Gas is For Work, Not My BGE

Herbes de Provence Turkey

Though most people think of serving turkey for Thanksgiving, it is also a popular holiday main course for Christmas and Easter. There are many ways to roast a turkey on a Big Green Egg (BGE) and I have tried several of them. I have settled on two recipes that our family likes best and I will present the first of these in this blog today. (This recipe can also be used on a turkey cooked in a charcoal or gas grill or an oven and is Ideal Protein, Phase 1 compliant). First I must go over the 8 “Rules of Turkey Cooking”:

Rule #1: The Turkey I purchase a fresh (never frozen) turkey whenever I can. These are a little more expensive and can usually be found at The Fresh Market or non-grocery butcher shops. They will often NOT be injected with sodium and water and will not be self-brining. If one purchases a grocery store turkey (Butterball, etc), check the labelling, as it will likely be injected with 3-8% solution. It keeps the turkey moist when cooked in a hot, dry oven, but remember when cooking in the awesome, moisture-retaining BGE it will not need to be brined. (That said, some BGE owners insist on brining their turkeys, usually to infuse added flavors before cooking it in the Egg, but occasionally it’s because they just don’t understand their Egg’s properties).

Rule #2: Practice run One needs to know if their plan will work (fit) on the Egg. I put all the components into the Egg, including the bird (frozen or fresh – still in the plastic wrapper) to be sure the pans will fit and it will close properly with the bird in place. I often have to modify my original plan based on this practice run – change from upright roaster to roasting pan or adjust grid heights to accommodate the drip pan or a large bird. I have even removed the fire ring and lowered the PS to the top of the fire box (4 inches deeper) to get a large turkey upright. I could easily touch the bird through the top opening!

Rule #3: Thaw thoroughly – with a frozen turkey, remember it will take at least 2, sometimes 3 days to fully thaw it in a refrigerator, so plan accordingly.

Rule #4 Separate the skin This is not a requirement on every turkey cook, but many recipes for turkey, and well as chicken, will instruct one to use a wooden spoon handle or, my preference, fingers to carefully undermine the breast, thigh and leg skin (try NOT to create a hole in the skin). This serves two purposes: (1) it allows one to add butter, olive oil, rubs or herbs under the skin for flavor, and (2) it also helps crisp up the skin when cooking.

Rule #5: Room temperature Always place the turkey on the counter and allow it to approach room temperature before placing in the BGE (or oven). This can range from one hour for a small bird to 2 hours for a very large one.

Rule #6: Chill the breast A perfectly cooked turkey (or chicken) will be done when the internal temperature of the breast is 160-165*, yet the legs and thighs should be 170-180*. I fill a gallon-size ziplock bag with crushed ice and place it on top of the breast about 20-30 minutes prior to placing the turkey in the Egg. By chilling the breast meat, it takes the breast longer to reach its done temperature, allowing time for the thighs to reach 180* (works for oven-cooked turkeys, also).

Rule #7: Don’t forget the giblets! Don’t forget there is a neck and a bag of giblets stuffed inside the cavity of the bird. Make sure it is completely removed!

Rule #8: Estimated cook time I have kept records of my cook times and Egg’d turkeys seem to average roughly 8-10 minutes per pound at 325-350* dome temperature. This is shorter than what most people expect, but remember, the BGE is essentially a convection cooker. With recipes that involve stuffing fruit and/or vegetables inside the cavity, the cook time will be longer – more like 15-20 minutes per pound.

Herbes de Provence Turkey

The first and simplest of my turkey recipes I learned from my former colleague and his gracious wife – Barry & Carolyn Aden. This gives a nice, browned turkey with a pleasant herbal flavor.

I use a herb paste made from olive oil mixed with Herbes de Provence and kosher salt. This paste is rubbed under the skin of the breasts, thighs and legs plus the outside and cavity of the turkey. To give it a short dry brine and let the flavors soak into the meat, it is covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated several hours or even overnight.

