Bringing people together with BBQ!
Brisket is one of the absolute staples of barbecue. That’s why every competition will include a brisket category. For VRIC’s Great Texan Cook-off, we prepared four briskets. Two were cooked in a Big Green Egg XL and two in a Weber Smokey Mountain.
Can a kamado-style grill like Big Green Eggs, Kamado Joes, and Akorns function as a tandoor? Yes they can!!! For reference, a tandoor is a clay oven shaped like a pot. Charcoal is lit at the base of the tandoor and skewered meat is lowered into it to cook via radiant heat. Another use for … Continue reading Can a Kamado grill (Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, Akorn) function as a Tandoor oven?
I replaced the cracked base of my XL Big Green Egg (BGE), similar to Zahid. So, I also decided to try mimicking a tandoor to make naan on the inside wall while it was still clean. Read about his experience here. I went by his naan recipe, found here. I used the Kick Ash Basket … Continue reading Tandoori Naan; Take #2.
"Smashburgers" remain my favorite way to cook burger patties. Not only does this require little prep work (fulfilling Neghae's MIME criteria), the patty develops a crispy outside with a juicy inside. For this cook, I experimented with three different seasonings: Garam Masala (nowadays available in most grocery stores) vs Tikka Shan Masala (available on Amazon if … Continue reading Seekh Kabab Smashburger Patties
Ever burned your meat because the coals are too hot? Tired of standing by your grill, constantly shifting your food to avoid a burnt exterior and raw interior (see pic below)? The solution: understanding indirect vs direct cooking. This simple concept fulfills Pitmaster Neghae's MIME criteria (Maximum Impact, Minimum Effort). In it's simplest form, it involves arranging … Continue reading To Become a Pitmaster, Learn Indirect vs Direct Cooking
When I bought the XL Big Green Egg (BGE) - a grill made from made from ceramic just like a tandoor - from BBQ Galore, my first question was "can I make naan by slapping the dough on the inner wall?" The sales guy looked at me funny and said "probably not." I later understood that the … Continue reading Can Naan Be Cooked on the Inner Wall of a Big Green Egg (like a tandoor)?
Maximum Impact, Minimum Effort. That’s how I approach everything, and it is no different when grilling, smoking, or cooking. This brings me to today’s tip - the dry brine.
After trying a variety of different cooking methods for steak - usually resulting in tough, chewy and generally unfavourable results - I discovered the concept of "reverse searing." For it to work the steak has to be at least 1" to 1.5" thick. Thin strips of steak are more difficult to cook medium rare. Ingredients Steak Kosher … Continue reading Best Method to Cook Perfect Steak: Reverse Searing
Halal BBQ Pitmasters 