The Big Green Egg

[butzla]

To add another choice to the confusion.  Bbq Guru, makers of the CyberQ and DigiQ temp controllers, have come out with their own kamado, The Monolith.  Looks like the wifi controller is built right in. 
EDIT:  The price varies depending on which controller you get:  Monolith

 

[Bob Marino]

 
Slightly off topic, but definitely related - anyone join the AmazingRibs.com Pitmaster club?  AmazingRobs looks like an incredibly useful site for any aficionado. The main advantage of joining the club is to get rid of the zillion pop up ads all over the place though. Any members?

 

[smirak]

 
Slightly off topic, but definitely related - anyone join the AmazingRibs.com Pitmaster club?  AmazingRobs looks like an incredibly useful site for any aficionado. The main advantage of joining the club is to get rid of the zillion pop up ads all over the place though. Any members?

Bob,

I'm not a member, and don't know anyone that is. That said, I do use the site. I make homemade bacon using his recipe(s).

 

[Tinker]

After seeing comment from [member=64271]smirak[/member] I HAD to go caveman and try the direct on the lump method to finish the sous vide steaks:

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

Straight from the fridge to the fire for 6-7 minutes. Very complete char yet still medium rare throughout. Double Yum!

RMW

[member=550]Tinker[/member]  [dead horse]

I've been away from this conversation for a while.  Way back a couple of pages ago, [member=8712]Richard/RMW[/member] I began to suspect you had not heeded my warnings to refrain from picture taking/displays.  I got to this message, i was already hardened to the possibilty you might be stubborn and not take heed.

Now, I have slobbered all over my keyboard.  I am awaiting delivery on a old "new" truck. all this talk makes me think I should cancel the order and just go out and get a half dozen of these eggs and komodo dragons and etc's and fight back.
A Very Hungry Tinker

 

[Bob Marino]

Ok, guys. One of my neighbor's friends has a Memphis grill and long story short, I was invited there for dinner. He smoked the chicken on 200 for about an hour and raised the temp to 375. Put the thermometer in in the chicken to I think 165 and we were having dinner shortly after that. He used maple pellets. Ok, chicken was tasty and moist, BUT due to the maple pellets, well had a maple flavor of course. That was ok, but suppose you want to cook the chicken simply but traditionally - as I most often have done with lemon, salt, pepper, onion, garlic and rosemary. When cooked in a traditional oven and even on my gas grills, you taste the flavors of those herbs and spices. Wouldn't that (the wonderful flavorful taste of the herbs and spices) be lost on either when smoking with pellets or charcoal, or even simply bypassing smoking first and simply using the pellet  or kamado as a oven/grill?

 

[egmiii]

Komodo Kamado sells extruded coconut shell charcoal. It's basically pure carbon with no flavor or smell. The pharmaceutical industry uses coconut carbon for purification I believe. Lots of Komodo Kamado owners use it when they bake breads or pies. Of course you can use it in a BGE, KJ, or equivalent, just not in a pellet smoker.

 

[Bob Marino]

Komodo Kamado sells extruded coconut shell charcoal. It's basically pure carbon with no flavor or smell. The pharmaceutical industry uses coconut carbon for purification I believe. Lots of Komodo Kamado owners use it when they bake breads or pies. Of course you can use it in a BGE, KJ, or equivalent, just not in a pellet smoker.

Interesting, but I am betting that accounts for a tiny, tiny fraction of fuel for the komodos and smokers/grills. But I am not surprised that KK has it all figured out - they are truly the Rolls Royce of the komados.
I'm just trying to get a handle on not getting the meats/fish/poultry not having their individual flavors get smothered by the smoke - whatever the wood - hickory, oak, apple, etc. etc.

 

[Cheese]

I'm just trying to get a handle on not getting the meats/fish/poultry not having their individual flavors get smothered by the smoke - whatever the wood - hickory, oak, apple, etc.

That's the reason I prefer to use plum or apricot for smoking fish or seafood. And I'm only using a Weber Kettle not a real smoker. Beef & lamb standup well to hickory and mesquite, however, seafood and even pork...not so much. Even vegetables are an issue. I love grilled corn but if you add some wood...it can be too much. Mushrooms on the other hand turn out fine as does asparagus.
Pineapple also works well with strong woods. I have a grilled pineapple with orange sauce recipe over vanilla ice cream that is to die for.

