Since another thread took a turn toward my favorite subject (food), I thought I would share this with everyone.
A few years ago, I was exposed to a new idea. (Actually, the idea is thousands of years old, but it’s new to the US, and even newer to me.) I was discussing barbecue grills with a friend at work who likes to fancy himself as a master of the pit, and he suggested to me that I go get a “Big Green Egg”. I did not know what a Big Green Egg was, so I ventured on over to Jeff’s Backyard (http://www.jeffsbackyardstore.com/) in San Antonio to look at one.
At first, I didn’t know what to think about it. It looked goofy, and certainly not like anything you’d want to cook a hundred-dollar cut of meat in. But eventually I took the plunge and in the past three years, I bet I’ve invested at least two grand in my Big Green Egg.
My friends, I can tell you this–this is the best barbecue grill ever invented. It can slow cook, and can grill at high temperatures, it can bake, it can broil, it can do just about anything you want it to do.
I still have a gas grill. It’s a Weber Spirit E-210. Not a big grill, but it’s a good grill. And I can tell you this–you can tell a difference between food cooked on the BGE and food cooked on the Weber. Food cooked on the Egg has more flavor, is more juicy, more tender, and overall just more awesome than food cooked on the gas grill.
So if anybody is willing to drop some money on a grill, this is the one I would recommend–hands down. Nothing else compares. Anybody who owns one will tell you the same.
Traeger wood pellet grills are my pick. I made a prime rib for Christmas that was better than any I’d ever had. Slow cooker.
On thanks giving we cook one turkey in the oven Martha Stewart style and its good…cheese cloth, baste with wine and butter, yum… I cook a second turkey on the traeger and it is by far the favorite of the crowd. I’ve heard the green egg is good but I be the traeger is better (imagine that, a guy from up north telling a Texan about bbqs).
kamado grills are nice. but they’re expensive toys. let’s compare the green egg kamado grills with a basic weber kettle grill… large egg is $830 on ebay new and weighs 162 pounds with a diameter of 18.25" a regular kettle grill is like $70 on ebay and weighs maybe 20-25 pounds with a diameter of 18.5" extra large egg is $1000 and weighs 218 punds with a diameter of 24" a large kettle grill is $100 and weighs 25-30 pounds with a diameter of 22.5" sure the green egg smokes efficiently and you can let it run overnight to do brisket and shit. but at a mark up of more than 800 bucks on either is much. you would need to invite friends to help u move the shit. and~ there’s a gasket on the circumference that requires maintenance. u have to scrape the previous gasket clean as shit and then reapply a new gasket. it’s an ongoing expense. i will stick with weber til i hit the lotto. i like toys and shit but i like to be reasonable as well. I’m with you on the gas grill, fck that thing. I’m old school and proper. 18.5" kettle
I’m with CFAvsMBA on this one. I have the large Weber Kettle and I both grill direct and indirect on it as well as smoke. I’ve smoked whole birds and ribs and grill everything from lamb, salmon, to tritip. EVERYTHING I have done on the kettle has been unreal.
I actually think the prep and details is more important than the apparatus.
Always brine your bird. I get a frozen apple juice can and mix it with a cup of salt, pepper, and enough water to cover. Letr brine overnight. RINSE THOROUGHLY with fresh water before putting on grill. It will be too salty otherwise.
Use natural hardwood charocal and not the briquettes which are made of sawdust and petroleum byproducts
If you are smoking, use the right wood. Mesquite is too much 99% of the time. Applewood and cherry are great for birds. Hickory and cherry are great for ribs.
I could easily be convinced to go to NYC for memorial day for a BBQ. Better yet, we could hold it at Montauk or one of those fancy beach towns up there I keep hearing so much about.
Guy in the office next to me won’t shut up about his. Honestly, give him two beer over lunch and bam, back on the big green egg topic. So I’m thinking it must be good.
For Blake and CvM, the BGE is much more forgiving than a Weber Kettle. Also, you can tell a noticeable difference in the food once it comes off. It is juicier and more flavorful when it’s cooked on the egg.
^^ I look at things on the margin and can’t justify spending multiples of what a Weber Kettle costs. Is the food going to taste 300-500% better. No. Impossible.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that quantifies how good my meal tastes. Just this morning my wife served me an omelet that only tasted 53% as good as her normal omelets. I threw the plate against the wall and went to McDonalds.
^I just found it funny that you of all people are throwing around numbers that are completely meaningless. Had anyone else said anything about how food tastes 300-500% better you would have jumped down their throat. “How can food taste 3x better? You’re an idiot you idiot. I thought you guys that work in “finance” wouldn’t be such idiots.”
I was subtly making a point that, as usual, flew right over your head.