# New Big Green Egg XL



## el rojo (May 14, 2005)

I will be getting a Big Green Egg for my birthday on Wednesday. I'm excited to start smoking everything I've been reading about on this BBQ forum. Is there anything I need to do to the egg before I start smoking or grilling on her? I get her on Wednesday and want to use it for some smoked turkey legs on Thursday. Any help would be greatly appreciated. And maybe someone can throw in some suggestions on how to prep the legs, ie smoke flavor, rubs, and marinades. Thanks :brew::brew:


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

Get a piece of meat and smoke it ASAP

I found the 1st one I did was ok .... but as I went on the smoker got broken in .....


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## wakeupluis (Feb 16, 2006)

THOSE GREEN EGGS ARE NO GOOD! MATTER OF FACT I WILL SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE AND JUST COME PICK IT UP FROM YOU WHEN IT COMES IN. Just give me a call when it comes in.. HEHE....You are going to love it. I do not personally have one but my buddy does. We have cooked on his. I love the fact that it holds heat so well and the outside is not terribly hot. You can turn up the heat for steaks or you can keep it low for roasting. Looks like a great bbq machine. Good luck. I hear they make great PIZZA too.



el rojo said:


> I will be getting a Big Green Egg for my birthday on Wednesday. I'm excited to start smoking everything I've been reading about on this BBQ forum. Is there anything I need to do to the egg before I start smoking or grilling on her? I get her on Wednesday and want to use it for some smoked turkey legs on Thursday. Any help would be greatly appreciated. And maybe someone can throw in some suggestions on how to prep the legs, ie smoke flavor, rubs, and marinades. Thanks :brew::brew:


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## manintheboat (Jun 1, 2004)

Good choice. You will love that pit. Make sure you get a placesetter if you are going to be doing any indirect cooking/smoking. Get a pizza stone too. Ceramic pits are very versitile.

Check this link out:

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm

This is one of the best resources you will find for ceramic cooking. Pretty much every question you can think of will be covered here. There are several Big Green Egg message boards too. A really good BBQ message board is bbq-brethren.com. Lots of good information there.

Enjoy your new pit.


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## younggun55 (Jun 18, 2009)

Make sure you NEVER touch it with lighter fluid...just buy some of the odor free starters or hit it with a pear burner to light your lump or you will taste the lighter fluid in everything you smoke. You will love it, and can make just about anything on it! For the turkey legs, brine them, then set up indirect with good lump and some soaked wood chips around 275-300* and let them go until they are at 170* internal temp.


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## manintheboat (Jun 1, 2004)

if you use lighter fluid, you will void your warranty too. Mapp torch, leave burners and starter cubes work well enough.


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## el rojo (May 14, 2005)

Thanks guys for the info. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for her arrival. :spineyes:


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## burntorange (Jun 21, 2006)

*Egg*

Have had one for years, just bought my son a large tonite for his new house. I have tried every method for lighting known to man. Best I found is 91% alcohol. One jigger full in the middle and sprinkle one more around, wait 30 seconds and light by throwing a match in. No odor or taste to this. Get on a forum, greeneggers.net along w the already mentioned naked whiz and you'll be an eggspert in in no time

doc


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## Maitai53 (Jan 20, 2011)

I have had my large BGE for about a year. I have learned a great deal from the postings on eggheadforum.com. Search any topic- tons of information and experience. Baked an apple pie and then roasted/smoked a 20 lb turkey for Thanksgiving. Turned out fantastic! Enjoy


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## Maitai53 (Jan 20, 2011)

I use oak lump charcoal. For the pie, I cheated and purchased a Marie Calendars frozen pie (unbaked). Brought the temp and stabilized at 450 F. Placed, the pie on a small cookie sheet and elevated the sheet with the three green ceramic stand-offs on top of the plate setter. I used no other wood and the pie finished golden brown and tasted wonderful with a light smoke finish.

