What is a Big Green Egg?
Once again “Cooking-Outdoors” presents another guest “Mark aka BBQ Guy”. Mark is a big fan of the Big Green Egg and as you can tell a “BBQ” guy! You can check out his blog at “Barbecue Cooking Guide”. I have a feeling we are going to see some great stuff come from his backyard!!
What Is A Big Green Egg
By “Mark aka BBQ Guy”
Traditional Kamado Cookers in Japanese Museum
What is a Big Green Egg and why might you want to add one to your outdoor cooking toolkit? Well, the Big Green Egg is a newer, more modern version of the traditional Kamado cooker that originated in Japan.
Kamado is the Japanese word for “stove” or “cooking range”. Early Kamado cookers were made of clay and while they worked great they were quite fragile. The Big Green Egg is constructed of a high tech ceramic that is extremely durable. If you are looking for a “do it all” outdoor cooking platform you might want to consider the Big Green Egg or one of the other ceramic cookers that are currently on the market.
The Ceramic Cooker Advantage
The major advantage of the Big Green and other ceramic cookers over the typical metal/stainless steel propane or charcoal grill is its ability to maintain a wide range of temperatures over a long period of time. The ceramic material and tight fitting lid acts as an insulator and helps stabilize the temperature as well as prevent the food from losing moisture. The result is perfectly grilled, smoked, or baked food time after time. By adjusting the vents on the top and bottom I can precisely control the amount of air entering the Egg and adjust the temperature either up or down. I have used my Big Green Egg to smoke a beef brisket for 13 hours at 200 degrees as well as sear steaks on the grill at 800 degrees for 2 minutes.
Charcoal Fueled Cooking Ease
Ceramic cookers typically use natural “lump” charcoal, not briquettes, as fuel. The lump charcoal burns cleaner than briquettes resulting in less ash. Lighting the charcoal is easy to do and the cooker comes up to temperature fairly quickly. I can usually be cooking within 10 minutes of lighting the charcoal. Because of their efficiency, ceramic cookers use much less charcoal than the typical metal charcoal grill. A twenty pound bag of lump charcoal typically lasts for at least 15 cooking sessions.
All In One Versatility
My Big Green Egg gets used pretty much every weekend year-round. I grill, smoke, and bake foods in all kinds of weather and get great results. That versatility has left my more traditional propane grill pretty much unused in the two years I’ve had the Egg. The Egg comes in five different sizes differentiated by the diameter of grilling area for cooking:
• Mini – 9 inch cooking diameter weighs 30 pounds (try this at your next tailgate)
• Small – 13 inch cooking diameter weighs 65 pounds
• Medium – 15 inch cooking diameter weighs 95 pounds
• Large – 18 inch cooking diameter weighs 140 pounds (the most popular size)
• XL Egg – 24 inch cooking diameter weighs 205 pounds
I have a Large and find it is just about the perfect size for a typical family BBQ. I can cook multiple burgers and chicken pieces on it with room to spare. When I’m cooking “low and slow” I can do two pork butts at a time as well as several racks of ribs.
Is The Big Green Egg Right For You
Should you run out and get a Big Green Egg? If you are looking for an “all in one” solution for your outdoor cooking needs that is durable and flexible, then yes, the Egg could be for you. On the other hand, if you have an outdoor cooking setup that works for you a Big Green Egg might be a little bit of an extravagance. In my situation, I was looking to make a change because my existing propane grill just wasn’t doing everything I wanted it to do. Big Green Eggs are a little more pricey than the typical grill but they are well worth the investment, especially considering their long life and flexibility.
If your interested in trying out the “Big Green Egg” drop Mark a note and he will head you in the right direction! Thanks for a great article Mark, I learned a lot.
“Get out of the kitchen! Light the fire! Start cooking outdoors”
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