Big Green Egg

[Rockport]

I can't possibly imagine how one of these would be worth that much. But I don't smoke meat, I only grill. And a $40 grill with a bag of charcoal does just fine for that type of job. Smoking is a whole other animal, of course.

I just finished my first brisket on the BGE and it is leaps and bounds better than any brisket I've cooked before on an offset. You can slice it with a fork, it's super moist and has unbelievable taste. These things are awesome. I'll post a picture later today.

 

[Rockport]

Here's a pic of my first brisket on the BGE.

http://i1346.***BLOCKED***/albums/p681/Obiru/IMG_0194_zpsab20b3ef.jpg

 

[jobberone]

Here's a pic of my first brisket on the BGE.

http://i1346.***BLOCKED***/albums/p681/Obiru/IMG_0194_zpsab20b3ef.jpg

Now that looks good!

 

[ologan]

Here's a pic of my first brisket on the BGE.

http://i1346.***BLOCKED***/albums/p681/Obiru/IMG_0194_zpsab20b3ef.jpg

Share your cooking procedure?

 

[jobberone]

Put that in a bag and overnite it to me. I'll warm it real slo!

 

[Rockport]

Share your cooking procedure?

First step was to put Whataburger mustard all over the brisket then kosher salt (table salt will make the skin mushy) and coarse black pepper. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 hrs or so. Light the BGE and make sure the temperature is stable at 250. This part is critical as a tender juicy brisket needs to cook low and slow at a stable temp. It took me about an hour to get it stabilized by adjusting the vents. I just purchased the BGE so I'm still learning how to fine tune. Once I got it to 250 I put the brisket on at about 11pm. Inserted one of those meat thermometers with a remote so I could monitor the internal temp of the meat without having to lift the lid. Everytime you raise the lid, it messes up the cooking procedure as the temp drops then has to re-stabilize. I got up twice during the night to check on the temp and the BGE maintained the 250 during the entire cook without me having to make any adjustments. This is the payoff with the BGE. Totally awesome performance. A side note on the fire, I put the larger pieces of lump charcoal in the middle with smaller pieces on the outside. I also added 3 post oak chunks for smoke flavor. Once the internal temp of the meat reached 203, I took it out, double wrapped it in foil. I then put it in a cooler with towels below it and towels on top of the brisket. Let it rest in there until dinner time. I was really amazed at how it turned out. My previous attempts with the $300 offsets you can buy from Lowes or Academy were not even close in taste and tenderness compared to this one on the BGE. Today I'm BBQ'ing some stuffed chicken breasts and bacon wrapped scallops. Haven't tried a pizza yet, but will attempt that this upcoming week.

 

[ologan]

First step was to put Whataburger mustard all over the brisket then kosher salt (table salt will make the skin mushy) and coarse black pepper. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 hrs or so. Light the BGE and make sure the temperature is stable at 250. This part is critical as a tender juicy brisket needs to cook low and slow at a stable temp. It took me about an hour to get it stabilized by adjusting the vents. I just purchased the BGE so I'm still learning how to fine tune. Once I got it to 250 I put the brisket on at about 11pm. Inserted one of those meat thermometers with a remote so I could monitor the internal temp of the meat without having to lift the lid. Everytime you raise the lid, it messes up the cooking procedure as the temp drops then has to re-stabilize. I got up twice during the night to check on the temp and the BGE maintained the 250 during the entire cook without me having to make any adjustments. This is the payoff with the BGE. Totally awesome performance. A side note on the fire, I put the larger pieces of lump charcoal in the middle with smaller pieces on the outside. I also added 3 post oak chunks for smoke flavor. Once the internal temp of the meat reached 203, I took it out, double wrapped it in foil. I then put it in a cooler with towels below it and towels on top of the brisket. Let it rest in there until dinner time. I was really amazed at how it turned out. My previous attempts with the $300 offsets you can buy from Lowes or Academy were not even close in taste and tenderness compared to this one on the BGE. Today I'm BBQ'ing some stuffed chicken breasts and bacon wrapped scallops. Haven't tried a pizza yet, but will attempt that this upcoming week.

Thanks! How much lean/fat was on your brisket? How fresh was it?
The reason I ask is my first brisket try was not very remarkable, I attribute it to the brisket being dug out of the freezer, and not noticing it was over a year old!
How big was the brisket, and approximately how many hours at 250 did it take to reach 203 degrees?
I need to invest in one of them there remote meat thermometers.
BTW, I just got a hand held meat/food thermometer from ThermoWorks (www.thermoworks.com) that reads internal temp withih 4-5 seconds. It is neat, and used it last night on six 1 1/2" tenderloin steaks. Works super.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

First step was to put Whataburger mustard all over the brisket then kosher salt (table salt will make the skin mushy) and coarse black pepper. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 hrs or so.

My previous attempts with the $300 offsets you can buy from Lowes or Academy were not even close in taste and tenderness compared to this one on the BGE.

Your brisket looks good, congrats. Those BGE's are hard to beat for

2 things though. If all you're putting on your meat is salt and pepper, it's really a bad idea to do it no more than an hour or so before your put it on the smoker/grill. The salt leaches moisture from the meat.

Also, if you're buying $300 offset smokers from Lowes or Academy, and comparing them to a $600+ Kamado-style smoker, then wondering why there's so much difference in the end result? That's like driving a Chevy Econoline van over a pothole filled road, then doing the same in a Mercedes GL-Class SUV, then going, "WOW, that was different!?"

