Sorry you've been humbled!

The ceramic cookers are more like "olde-style" pizza ovens... techniques need to be adapted.

When I first got my Egg [about a year ago] I didn't understand this. I got quite frustrated... until I discovered this forum. Once I came to understand that we must approach cooking differently, and following the advice of the many qualified chefs here, my product has been improving week-by-week.

I've been invited to cook meat for the fourth large-group gathering. Everyone else's webers and gassers are becoming idle, and lots of happy eaters are asking about "that funny-looking thing."

Enjoy!

LOL... I think all of us have been there my friend, so don't worry.

Not sure about the webber. For reference, until you decide to get some thermometers, if you don't already have them. Your grid temp will be from 30° to 50° lower than your dome temp.

As your egg temp stabilizes the difference between the two will be less. (It takes time for the ceramics to come to temp and thus the temps will hold longer).

Others will be on to better address your direct question.

Welcome to 'eggworld'.

There are fundamental "physics" differences between the typical weber style cooking methods and ceramic. Those differences require a change in technique.

Charcoal briquettes are designed to be "self regulating" temperature-wise. They are compacted and filled with filler, which limits the speed at which they burn. That's why you can get a decent low temperature from almost any cheap metal grill. Heck, you can grill on the ground with a rock and grate with briquettes. But don't expect to ever get true searing temperatures.

Hardwood charcoal burns MUCH faster and hotter because of their purity. (advantage with low and slow) To control the temperature of hardwood lump, you must use air control. (ever try using cowboy lump in a weber? will burn things to a crisp if left open)

So, there's really no slow open lid grilling on a ceramic. If you grill with the lid open, close the bottom vents completely. There's still plenty of air getting in from above.

Or use the T-Rex method where you sear with the lid open, then pull the meat and rest while you close the lid and adjust the vents for about 300-350 degrees. Return the meat to the grill and roast to finish the interior.

Ceramics are no more difficult to grill on than any other cookers, but they do require a different approach due to their efficiency.

So, now you can think of this learning curve as a journey, an adventure. Always think of learning something on any cook. You can think of your egg as an oven (cook at 350 just like your oven, and add some wood for smoke) you can think of your egg as a smoker (very low temps and a lot of smoke) and you can think of your egg as a grill (direct cooking at temps ranging from 250 to over 600 degrees) pretty versatile.

Always be learning. what did you like about your pork chops this time? what would you change the next time? Then go do that. Try something else the next time. As far as I'm concerned, there is no such thing as a bad cook, some are just better than others!