Hi everyone. I am a new egger and have just cooked about a half dozen things - all of which turned out pretty well (to my undiscriminating palate) until now. All my previous cooks were relatively low and slow (ribs, chicken, jalapeno poppers, etc.). Tonight I decided the gasket was ready for some grilling, so I fired it up for some pork chops. I am a weber convert (the standard charcoal weber grills with Kingsford briquets). I used the same pork chop recipe I used to use on the weber, but this time I burned it. I figured I should just let the coals get hot and throw it on direct heat with the vent and daisy wheel wide open (because I used to leave the vents on the weber wide open and I figured this would be similar). The thermometer said the dome didn't really get past about 550, but the chops were a bit more cooked on the outside (good on the inside) than I hoped for. So here's my question: I never used a thermometer on the weber, just lit it, waited a half hour, and threw the meat on. Does anyone know about what temperature a standard weber charcoal grill gets too under normal conditions? It must be cooler than 550? I know I could follow egg specific recipes for pork chops, etc., but I am just curious to have the point of reference. (Plus, I felt compelled to humble myself by sharing my failure with you all). Thanks in advance for the knowledge!
Georgie,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!~ Broc
Georgie,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'.Kent
Georgie, My best advice is to follow egg specific recipes. One great reference point would be to look at the Naked Whiz Website for recipes. I had a Weber Gasser and made ruberry pork chops my wife didn't like them. I got the egg and haven't looked back. Check out Wess B website, too. If you are cooking something just ask someone here what works. Hope this helps! Also, I would recommend getting a Thermapen to make sure your food isn't overcooked. ~Pharmeggist
Georgie, morning, i am a bit dismayed that you feel humbled. there is a learning curve for the egg. more to the point, it is an un-learning curve for all our previous kingsford/gasser bad habits. buy a thermopen, don't be so hard on yourself, read the forum. "anything you learn from is not a failure" personally i am awestruck by the food these people cook and how sophisticated it is {and i am a good cook]. i have 2 eggs cook on them almost daily and have sooooo much yet to learn. buy a thermopen. and a tel-tru dome themometer. and beer. happy eggin bill
Georgie, I measured temps 3" above the grid on an open Weber (no lid) with a layer of briquettes and then an Egg with the lid shut and the vents wide open. The temp on the Weber was about 550-600. The temp on the Egg was over 1200. When I do pork chops, I do them like steaks. I sear them for about 2 minutes on each side with the dome closed and vents wide open (about 700-800 on the dome) and then close the vents and let the chops roast at 400 until done. Good luck!TNW
Georgie, im partial to the trex method for pork chops, sear it, rest it, roast it. basically what your doing is searing the outside first for looks and taste, then resting them on a plate til the egg drops down in temps to the high 300's, then back in to cook the middle. depending on thickness they come off the grill in the 130's and hopefully rise in temp to about 142 internal on the counter, anyways thats what i shoot for but it usually goes a little higher. thermapen is your friend. you can cook them at 500, timing is more critical, and its ok to change your plans during the cook if you see something not working as planned. something ive never done with pork chops is the water bag method, put them in a ziplock in hot water for a half hour to get the internals up, then onto a hot grill, bet it would work well at 500 dome
Georgie,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.Frankly, I find ceramic FAR easier than any other style of grilling, including gas, because of the precise temperature control.
dhuffjr, They were on for about 13 minutes total - roughly the same amount of time I used to cook them for, but I'm guessing this fire must be hotter! They were still edible, but humbled me no less.
Georgie, I am always humbled by what I see folks doing on this forum. I've had my egg for about 12 years, having burned up 4-5 webers. Yes, I cook anything and everything on my egg, and it does require a learning curve, just like the learning curve you had with your Weber (you learned to light it, wait 30 minutes, and throw your meat on. you probably also learned the difference between direct and indirect) 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! You've stumbled into something that every egger experiences, and learns from. so, keep learning, keep challenging yourself, and keep having fun!
