Big Green Egg
Saturday, April 25, 2009
There’s a new cooker in town, and it’s fairly unique. Instead of a metal drum or kettle shaped grill, you could go for the ceramic Big Green Egg.
The Egg, or BGE, is copied after an ancient Japanese clay cooker called a “kamado.” It is no longer made of clay, but of “durable space-age ceramics” developed specifically for this cooker that, according to company materials, are similar to those prepared for the space shuttle.
Neil Woydziak has had a BGE for several weeks.
“I’ve had real good results,” he said. “My brother has one and he cooked turkey, pulled pork, brisket — I was really impressed.”
The Big Green Egg is available locally from Blue Fox. Inc. This company was started in 2008 by Vicki and Terry Brickell, along with their daughter Brandi Wright and her husband, Jason. In addition to BGEs, they also sell Dream Maker spas and Sunheat/Mountainaire space heaters.
The brand name is a description of the shape of the grill — it looks like a large green egg standing on its narrow end. The top quarter of the grill is a domed lid with a daisy wheel on top to control heat and air flow. The narrow end is flattened to provide a stable base, and contains a vent for air intake and ash outtake.
This grill comes in five different sizes, from a 30-pound portable that can grill four hamburgers on its 9 1/2-inch grill, to the largest one at 205 pounds with a 24-inch grill and the ability to add two more grilling grids to fill the dome. The sizes in-between have 12-, 15- and 18-inch grilling surfaces.
The BGE is practically airtight, said Terry Brickell, with a sealing gasket between the lid and body. It traps in moisture as well as heat, and is well-insulated. The ceramic exterior means no rusting, and the grill can be used year-round without losing efficiency.
“The BGE cooks with lump charcoal rather than prepared briquettes” Terry Brickell said.
No lighter fluid or other chemical starter is used for the BGE — just an electric coil or natural starter brick to ignite the charcoal.
Jason Wright said, “The BGE can be ready to cook in as little as 10 minutes, although I usually let it go for 30 or 40.”
The BGE’s internal temperature can be quickly and reliably controlled, making it easy to use as an oven, smoker or grill. Adjusting the openings on the top of the grill helps maintain a steady temperature from 150 degrees to 750 degrees for hours at a time and without adding more charcoal.
“The lump charcoal is made from hardwoods, and it burns cleaner and slower than traditional briquettes,” Terry said. “There is usually charcoal left over from cooking, and you just scoop out the ash, add a few new lumps if necessary and you’re ready to grill again.”
A higher heat works for quickly searing a steak, or “low and slow” for 10 or 12 hours for a brisket. Because the humidity inside the cooker is fairly well-contained, there isn’t much loss of moisture in the meat. For the taste and smell of traditional grilling, users can add soaked wood chips to the lump charcoal and provide that flavor without having to add a pan of water as well.
Vicki Brickell said, “It is easier to plan a meal around grilling thanks to the controlled temperature. You can do an entire meal in about 40 minutes, or just the meat in 20.”
She will fill a Dutch oven of vegetables and have that going on one side of the grill while preparing her meat course.
“It’s very forgiving,” Neil Woydziak said.
He put some chicken on the grill, then checked the recipe and found he had not followed the instructions to the letter.
“It still turned out great. I was amazed at how juicy it turned out. I gave a piece of the chicken, cold, to a friend the next day and he couldn’t believe how moist it still was.”
Because the BGE will maintain a consistent baking temperature, it can be used as an oven and cook casseroles, roast chickens or even bake cakes, breads “...and cinnamon rolls,” said Terry.
The Brickells have used their grill several times to make cinnamon rolls for the family.
Terry Brickell says it is a durable grill.
“This is an investment. Your children will inherit your Egg,” he said. “Think of the money you spend on replacing your regular grill every two to three years, and compare that to the fact this grill will practically last forever.”
The cost of a BGE ranges from $250 up to $1,000. The BGE comes with all kinds of accessories—a collar to hold “Egg Mates,” little shelves on each side, or “Egg Shelves,” a trio of solid workstations. The Egg can sit in a “nest,” which is a metal cart with casters to assist in moving the Egg about the patio, or on a table, which nestles the Egg in one end of a wooden work cart. There are tools for removing ash and 20-pound bags of lump charcoal available, too.
Other accessories include varying sizes of baking stones, cooking racks and baskets — even a vertical roaster for “beer can chicken.” Although it can be heavy, a BGE set in a nest or cart is quite mobile, and families routinely load them and go to “Eggfests” across the nation to cook together and celebrate their new hobby, the Brickells said. Because the BGE is a little top heavy, it will need to be secured for travel.
The Brickells have attended Eggfests in Oklahoma City and Springfield, Mo.
“It’s a friendly family event, cooking and sharing, sometimes with classes or a golf tournament as part of the fun,” Vicki Brickell said.
blackdog40 (anonymous) says...
I have cooked with a BGE for years and they are the best.
April 27, 2009 at 11:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )