Have been lurking here awhile.. will consider this an “upgrade” from my Weber kettle (though I really love the versatility and simplicity of the Weber).. First time with any sort of ceramic grill, would love suggestions / considerations for the first cook and anything I should think about differently transitioning from a Weber specifically?
Cheers
by _mynameisclarence
9 Comments
Do something simple like a chicken. I prefer spatchcocked. Smoking dad bbq on YouTube has a “first three cooks” video that basically takes you through the basic skills that will get you to a basic skill set of how it all works.
Smoke somethin!!!
Haha but nah in all seriousness I think the first thing I cooked was steaks. I was coming from a gas grill and I fell in love instantly.
When it comes to smoking give your self a couple trial runs. It took me a few times to learn how to regulate the temperature. Don’t do like I did and say you’ll smoke a brisket for everyone thinking it’ll be simple like a pellet grill then I couldn’t figure out how to get the temp right so I barley slept 😅 I’ve got it to perfection now but it does take a few tries, at least for me.
Spatchcock chicken! 400f till chicken breast is 160f. Approx 1 hour Indirect heat.
Start with pork. Very forgiving. Put a healthy coat of rub on some baby backs. Light some lump charcoal with some wood chunks. Barely open vents. Get to 250. Smoke for 3.5hours. Spritz routinely with ACV. Last 30 minutes glaze with fave sauce. You’ll get hooked and want to try everything.
I’m a fan of pulled pork or chicken for the first cook
go getcha whole chicken and shove a beer can up its butt (do open beer can first)
cook it hot and quick or low and slow; doesnt matter
Pork butts are forgiving and pretty easy and very delicious.
steak! but break her in with a good long burn
Read over all of the material that came with it. It has some tips and instructions on how to bring it up to temp and how to control it. I see lots of posts by frustrated new owners that could be alleviated by following the printed information. Then be willing to adjust those steps as you learn how the grill responds. It works a lot like a Weber kettle in controlling temp but takes much longer and is harder to correct if you overshoot. Let the ceramic heat soak a bit before you chase the temps. Learn difference between thin blue smoke and the white billowy stuff that tastes bad.