Ceramic Egg

20 Apr, 2004 in art pottery by admin

Ceramic Egg

Is A Big Green Egg As Good As They Say It Is?

Do we believe the hype? I've read the brochure, visited the website and watched all the DVDs. In fact if there's any piece of promotional material for the Big Green Egg that I haven't read I'd be surprised and it all sounds too good to be true. That is of course if you are a barbecue nutcase like me!

If you're lucky enough to live in North America (and to some extent in Europe) you've probably heard of a Big Green Egg but I have to confess that it wasn't until I started to publish my smoker grill recipes that I actually discovered the Egg and it's humble origins in the Orient. I was intrigued, but living in the UK, how do I get hold of one? I phoned Big Green Egg in the US, they were really helpful and everyone that I spoke to said they cooked on an Egg and all year round at that! OK I'm sold, I've gotta have one to see what all the fuss is about.

To be fair, it was a big decision because these ceramic barbecues aren't cheap and by the time it landed at my door in England it has cost me the best part of $2000. It had better be good. So am I happy?........ABSOLUTELY!

It's the middle of winter and I'm outside preparing the charcoal, my neighbors are looking at me as if I'm demented but my kids are so excited when I tell them that it's ribs for supper. I have my own favorite barbecue sauce recipe which I use first as a marinade, then as a mop and finally I warm it up for sauce. Good use of ingredients and just the right amount of chili. The best bit of all is that I get the last laugh as the smoke rises over the fence into my neighbors garden and they get the aroma full on!

I do my ribs for about an hour per pound at a temperature of 225°F with the plate setter in place for indirect cooking. To maintain a constant temperature I find that leaving the bottom draft door open half an inch and the small vents on the top daisy wheel open half is about right but once you're in the vicinity use the daisy wheel to fine adjust for the final preferred temperature.

There's a couple of things that I found out using the Big Green Egg that I'd like to share with you and the first is the economy and thorough burning of the charcoal. Compared with a conventional BBQ grill the consumption is so low and any charcoal not burnt just stays in the firebox until next time. The other point is do take care to clean out the ash on a regular basis otherwise this will prevent you getting up to the higher temperature ranges. I clean mine out after every third cookout but I guess this depends on how much ash you're generating.

So should you believe the hype? In my view, the answer has to be yes. It's everything that they say it is - and more (I use it as a tandoor and do Indian cooking on it too!) so I'm going to be cooking on mine for many years to come.

About the Author

Kamado Barbecue Recipes
- Free BBQ grill recipes & meat smoker cooking ideas on the ceramic barbecue.
Ceramic Barbecue Grills
- Find out mare about the Big Green Egg
Free Barbecue Recipes
- Outdoor grilling tips, easy fire pit menus, healthy rotisserie suggestions, best homemade bbq sauce recipes.

Is this egg bad?

I have lived in China for 6 years. Here, all eggs are brown, and I have no problem with that. Yesterday, I bought a container of eggs, and this morning I cracked one to make an omellette. The yoke was not intact, and it wasn't because I had cracked it. I don't know how to explain it except to say that the yoke and white seemed to have been mixed already. I poured it down the drain and the yellow was heavy and stuck to the bottom of the ceramic bowl. I had to crack five more eggs to find one with a yoke intact. I'm pregnant, so I'm not taking any chances. Now I don't know how many eggs are like this. Maybe it is just this particular container of eggs. The problem is I like to eat hard-boiled eggs in my salads. I'm now afraid that I'll boil an egg and won't know if it was like this before. Are these eggs bad? Should I be concerned? I'm considering giving up eggs entirely. Should I?

To know if an egg has spoiled or not there is a simple test you can do. Gas forms inside of an egg that is spoiled and when it does you can see its effect. Get a glass of water that you would use for drinking. Put your eggs into it one at a time. A very fresh egg lays flat on the bottom of the glass. The less fresh it is the more the egg starts to tip and stand up as the gas causes it to rise. If you do this before boiling your eggs you will not have to worry any more. Okay? What you may be seeing, and what you are not used to seeing, is fertilized eggs. In the United States, unless you get an egg off a farm with a rooster, all the eggs you see at the grocery store are sterile. Then again, you may be seeing spoiled eggs, too! If you repeatedly get bad batches of eggs from the place you are buying them I suggest you find another store to shop in. Hopefully one that keeps the eggs refrigerated or at least in a cool place.

SAFEPAN CERAMIC NONSTICK PAN EGG BURN TEST