For many fans of Game of Thronesit may look like I am babysitting a Daenerys Targaryen Dragon Egg but alas it is the low tech smoker with a hefty price tag, the Green Egg. The Green Egg is a ceramic oven that enables you to grill, smoke or bake from 200 degrees to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. I test drove the small version for a few weeks to close out Summer and it was was a blast.
Getting started, you need to mix hardwood lump charcoal with your favorite wood chips soaked in water. Take some paper and light the contents from the bottom, never use lighter fluid to start the Green Egg. Open up the top and the air vent at the bottom of the egg, the air will help the fire get started. Once you get to your desired temperature, tweak the top and bottom air vents to maintain the temperature. Remember that more air equals hotter temperatures in the smoker. The genius is once it is properly set you can walk away from the Green Egg for hours with little change in temperature.
We started with an aggressively seasoned chicken, from there we added a brined pork loin and three racks of ribs after the chicken had been on for an hour. The chicken was on for a total of four hours at around 300 degrees for the first hour and then down to 225 degrees when the pork loin and ribs are added for the final three hours. We removed the chicken to rest before carving and added Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce for the last 25 minutes of the cooking process on the pork. A Summer meal not to be forgotten soon. If you can get your hands on a Green Egg or borrow a friends, I highly recommend, it is worth your time and effort.
Smoke ’em if you got ’em.
More:
The Big Green Egg on Sale this April!
The Best Sale on Outdoor Grills This Year
