided to improve the wings by replacing the plastic ones with wooden ones. However, I was not prepared to spend the cost of a new Egg on the BGE wooden ones, so I ordered 2 x Wooden chopping boards off Amazon.

After an hour in the man cave, presto...

OK, I lied about no cooking, and slapped these bad boys on the BGE!!

(AW) Kebabs and Pawns

We're gonna need a bigger boat

There has been a bit of rivalry between myself and a friend (IS) who filmed himself making Pizza at home. Not to be out done, and because I have two sheds, I went all HD with this little snack!

(AW) Something fishy this way comes

Salmon on Maple 

Evidently steak every day isn't a balanced diet, so we decided to try fish on the maple planks. Well, it is safe to say, salmon is now ruin for me if cooked any other way!

What we did

Marinated the fish in a special rub, and soaked the maple planks in water for an hour. Set up the BGE for indirect, and basically steamed them.

(AW) Testing the Wings

More Steaks

Nothing special, unless cooking steaks on the BGE is special.. oh wait, it is :-)

(AW) The Postman only knocks once!

A new delivery from Big Green Egg

No cooking today, decided to invest in the specially reduced BGE shelves to make piloting the Egg easier. Whilst I was shopping, some 'Maple' fish planks found there way into my basket. Now how did that happen? ;-)

What I did

I tried to put the egg to bed in the garage, as per usual. But that is when I realised that the 'Wings', even when folded like the F16 'buzzing the tower' in TopGun, didn't fit through the bloody door! Need a plan B!!!

So a few cuts with the Dremel and now the wings can be easily removed and replaced - all without tools.

(AW) Getting the skirt dripping

Beef and Lime Fajitas

Feeling ambitious again, and decided to do beef and lime fajitas. The butcher recommended a cheeper cut of beef, the skirt, as it is a quicker cook. In order not to cheat, we also decided to cook the onions and peppers on the BGE.

What we did

Marinated the beef overnight in out fajita spices and lime. Fired up the BGE direct with the cast iron grill. Added the beef and cooked it until it his 135f. In the mean time, we added a little oil to a pan, and added the onions (home grown) and peppers to fry. Served with cheddar cheese and salsa! Very nice.......