 

[DallasCowpoke]

BTW, I just got a hand held meat/food thermometer from ThermoWorks (www.thermoworks.com) that reads internal temp withih 4-5 seconds. It is neat, and used it last night on six 1 1/2" tenderloin steaks. Works super.

A good instant read thermometer is probably the best investment you can make for being successful in the kitchen. I love my Thermapen, and there's very few times I do w/o it. Especially grilling or BBQing.

 

[Rockport]

Thanks! How much lean/fat was on your brisket? How fresh was it?
The reason I ask is my first brisket try was not very remarkable, I attribute it to the brisket being dug out of the freezer, and not noticing it was over a year old!
How big was the brisket, and approximately how many hours at 250 did it take to reach 203 degrees?
I need to invest in one of them there remote meat thermometers.
BTW, I just got a hand held meat/food thermometer from ThermoWorks (www.thermoworks.com) that reads internal temp withih 4-5 seconds. It is neat, and used it last night on six 1 1/2" tenderloin steaks. Works super.

It was 11.8 lbs and was choice grade. Final cook time was about 11 hrs. Before cooking I trimmed the fat down to 1/4". Search for "Franklin's brisket" on YouTube for how he does a brisket. His place in Austin was voted best in Texas and you'll see him on BBQ Pitmasters show.

 

[Rockport]

Your brisket looks good, congrats. Those BGE's are hard to beat for

2 things though. If all you're putting on your meat is salt and pepper, it's really a bad idea to do it no more than an hour or so before your put it on the smoker/grill. The salt leaches moisture from the meat.

Also, if you're buying $300 offset smokers from Lowes or Academy, and comparing them to a $600+ Kamado-style smoker, then wondering why there's so much difference in the end result? That's like driving a Chevy Econoline van over a pothole filled road, then doing the same in a Mercedes GL-Class SUV, then going, "WOW, that was different!?"

The mustard protects from the salt leaching moisture. I wasn't wondering why there's such a difference with the BGE. I was expecting it and it lived up to my expectations.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

The mustard protects from the salt leaching moisture.

No, sorry, that's just patently, and chemically, false. And just an FYI... Whataburger Mustard? Ingredients: water, vinegar, mustard seed, salt, turmeric, spices, garlic powder, natural flavors

 

[Rockport]

No, sorry, that's just patently, and chemically, false. And just an FYI... Whataburger Mustard? Ingredients: water, vinegar, mustard seed, salt, turmeric, spices, garlic powder, natural flavors

Ok

 

[ologan]

Ok

Well, that just goes to show that opinions are like.....BBQ brisket recipes. Every good BBQ'er has one. Whatever works for you .....works for you! I'd like to have some of both of y'alls brisket.

 

[Rockport]

Well, that just goes to show that opinions are like.....BBQ brisket recipes. Every good BBQ'er has one. Whatever works for you .....works for you! I'd like to have some of both of y'alls brisket.

Right on. No use arguing about it. I'm new at cooking briskets and know I'm no expert. I enjoy the whole process and when the food comes out good, it's really satisfying. The BGE helps alot with that.

 

[ethiostar]

Here's a pic of my first brisket on the BGE.

http://i1346.***BLOCKED***/albums/p681/Obiru/IMG_0194_zpsab20b3ef.jpg

That looks yummy!!!!

 

[ethiostar]

I finally got a large BGE last week (Wednesday). My son's 4th BDay was Saturday and we had a little party for him so I wanted to grill various things. I slow cooked a brisket overnight and also grilled hot dogs, burgers, and veggies on Saturday.

Everything turned out wonderful. Love this thing.

Stabilizing the temperature will take some getting used to.

http://i386.***BLOCKED***/albums/oo303/pumango/BGE_zps72e15cae.jpg

 

[Rockport]

The trick to stabilizing the temp is once you start the fire, don't let it get past the temp you desire. Close off both vents before it reaches that temp. For a temp of 250, the bottom vent should be no more than 1/4" open and the top aroun 1/8".

I love your setup. How much did the stand cost if I may ask?

 

[ethiostar]

The trick to stabilizing the temp is once you start the fire, don't let it get past the temp you desire. Close off both vents before it reaches that temp. For a temp of 250, the bottom vent should be no more than 1/4" open and the top aroun 1/8".

I love your setup. How much did the stand cost if I may ask?

Thanks. I actually made the table. I looked online and didn't really see anything worthwhile that I was willing to pay $300-$500 for (which is the range for most wooden tables I saw online including S&H). I bought all the materials I needed for a little over $100.

I wish I could have spent a few more days on it but I was in a rush to build it so I can get the BGE in time for the party. I plan to add a folding extension on the right hand side for extra counter space, mount a bottle opener in the front on the right hand side, and a bar to hang a kitchen towel as well.

 

[Rockport]

Thanks. I actually made the table. I looked online and didn't really see anything worthwhile that I was willing to pay $300-$500 for (which is the range for most wooden tables I saw online including S&H). I bought all the materials I needed for a little over $100.

I wish I could have spent a few more days on it but I was in a rush to build it so I can get the BGE in time for the party. I plan to add a folding extension on the right hand side for extra counter space, mount a bottle opener in the front on the right hand side, and a bar to hang a kitchen towel as well.

Well, that's an awesome job you did. Did you have a printed plan to go by or just wing it?