Prepare the BGE for an indirect cook with a drip pan and a dome temp of 325-350*. Place the platesetter (PS) with the legs up. Put some spacers (3-4 small balls of aluminum foil will work) on the PS, then a drip pan on the spacers (the air gap between the drip pan and the PS helps prevent the drippings from burning). The turkey can be placed on an upright roaster or in a V-rack (or roasting pan). The best smoking woods are mild fruit woods like apple, pecan or cherry (poultry soaks up smoke, so don’t overdo it).

Once the Egg has stabilized (with the PS and the drip pan) at your goal temp of 325-350* for about 45 minutes, place the turkey inside and insert a continuous-read thermometer (see “thermometers” in The Basics) into the thigh, avoiding contact with the bone. Baste occasionally with paste diluted with white vinegar. When the breast begins to brown, tent it with a loose piece of aluminum foil until about the last hour, when you can remove it and let the breast brown up nicely. Remove the bird when it’s done, cover and rest it on a cutting board until time to carve and serve.

Enjoy,
Misippi Egger
(Clark Ethridge)

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:
1 12# fresh turkey
3 tbsp Herbes de Provence (more, if needed)
4 tbsp EVOO (more, if needed)
1 tbsp Coarse sea salt, or Kosher
2 oz White vinegar

Instructions:
Herb Paste:
(1) Mix EVOO and Herbes de Provence and salt to make a thick paste. Reserve the remaining paste and mix it with the white vinegar to make a baste for later (or remake a smaller quantity for basting).
Prep of turkey:
(1) Pat the turkey dry. Undermine the skin with fingers or the handle of a wooden spoon, beginning at the top of the breasts and undermining as far onto the thighs and drumsticks as possible, being careful not to tear holes in the skin. Generously rub the paste under the skin, then completely rub the outside of the turkey and the cavity with the paste. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
(2) Allow the turkey to come to room temperature before putting on the grill (about a hour). During the last 20-30 min. of this time, place a gallon bag with crushed ice over the breasts to keep them cooler than the dark meat.
The Cook:
(1) Fill the BGE up with lump to within about 1″ of the bottom of the platesetter. Get it stabilized at about 325-350* with the platesetter in place and the legs up (may need to remove the fire ring if turkey is 20# or so). Mix some pecan or apple chips/chunks in with the lump.
(2) Place turkey on a vertical roaster in a drip pan, a V-rack over a drip pan, or in a roaster/rack pan and cook until thigh temp is 180* (the breast should be about 160*). Cover and rest until time to serve.

Kodiak River Salmon

There are many ways to grill salmon. Once I developed this recipe/technique, Jana won’t allow me to experiment with any other recipes. This is her favorite and she says “It is perfect. Don’t change it”.

I realize many of you like marinated and/or glazed salmon, cedar-planked salmon, BBQ salmon, etc., and those are all good, but this will be about our “go to” salmon recipe – Kodiak River Salmon. (Note: I will blog about smoked salmon (cold and hot) on another day).

First and foremost, you need a nice, fresh piece of salmon. If it ‘smells’, it’s probably not fresh! I buy my salmon from Duggan’s Seafood in Jackson (truck parked every Thursday and Friday in the DeVille Plaza parking lot, near CVS building). This salmon comes from the cold, Nova Scotia area and is raised in huge, offshore deep-water farms. We prefer skin-on filets – the skin protects the filets from overcooking and the crispy skin is a treat!

Note: If you purchase a whole filet, you should cut the thin belly piece off so it doesn’t over cook, giving you a nice, evenly thick center piece. We save those belly pieces (called Toro) and cook them for appetizers – they are delicious!

This is a 1 pound center-cut filet piece drizzled with a small amount of olive oil and liberally seasoned with Big Green Egg “Kodiak River” seasoning. This seasoning can be purchased at Madison Fireplace & Patio in Madison, MS or at your local egg dealer. The pieces of Toro have a light coating of Kodiak River.

Salmon filet and pieces of Toro seasoned

We had torrential rains all day (the lake is coming over our seawall and pier) and since my Mini Egg is under the porch, it got the nomination tonight. I prepared it for a direct cook at 400-450* dome temp.

