Spring Update

(MN) Eggsential Maintenance

Ever since Eggfest north and 'Burger gate' I've been meaning to change the gasket on my large BGE.

With a holiday in Tenerife brewing and Rodondo at 600f ready to cook pizza, I figured now seemed like a good time!

Very simple job!!

(AW) The "Big Turk" burger

Uncle Adie's Hunger Medicine (No Golden Arches Here)

Decided to go for the most epic burger based upon our 'Award Winning' burger recipe..

So we started by mincing the steak (rump) and adding the usual mix of herbs and spices...

But after we pressed the burgers, we went off piste :-)

First we made our version of the Big Mac special sauce...Now known as "Uncle Adie's Special Sauce:
A 2 to 1 tablespoon mix of mayo to ketchup, with a 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle paste, 1/4 teaspoon of tabasco, a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Then mix in 1/4 of finely chopped iceberg lettuce and 3 finely chopped sweet cocktail gherkins.

Then we made our burger bark rub:
(American Mustard (contradiction in terms I know, but in this case essential) mixed with a good healthy splash or two of Tabasco)

Then we heated up the BGE to 300f with the cast iron grill and half moon.. 
(at this point I kind of got complacent and messed up, and forgot to put the cast iron grill flat side up)..

On went the burgers, and we cooked them as per normal, only when I went to flip them, the curse of the grill and the fact that the baby burger wasn't as big as the others meant it fell apart like a cheap suit..

So, to salvage it I scraped the bits onto the half moon.

Next add some onions to the half moon with a smidgen of oil...

Anyway, when both sides were cooked, I brushed the burger bark rub onto one side, and then flipped the burger so the rub was flame side down...

Then after a few minutes, I brushed the rub onto the top side and flipped the burger again...

Finally, toast the buns, and add some cheese to melt (I had cheddar, but Zero Alpha had a smoked cheese).

Then the build...

Add a good scoop of the 'Uncle Adie Special Sauce' to the bottom half of the bun, the add the burger, a dollop of onions, a squirt of ketchup and the top part of the bun.

Ensure there is sufficient room around you as you eat, so the sphere of our burger awesomeness doesn't overwhelm you..

(MN) Dual Egging - Pulled pork, Fatty and Pizza

Having two eggs is epic..

.. Now that's out the way, decided to go all out the other night for a 13 people cook!

Using the Cyber Q, I got the egg up to 225f, indirect, using apple wood as the smoke...

I usually use the Non Hock side of pork shoulder, but the butcher didn't have any so I took the hock side full shoulder which included the belly ribs... I'd highly recommend this, me and Ming secretly stole the ribs and they were epic!!

First, I needed to take the skin off the pork to dry it out, I didn't get a lot of after pictures but this made some of the best crackling I've ever had!!!

After the skin was off, I had 14lbs of meat to cook, so first, injection!

For the injection marinade I used:

1 cup apple juice

1/4 cup boiling water

1/4 cup cyder vinegar 

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbs Salt

1 tbs Butt Rub

Let it cool and inject..

Once injected I rubbed with butt rub.. 

Next up was my usual signature big fatty, made this time with cheddar as I didn't have applewood 

*note - applewood is much better!!!

Here's a quick look at the set up, note the beer cooler, I very important addition for the duel egger!!!

The Cooler box was for the meat to rest in once done. I double wrapped meat in foil and towels, it will last hours in there like that and remain above the magic 149f serving temp.

So, pork went in at midnight, on the Cyber Q. I went to bed at 2am all running fine! However, I woke at 8am to find the egg out!!! The Cyber Q had, for the first time failed me!! However, the meat was still at 115f so I was good. I fired back up the egg and stuck on my pig! No further issues!!

I wrapped the meat around 3:45pm when it hit 165f and added the fatty!

As I had to work, I stuck Kelly on pizza duty.... She excelled!

Now, here's the disappointing but.. I also made a shit ton of chicken tandoori, steak burgers and guests brought Mac Pie and Beans..  

However, this was the only Done picture I got!!!

Everything came out Epic, dispite Ming burning the first pizza! We had 13 very full people!!!

(AW) Easter meatfest

OK, it's Easter Monday, and we were entertaining guests.

The pulled pork from yesterday would make an appearance, reheated in the steamer in steam bags to retain all the moisture.

As we only have one egg, we opted to do steak and prawns to accompany the pulled pork.

We seared the steak at 650f for one and a half minutes a side, then rested it in foil whilst we dropped the egg temp to about 350f.

Then we added the pawns, which had been marinaded in our chilli marinade  and added the steak with the probe, until they hit 135f.

We then served the lot, along with the pork, and basked in our awesome glory....

(AW) Porking in the morning

Pulled Pork

First we made the rub (a mix of paprika, sugar, black pepper, chilli powder, chipotle chilli paste, ancho chilli powder, garlic and onion granules, and a pinch of salt) , and applied it to the pork butt on the bone (supplied by Gogmagoghills).

Then we left it overnight to absorb all those flavours...

Then we prepared the injection, a mix of apple cider vinegar and apple juice...

Then she went on the BGE, set up indirect with the DigiQ at 220f.

The butt hit the magic 179f after about 12 hours, at which point a wrapped it in foil, and set the DigiQ alarm to 190f for the meat.

Another 3 hours, until the meat hit 190f.

We then wrapped it in a towel, and put it in the cool box to rest for about 30 minutes.

Then we pulled!!!!

The meat just fell of the bone, quite literally!!

All that is left is to add the home made BBQ sauce, and serve.......

(AW) Easter Egg'ing

The correct use of fish planks

Deciding to try out our new Cedar planks, we steamed some Atlantic Salmon with a Maple syrup and mustard rub...

Unlike Mike, we didn't set fire to the planks!