(AW) Big Turk Take 2

Taking a break from BGE'ing curries, we thought we would try and improve on the Big Turk from a few weeks ago.

This time I made sure the cast iron grill was the right way up (flat side up), and the burgers were better pressed.

Also, we didn't use the half moon, so it gave us more 'flipping' space so the burgers would stay together better.

The 'special' sauce was changed slightly, with no chipotle paste this time...

Overall, we think it was better, so this is now our baseline recipe...

(0A) Zero Alpha's Navajo chilli with fry bread

I was bored and I'd promised a chilli for dinner! First step was to place the dutch oven in the BGE on the plate setter (legs down) and let it all reach 220deg F using the DigiQ to make sure I didn't muck it up! 

Meanwhile, I prepared a sliced onion, a tin of good quality chopped tomatoes, diced beef steak, half a butternut squash (peeled, seeded and diced), a tablespoon of juniper berries (crushed) and a Navajo chilli spice mix we got from "The Spicery". 

They had included a packet of chilli with the spice mix with the words "optional" on the front......not sure what all that was about! 

I heated a little olive oil in the dutch oven once it has come up to temperature, and sealed the meat, squash, onion, juniper and spices. Once the meat was browned, I added the tinned toms and 600ml water. I left it in the egg at 220 deg F for about an hour and a half, checking the liquid level every half hour or so. 

I mixed the fry bread dough. 250g self raising flour (or 250g plain and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder) with 75g strong mature cheddar, a mix of herbs (again from spicery), 1 tsp salt and brought in into a dough with 180ml milk. I used my awesome K-mix machine with the dough hook just for about 3 minutes and left the dough to one side.

I ramped the temperature up a bit once Mr Turkleton had arrived home - to 350 deg F - just to finish cooking the squash till it was tender. 

Once the chilli was cooked, we took it off the heat, covered and rested it. We let the egg get a little hotter and cut the dough into 8 pieces. Each piece was rolled out 3mm thick discs onto greaseproof paper. these were cooked on the plate setter for 3-4 minutes each side. until golden coloured and bubbling...

The breads were served with a big bowl of chilli to dip them in. It was an absolutely delicious, medium heat, slightly fruity chilli which was thickened by smashing some of the squash pieces. really yummy!

(AW) The Brisket

OK, it was finally time to attempt the dreaded brisket.

Now we are not Jewish, so everything in our body tells us we should just do pork instead, but Mike thinks it is worth doing.



So, we marinated a brisket in our beef marinade, and then covered the meat in a dry rub, and left overnight.

This morning, we fired u the BGE, and using the DigiQ, set the egg to 225f, and cooked the brisket, fatcap down for 4 hours. 

Then we turned the meat, and cooked until the temp hit 160f.

At this point, we wrapped it in double foil, and just before we closed it fully, we added a cup of strong black coffee.

We then cooked until it hit 190f. 

When we carved it, we got a wonderful smoke ring, and the meat was everso moist....

But....

It tasted like nice beef.. Not amazing beef, or mind blowing beef, just nice beef.

Maybe we have been spoilt by some of our creations so far, but this was not in our top ten of meat cuts to egg.

Brisket is the jewish version of pulled pork, but I'm afraid it doesn't come close.

Sorry Brisket, but next time we low and slow, it will be piggywiggy.

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!!!