I carefully scraped the hot grid clean and to further protect the fish from sticking, I swabbed the grid with a small rag soaked in vegetable oil.

I placed the filet and the pieces of Toro flesh down on the oiled grid, then closed the dome for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.

I used a spatula to flip all the pieces, putting the skin down on the grid. (The spatula works better on the tender salmon filet because it will fall apart when using tongs — trust me)!

After about another minute, I removed the Toro pieces and we ‘dug in’ to these very tasty (high fat content) appetizers.

When the filet reached 120-130* internal temperature, I removed it from the grill. I always try to let it rest, covered for a few minutes, but that doesn’t always happen!

I divided this filet lengthwise into 2 servings and plated with roasted bacon & brussel sprouts and roasted chayote squash.

This technique is great for a quick weeknight meal. The salmon has a nice crust from the rub and the flesh-down sear, but it is flaky and juicy inside.

Try it – it might become your only salmon recipe also!

Addendum: Weeknight cook: 1# salmon filet plus an appetizer piece of Toro from Duggan’s fish truck. Kodiak River rub plus a light dusting of sea salt. 450* on Grill Grates -( Buy at Amazon ):
Done at 120* internal temp. Plated over pan-roasted Brussel sprouts, mushrooms and bacon:

**********

Enjoy!
Clark
(Misippi Egger)

Serves 2 Prep and cook time: 30 min.

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh salmon filet, skin on
Olive oil
Big Green Egg Kodiak River rub

Instructions:
Prepare Egg for a 400-450* direct cook
Clean salmon filet, trim off (and save) thin belly piece to get a filet of even thickness. Drizzle a light coating of olive oil and spread it around (to hold the rub better). Liberally coat the filet with the rub and allow it to ‘melt’ onto the filet for 10-15 minutes.
Clean the hot grid carefully and swab with a rag or paper towel soaked in vegetable oil. Lay the filet and any Toro pieces on the grid – skin down.
After 2-2.5 minutes, using a spatula, flip the filet and Toro so the skin side is on the grid.
Remove any Toro pieces after another minute and continue to let the filet cook until it reaches 120-130* internal temp.
Cover and rest for 5-8 minutes, then serve.

Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus

It’s hard to beat a sunny, spring-like Sunday afternoon with a couple of the grand-boys and family visiting for lunch, boat riding and fishing! I needed a couple of quick, easy vegetable sides to go with a crock pot roast. I made cabbage boats (click on the link to see recipe) and while they rested, I threw prosciutto-wrapped asparagus on the Grill Grates (available at Amazon – Grill Grates) for a few minutes.

Preparing the asparagus is easy. It can even be wrapped the day before, then seasoned and grilled in only a few minutes. Guests will rave about them!

After you have snapped and washed the asparagus spears, carefully spiral a slice of prosciutto (they will tear easily) around each thick spear. If your spears are very thin, group 2-4 together and wrap with a slice of the meat. Once they are all wrapped, and in a dish (9×13 works well), liberally drizzle them with olive oil and roll them around to coat evenly. The prosciutto is fairly salty, so chose a seasoning with minimal salt and use sparingly. We like Dizzy Pig’s Swamp Venom (a cajun-style seasoning) and really just apply to one side of the spears.

They are grilled direct on a grid (or on Grill Grates) or in a veggie grill pan. All you want to do is firm-up the prosciutto on all sides for a few minutes. Place back in the dish and cover until ready to serve.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 bunch of asparagus (about 36 thick spears)
Prosciutto (enough for all spears)
Olive oil
Cajun seasoning (minimal salt)

Instructions:
(1) Snap the spears, wash and dry.
(2) Separate the prosciutto slices and carefully spiral wrap a slice around each spear, or around 2-4 spears if they are thin.
(3) Place the wrapped spears in a wide dish and liberally drizzle with olive oil, rolling the spears around to thoroughly coat them with the oil. They can be prepared the day before, covered and kept in the refrigerator until ready to season and grill.
(4) Sparingly apply the cajun seasoning (I only season one side).
(5) Grill direct at 400*, turning frequently to prevent burning. You only need to char a little – to let the prosciutto firm up.
(6) Cover until ready to serve.