 

[semenza]

Bob,

  I have a pellet smoker / grill. I find that if I cook on a high temp for straight cooking as opposed to smoking, the smoke flavor is minimized to a degree that is simply complimentary to seasonings.  Mine is not good for steaks though as the temp only gets to 400 and it isn't high enough to get that fast caramelizing sear before the smoke alters the taste of the steak. But everything else works fine. But it seems that the Komodo gets much hotter than 400 so probably does steak well too?

Seth

 

[Bob Marino]

Bob,

  I have a pellet smoker / grill. I find that if I cook on a high temp for straight cooking as opposed to smoking, the smoke flavor is minimized to a degree that is simply complimentary to seasonings.  Mine is not good for steaks though as the temp only gets to 400 and it isn't high enough to get that fast caramelizing sear before the smoke alters the taste of the steak. But everything else works fine. But it seems that the Komodo gets much hotter than 400 so probably does steak well too?

Seth

  I thought that would be the situation -straight grilling instead of smoking then grilling. What flavor pellets do you prefer?
Yes, the komodos can attain very high heats - upwards of 1000.

 

[Bob Marino]

I'm just trying to get a handle on not getting the meats/fish/poultry not having their individual flavors get smothered by the smoke - whatever the wood - hickory, oak, apple, etc.

That's the reason I prefer to use plum or apricot for smoking fish or seafood. And I'm only using a Weber Kettle not a real smoker. Beef & lamb standup well to hickory and mesquite, however, seafood and even pork...not so much. Even vegetables are an issue. I love grilled corn but if you add some wood...it can be too much. Mushrooms on the other hand turn out fine as does asparagus.
Pineapple also works well with strong woods. I have a grilled pineapple with orange sauce recipe over vanilla ice cream that is to die for.

  Hmmmn, never heard of those woods being available. Ok, would you mind sharing that recipe?

Any others having a particular preference for wood to food?

 

[Tinker]

I have not been into smoking meat on my own. all this talk has gotten my interest tho.  I grew up carrying large buckets of Maple sap thru knee deep snow to my uncles sap house.  We had maple syrup all year round.  We used maple syrup on cereal, pancakes, fried potatoes, ice cream and just about everything you could imagine.  Since then, I have tried maple smoked bacon. That I don't have a taste for. I like oak, hickory, apple, and other wood smoked meat, but  not maple. I guess I got spoiled with the real syrup. Maple smoked pork or bacon just doesn't cut it for me.

BTW: I am saving this entie thread. Even tho I have never smoked (well, that's a fib.  I smoked for two weeks and quit.  I was only ten, but I never got back to...... oops! that's a different subject), I am getting a great education. Lots of research just to find out what you guys are talking about. Very interesting and i can now see what Peter meant when he told Bob "... you are so screwed..."
Tinker

 

[deepcreek]

[member=550]Tinker[/member] - I know it's been said before but I so enjoy hearing your stories.

My day is just beginning and you've already put a smile on my face.  [big grin]

Keep 'em coming!

 

[Tinker]

[member=6237]deepcreek[/member], When I was only 12 yrs old, I was already 7 feet tall. That was before i started lugging those sap buckets thru the deep snow. That exercise shrunk my body to a little less than 4 feet. But my arms  got to be much longer. By now my arms have shrunk so I cannot touch the floor with my hands by bending at the waist and not bending my knees.
Tinker

 

[deepcreek]

Ok, guys. One of my neighbor's friends has a Memphis grill and long story short, I was invited there for dinner. He smoked the chicken on 200 for about an hour and raised the temp to 375. Put the thermometer in in the chicken to I think 165 and we were having dinner shortly after that. He used maple pellets. Ok, chicken was tasty and moist, BUT due to the maple pellets, well had a maple flavor of course. That was ok, but suppose you want to cook the chicken simply but traditionally - as I most often have done with lemon, salt, pepper, onion, garlic and rosemary. When cooked in a traditional oven and even on my gas grills, you taste the flavors of those herbs and spices. Wouldn't that (the wonderful flavorful taste of the herbs and spices) be lost on either when smoking with pellets or charcoal, or even simply bypassing smoking first and simply using the pellet  or kamado as a oven/grill?

I too have seriously enjoyed this thread even though I'm not personally a huge fan of "smoke" flavor.

My go to is a Weber Genesis Silver C propane grill.  I've had it for fifteen years and used it daily for many years.  (With my heart attack, I need to get back to that now.)  It has been upgraded with stainless flavorizor bars, cast iron grates, the premium electric rotisserie and a smoker box that I can fill with different kinds of wood chips.