I brined the turkey using a basic formula of salt, honey, brown sugar, apple juice, orange juice and water. The turkey soaked for a day was rinsed off with water and patted dry. Closed the vents enough to stabilize the temp to 250 F and threw in a couple of chunks of hickory (have used apple in the past) placed the 20 lb turkey on a rack within a small rectangular pan on the stand-offs on the inverted the plate setter- no problem with fit. When thigh temp reach 165, removed, wrapped it in foil and carved 30 min later. Turkey was very moist a flavorful. The drippings made a good gravy, but the smoke flavor was too strong for my taste. The applewood made for better gravy. The turkey was great with either, but I will stick to applewood.
Ken


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## mbj358 (May 13, 2005)

Why dont you use a weber charcoal starter to light charcoal? One of the best investments I have ever made. Charcoal lighter fluid is history.


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## hoosierplugger (May 24, 2004)

Pear burner (propane weed torch) and then an air mattress blower work great to get your BGE hot fast.

You're gonna love it. Had mine about a year and will never go back to gas!!


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## berto (Oct 14, 2004)

NIce, i asked Santa to bring me one.


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

a few quick things

no lighter fluid , use a charcoal chimney or pear burner

only lump charcoal , like B&B , but for a quick steak it really has no taste so add a few mesq. or hickory chips and deff. add for beer can chickens and such.

you do not need to season it

watch your temps, you can overcook food really quickly, esp. steaks

big bulky foods like pork butts or turkeys need a water pan under them, the direct heat is just too much that close.

run the stack pretty wide open and control the heat w the bottom damper or the coals will go out

on a long cook, really fill the charcoal up, as you will have to take everything out to add charcoal, not like an end fill smoker

you will occasionally need to get the thing really hot to burn off the grease accumulation or you are gonna get a huge grease fire and it will happen

save your receipt..........................

welcome to the club


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## el rojo (May 14, 2005)

Well guys I have smoked 3 different types of meats since I got her. From what my friends and family have tasted, I'm 3 for 3. 1st was Thanksgiving morning. I had 8 turkey legs and 2 turkey wings. Half the legs I set in brine over night(12 hrs) and the other half I injected with jalepeno butter marinade (12hrs) and added Rudys Turkey Rub before placing on the egg. Smoked them for [email protected] with hickory chips. They were Great! The injected had a lot more flavor than the brine. Each bite was juicy. The brine legs were tasty as well but not as juicy, which was expected. 2nd was this past Sunday 2 briskets. 1 6lbs and the other 8lbs. Smoked for 5 hrs at 225. Both turned out delicious. Friends and family couldn't believe that this was my 2nd time ever smoking on the egg. My 1st brisket ever. 3rd was baby back ribs and spare ribs. Added fiesta rib rub and Rudys pepper on the ribs. Smoked them for 3 hrs at 225. I could've left them sit in the egg for about 30 more minutes, but overall taste was good. A little spicy because of the added pepper but now I know how strong coarse pepper is. I'm very happy with the egg. Next is drunken chicken and regular chicken. I'm no smoker or pit master, this egg makes smoking easy. If I can smoke on it and the food comes out great, then anyone can. All my rubs were a mixture of grub rub, fiesta rib and brisket rub, Rudys rub, and the turkey was only rub with Rudys turkey rubs. This egg smoking stuff is fun and I'm looking forward to smoking more food this weekend. All rubs and recommendations were taking from this forum. Thanks guys for letting us join in the fun.


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## Maitai53 (Jan 20, 2011)

You're hooked. Welcome to the club.


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## bowmansdad (Nov 29, 2011)

Welcome aboard! I use charcoal, wood chips or chunks and have no problem cooking anything. I deboned a turkey for thanksgiving and cooked it on rack in a pan and it turned out great. Used my favorite seasonings and cajun injector and cooked for 
4 hours at 300 and it was moist and juicy.
Do not be afraid! I can get my pit up to 700 or turn it down to 250 for as long as
I need. The beauty of this pit is once you learn how to set the temp, it will hold for a
long time, I use bottom and top vents to control the temp, if temp goes up close the top and if it goes low open the bottom. 
Best money my wife ever spent!


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