Enjoy,
Misippi Egger

Butter-crusted Sea Bass

I learned to cook sea bass in a convection oven from my friends and colleagues Mike West and Steve Stephenson – simple preparation at 425* for 22 minutes (thick filet). It’s a great recipe, but of course I just had to try it on my Egg.

I patted the filets dry, then brushed lightly with melted butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.

I set up my BGE for an indirect cook at 450-500*. I inverted my Grill Grates (available at Madison Fireplace & Patio and many local dealers or at Amazon – Grill Grates), creating a flat, griddle-like surface. I sprayed the griddle with Pam and put the filets on (there was a huge flare-up from the Pam dripping onto the indirect piece, but I snuffed it out by briefly closing the dome with the rain cap on top).

After about 6 minutes, I flipped them to prevent burning, and they were done in a total of about 10-12 minutes.

The sea bass filets were plated with roasted broccoli from my garden and saute’ed garlic spinach plus a nice glass of merlot. The fish had a great crust (which the oven recipe doesn’t produce) and a juicy, flaky center. I will definitely be cooking it this way in our future!

Addendum (5/19/16): Slight change in recipe tonight: Added a light sprinkling of lemon pepper and granulated garlic to one side of each filet. Swabbed Grill Grates with vegetable oil and cooked at BGE dome temp of 400*). Pic below:
Sea Bass 5:16
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 fresh sea bass filets, about 2 inches thick
1/4 stick butter, melted
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
High-temp, nonstick spray product

Instructions:
(1) Prepare the Egg for a 450-500* elevated, indirect cook. Invert Grill Grates (or use some other griddle-like accessory) and place on the grid.
(2) Pat the filets dry and lightly brush both sides with the melted butter. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
(3) Spray the surface with a high-temp, non-stick product (be careful of flare-ups).
(4) Place the filets on the surface and flip after about 6 minutes. They should be ready in another 5-6 minutes (one can check the internal temp with an instant-read thermometer if desired).
(5) Rest under foil for 5-8 minutes before serving.

Eggcessories – The Basics

When one purchases a Big Green Egg, there are decisions to be made about what accessories are needed. Often the local dealer will “throw in” a couple of things in addition to a bag of BGE lump (during special occasionally like Father’s Day there are frequently more ‘bonuses’).

Necessary starter tools:
(1) Ash tool (to rake the ash from the bottom as well as stir around the lump, like a fire poker)

(2) Grid lifter
FullSizeRender 12

(3) Fire starters
Version 2

Additional start-up items:
(1) Depending on your plans for your Egg’s “living quarters” at your house, you may need one of the nests, a nest handler, mates (shelves), or even a table.

BGE Mates (shelf) with tools hanging from hooks

Table nest (elevates hot base above the shelf)

(2) Platesetter (convEggtor): This is used to create an indirect fire for cooking low and slow or for baking in the egg. It is also used in conjunction with a pizza stone for cooking pizzas. Some dealers also offer a cast iron version of the platesetter which has a griddle on the reverse side.

(3) Pizza Stone. Because of the high temps in the Egg, one needs to buy a higher quality pizza stone, preferably a BGE brand. Thinner stones, like those sold by Pampered Chef have been known to crack when used in an Egg.

(4) V-rack. A good, enamel-coated V-rack doubles as a rack to hold large pieces of meat (roast, Boston butt, leg of lamb, turkey, chicken) above a drip pan for better airflow. It also can be flipped upside down and function as a rib rack or to make a large brisket “fit” by draping it over the inverted V-rack.

Inverted V-rack to be used as a rib rack

(5) Drip pans. These can be disposable foil pans of various sizes or pans purchased specifically as drip pans. I highly suggest you wrap both sides of reusable drip pans with heavy duty aluminum foil (inside to make clean-up of drippings easier and on the outside to reduce the amount of staining that comes from the smoke).