I enjoy being able to add a little bit of smoke flavor or just use the clean burning heat to grill and/or sear.  So you are right in understanding that there is a limit (perhaps varying from person to person) on how much smoke complements something versus masks the other flavors.

By the way, my younger brother had a ten foot long Klose barbecue pit and smoker until he left Texas for Portland, OR. https://bbqpits.com/  I enjoyed lots of good food off of that beast.

 

[deepcreek]

[member=6237]deepcreek[/member], When I was only 12 yrs old, I was already 7 feet tall. That was before i started lugging those sap buckets thru the deep snow. That exercise shrunk my body to a little less than 4 feet. But my arms  got to be much longer. By now my arms have shrunk so I cannot touch the floor with my hands by bending at the waist and not bending my knees.
Tinker

[member=550]Tinker[/member] - I nearly fell out of my chair from laughing so hard.  I just had a heart attack a week ago.  Please go easy on me!

 

[Tinker]

[member=6237]deepcreek[/member], When I was only 12 yrs old, I was already 7 feet tall. That was before i started lugging those sap buckets thru the deep snow. That exercise shrunk my body to a little less than 4 feet. But my arms  got to be much longer. By now my arms have shrunk so I cannot touch the floor with my hands by bending at the waist and not bending my knees.
Tinker

[member=550]Tinker[/member] - I nearly fell out of my chair from laughing so hard.  I just had a heart attack a week ago.  Please go easy on me!

[member=6237]deepcreek[/member] laughture is the very best medicine.

 

[smirak]

Bob,

I don't use smoking woods on everything I cook.  If I'm cooking a spatchcocked chicken using the "ingredients" you said and you want that flavor profile, I just use regular old lump charcoal.  I start the charcoal and wait for the thick, white smoke to dissipate and all you have is straight heat then, no flavor.  My lump that I go to is Kamado Joe Big Block charcoal.  It's all hardwood charcoal from Argentina and it has no off flavors.  The thing you have to take note of is you have to let the white smoke go and wait for the "thin, blue smoke".  Once you have the thin, blue smoke gone, you just have heat (as noted above). 

Talking about chicken, if you've never spatchcocked one, it will change your life.  I don't know what it is about it, but they are bomb.  That's the only way I will cook one now (if I'm on my KJ). 

My advice, and take it or leave it, is to find someone on this board, or work, or facebook or whatever that lives near you and has all the options you are considering. Then, "invite" yourself over one night, weekend, etc to let them cook for you.  You supply the meat, beer, whatever.  I can tell you from a kamado (not just KJ) aspect, most everyone I know that has one are happy to help sell you on the idea of needing one!  If you ever find yourself in the Huntsville area, let me know I and I'll cook whatever you'd like to show you.  Heck, I'll even let you come over and show you how to cook it and let you do it all on your own.  All I'd ask for in return is the friendship.

Hope all this helps!
Kevin

 

[Anodyne]

Bob,

  I have a pellet smoker / grill. I find that if I cook on a high temp for straight cooking as opposed to smoking, the smoke flavor is minimized to a degree that is simply complimentary to seasonings.  Mine is not good for steaks though as the temp only gets to 400 and it isn't high enough to get that fast caramelizing sear before the smoke alters the taste of the steak. But everything else works fine. But it seems that the Komodo gets much hotter than 400 so probably does steak well too?

Seth

  I thought that would be the situation -straight grilling instead of smoking then grilling. What flavor pellets do you prefer?
Yes, the komodos can attain very high heats - upwards of 1000.

For grilling temps with pellets, Memphis has the highest listed temp at 600-650 or so degrees.  I can hit 500 with my Mak 2 Star.  If you add some GrillGrates you can boost that by another 100* on a pellet grill (even higher on a charcoal or gasser).  When doing higher temp grilling I use hickory pellets as they burn with a higher BTU than fruit woods. 

 

[deepcreek]

Talking about chicken, if you've never spatchcocked one, it will change your life.  I don't know what it is about it, but they are bomb.  That's the only way I will cook one now (if I'm on my KJ).

For those wondering, spatchcocked chicken has had the backbone removed and the breast bone broken or (split from the inside) to allow the bird to be cooked flat.

I love this technique and it's my go to method for grilling Cornish game hens.