Platesetter (legs up) with drip pan and grid on top of legs

(6) Thermometers. You will take your cooking to the next level and create very consistent cooks when you learn to cook to internal temperature versus estimating cooking time or using the “touch” techniques. There are different types and prices of grilling thermometers.

Continuous read: These thermometers have probes that either insert into the meat or measure the grill (pit) temp – or 2 probes to allow reading of both simultaneously. Some models also have a remote feature, allowing you to monitor the meat and/or pit from a distance (great in bad weather conditions or for overnight cooks). I have used Maverick remote thermometers for 8-10 years on almost every cook I do. I have found them very reliable and affordable. Maverick also makes one that is branded “BGE”, but it has about a $20 higher price tag. I don’t like a thermometer where one chooses which kind of meat their cooking and has pre-set “done temps” built in (Maverick E-733). I prefer to make my own decisions about what temps I desire for the various meats (beef, pork, poultry) I am cooking, so my personal preference and recommendation is the Maverick E-732.

Instant read: These are fast, highly accurate thermometers used by master chefs. They are great for double checking the final temps, especially in different parts of the meat, or for those times when a continuous read thermometer is not used. Thermoworks makes several models in difference price ranges. The Thermapen (~$90) is their ‘flagship’ thermometer – fast, extremely accurate and compact. They also make the “ThermoPop” (~$30), which is smaller, slightly less accurate, but with a lower price point. I have and use both a Thermapen and a ThermoPop, though the faster Thermapen is my “go to”.

Now you are ready to get to grilling! Watch for a future blog on more accessories to further enhance your BGE cooking experience.

Your family will not only appreciate the great food you create, but they will have an endless choice of Christmas, birthday, Father’s Day and other gift ideas of Egg accessories, rubs, tools, etc. you will be thrilled to receive!!

Cabbage Boats

Slices of cabbage are seasoned and wrapped in a foil boat, then roasted at a high temp in the Egg which adds a little char around the edges. We were first served this awesome side on New Year’s Day (2016) at the Gulfport home of my fellow Egghead, Terry Helms and his gracious wife, Angel. I first “met” Terry (Grillin Guy) on the BGE Forum many years ago, then in person with Angel when we were cooking at the first Gulf Coast Eggfest. Eggers are a cult – a big family who connect through Forums, Facebook pages and Eggfests. Many life-long friends are made through these connections!

Terry & Angel Helms 1st Annual Gulf Coast Eggfest - 2010 — Terry & Angel Helms
1st Annual Gulf Coast Eggfest – 2010

On to the cabbage……………

Cut a 1/2 head of cabbage through the core into quarters, then eights. Drizzle with melted butter, spray butter or EVOO. Liberally coat with Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning.

Cut through core into 1/8ths. Drizzled with butter or EVOO and Tony's — Cut through core into 1/8ths. Drizzled with butter or EVOO and Tony’s

Seal in the foil boat and roast on the Egg – elevated (above the rim), direct at 400-450* for 20 minutes.

Foil boats cooked elevated, direct at 400-450* (these are on "Grill Grates". — Foil boats cooked elevated, direct at 400-450* (these are on “Grill Grates”.

Rest on counter, then carefully open and serve.

Finished cabbage boat - tender with a little char. — Finished cabbage boat – tender with a little char.

Prep: 10 min. Cook time: 20 min Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1/2 head of cabbage
EVOO
Butter, melted (or “I Can’t Believe it’s Butter” spray)
Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning

Instructions:
1) Cut cabbage through the core into quarters, then into eights.
2) Place each cabbage slice on a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil (HDAF).
3) Pour melted butter or the EVOO (or both) or spray with faux butter. Liberally coat both sides of the wedges with the cajun seasoning.
4) Seal each packet tightly and place in the BGE – direct, elevated (above the rim) at 400-450*.
5) Cook for 20 min., then rest on the counter until ready to serve.
6) Open carefully as they will release steam when opened.

Smoked Cheese

One of my favorite cool weather projects is cold smoking cheese. Every fall I get many requests from friends and co-workers to purchase smoked cheese for gifts and Holiday party appetizers.

There are several ways to generate cold smoke and I will mention a few in this blog. This really must be done in cool weather or the cheese will sweat or even melt in the ambient outdoor temp.

One of THE most important food safety concerns is to use very clean grates. The cold smoker will not generate nearly enough heat to kill any germs hanging out on the grates. Either purchase some inexpensive clean grates dedicated only for cold smoking, or run your grates through the sanitary cycle of your dishwasher. Wipe carefully with a germ-killing wipe (like Clorox), and rinse thoroughly.

I try to find cheese on sale at the grocery store or purchase at Sam’s or Walmart. I look for large blocks and cut them to smaller pieces for smoking, to get more surface area for smoke exposure.

The simplest and most basic cold smoker is homemade and has been dubbed the “Caveman” technique. I first learned about it on the original BGE Forum in a post by my friend Jody Jones (aka “Firetruck”).

Two purchases are necessary – a 15oz can of beans (beans eaten, paper removed, cleaned well and top hinged) and an inexpensive ($8-$10) soldering iron (local hardware store).

Remove both grids, any lump charcoal, and all the ash from the Egg. Fill the can with dry wood chips (any ‘flavors’ will work and I usually mix them, but be sure to include either cherry or maple wood chips because they tend to add a little darker color to the cheese). Insert the soldering iron into the can of chips and lay it in the bottom of the Egg, threading the cord out through the open bottom vent.

Can w/ soldering iron Egg - cord thru bottom vent. — Can w/ soldering iron Egg – cord thru bottom vent.

Place cheese on grid(s) (multiple grids if you have them). Close the bottom vent to about 1 inch open. Plug in the soldering iron and put the slightly opened Daisy Wheel (DW) on top. (In a few minutes you should see whiffs of smoke easing out through the holes in the DW).

One can of chips will usually generate smoke for about 90 minutes. I usually shake the soldering iron (by the cord at the bottom vent) about halfway through smoking to bring some fresh chips in contact with the heating element of the iron. This process will generate very little increase in temp compared to the outside ambient temp, as shown by this picture:

Temp comparison

I have found that 90 minutes of smoke is all that is needed to get the flavor I desire. Others have smoked for longer times (reloading the can), but it’s all about personal preference.

IMPORTANT!
The freshly smoked cheese MUST rest (mellow) for at least a week to let the smoke flavor penetrate into the cheese. I put it in ziplock bags and into the fridge for a week before cutting into 4-5 oz pieces that I vacuum seal. One can cut into these pieces and vacuum seal immediately, but be sure to put the date on them and let them rest a week before serving. When vacuum sealed, they will keep a few months without molding.

In ziplock bags ready for a 1-week "rest" — In ziplock bags ready for a 1-week “rest”

Vacuum-sealed (will keep, refrigerated, unspoiled for months)

Other methods of generating cold smoke are the Cold Smoke III (uses wood chips):

Cold Smoke III - first smoke - Version 2

And the Cold Smoke Generator from ProQ (uses sawdust):

I hope this “tutorial” on smoking cheese has been helpful. Actually, as you can deduce from the pictures, this “Caveman” technique can be used with any charcoal or gas grill. One could even use a cardboard box!

Enjoy!

Drunk and Dirty Beef Tenderloin

This recipe was adapted for the BGE from the classic book “Smoke & Spice” by Cheryl and Bill Jamison. This is probably considered my “signature cook” as the kids want me to cook it every year on the family beach trip. I have cooked it on everything from an Egg to a park-style grill to a $19.95 Walmart grill!

It is a great way to serve beef to a large group of people and get everyone’s meat cooked to their preferred doneness – end pieces are more done than the center cuts. It makes for an elegant presentation.

To reduce the saltiness of the original recipe, I switched to low sodium soy and reduced the amount in the marinade. It made the meat less salty and greatly improved the finishing sauce.

Serves 6-8

Marinade:
1 1/2 cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 cup Bourbon, or other sour mash whiskey
½ cup Worcestershire
4 tbsp Packed Brown Sugar
1 teasp Ground Ginger
8 cloves Garlic
1 cup water

Main Course:
4 – 6 lb Beef Tenderloin, trimmed
4 tbsp Coursely Ground Black Pepper
2 teasp Ground White Pepper, optional
½ cup Vegetable Oil

Wood Chunks: Hickory, apple, pecan, oak (don’t overdo the smoke)

Instructions:
1) Combine the ingredients down to the garlic with water and marinate beef (a 2 gallon ziplock bag works good) in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours. I flip the roast in the marinade every 30 minutes or so.

2) Prepare the Egg for an indirect, low temp cook, with a drip pan under the roast. Add the dry wood chunks evenly throughout the lump charcoal. Allow the Egg to stabilize at 225*-275* for 40-60 minutes before adding the cold meat. A continuous-reading thermometer (with or without wireless remote) is indispensable for this cook. (I recommend the Maverick E-732).

3) Remove the beef from the fridge, reserve marinade and use butcher’s twine to truss the roast. (Fold the ‘tail’ end back such that one creates a roast that is uniform thickness from end to end. Tie with the twine about every 2 inches). Cover beef with freshly ground, coarse black pepper. I don’t measure, I just be sure to completely cover both sides with black pepper, pat it in and then add the white not quite as liberally.

4) Put half the marinade in fridge and add the vegetable oil to the other half if mopping. If not mopping just put all the marinade in fridge.

5) Heat mop (if using) to a boil for a few minutes and keep warm on low.

5) Put the cold beef on the Egg, indirect, over a drip pan, at low temps…225 to 275 (dome temp) and cook until almost done…1 1/2 to 2 hours. Mop every 20 minutes.

6) When almost done (120* internal temp) remove from grill, remove platesetter, and bring grill up to sear temps (500+). Sear for 1 minute on each of the 4 sides. You’re just trying to get a nice char but not too much. (Might need long tongs and gloves for this).

7) Remove steak, tent with foil, and let sit at least 5-10 minutes. While resting bring the reserved marinade to a boil for a few minutes then turn down to low and reduce by about one quarter.

8) Slice and either drizzle marinade over the meat and/or serve on the side for guests.

About Me

I am an anesthesiologist in Madison, MS who has been in private practice for 33 years. Like many men, I love to grill out and until about 2006, it was limited to grilling steaks, “charring” chicken and making burgers and hot dogs for the kids. Other passions include Ole Miss sports, photography, travel and cycling on my Greenspeed recumbent trike.

For Father’s Day in 2006 my awesome wife gave me a large Big Green Egg (BGE) and life changed as I knew it! Starting after a move to a new house in 2008, my outdoor cooking took on a new dimension. I became actively involved in the original BGE Forum (Greeneggers.com) as “Misippi Egger”, where I met many great cooks, many of whom are still friends today. I had an outdoor kitchen included when we added a screen porch and began to expand my Egg family. I currently own a large, small, Mini and the new MiniMax eggs.

I have attended the Georgia Mountain Eggfest and cooked at the Porkopolis (Cincinnati) Eggfest as well as at all three Gulf Coast Eggfests. I have given many demonstrations and taught classes at my local BGE dealer’s store. I am a KCBS Certified judge and have competed at KCBS events in the past.

More recently I have become interested in charcuterie – curing and aging meats (wet and dry aging) as well as the newer modality of sous vide cooking.

Many of my friends have suggested I author a cookbook, so I have decided instead to create this blog. I plan to include recipes, techniques, tips on Egg cooking, & accessories for the Egg, as well as discussions about curing & aging meat, cold smoking and sous vide cooking.

I hope you enjoy the blog. Comments and suggestions are encouraged!

Misippi Egger
(aka Clark Ethridge, MD)