June's Product of the Month - Eggware Vented Chimney Cap

I have decided to start something new to see how it works out.  I am always trying new egg gadgets, sauces, rubs, etc...  I am going to start doing a review every month to share my findings or a good product.

For Father's Day I got the Eggware Vented Chimney Cap (http://eggware.net/).  In my opinion this is a much better top than the standard BGE daisy wheel.  The top of the cap rotates to adjust the airflow and it is made of the same material as the sliding vent on the bottom.

If you are interested in purchasing this cap enter the coupon code MIKE and you will get an extra 15% off.

Since the cap is made of stainless it will not rust like the daisy wheel.  It is also supposed to be dishwasher safe.  Worse case is I will break out the Bar Keepers Friend to clean any stains on the outside.

The top comes with a gasket so fits the Egg and will stay in place when you raise the lid.  That was always my biggest grip with the daisy wheel.  If you left it on the Egg when you opened it the diasy wheel would either slide open or fall off.  That will never be an issue with this top.

I have already done multiple cooks with the new top.  Once you get the temperature adjusted the top will After 12 years with the daisy wheel there are definitely some learnings for me.  We the daisy wheel I knew the exact positions for both the top and bottom to hit a precise temperature.  I am sure that will come very quickly with this top.  It is very easy to adjust.

I have done cooks ranging from 300 to 550 and the cap has maintained the temperatures and performed very nicely.  I have not done any 800+ degree cooks yet so we we see how the gasket holds up.  They have a high temp gasket if need be that I heard performs very well http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/eggware/eggwarecap.htm

I would definitely recommend this cap to anyone who has the Egg or any other model this top will fit.  My personal opinion is the Egg should look into making this standard. 

One word of warning is this top gets much hotter than the daisy wheel.  just use over mitts or tongs and it works just fine.

Another advantage of the new stainless top is I was finally able to give my daisy wheel and plate setter the cleaning they needed just in case I ever need to use it again.  I "cooked" my platesetter at 550 for about an hour and it is now as clean as it ever has been.

For the daisy wheel I left it in the egg for 30 minutes at 550 to cook off 12 years of grime.  Once it cooled off I scrubbed it with an SOS pad sprayed it with a coat of olive oil and put it back in the egg for another 30 minutes.  As you can see below, I have a little more work to do but it is coming along nicely for a 12 year old top.

 

Dry Rub Chicken with BBQ Dipping Sauce

The chicken was really good.  The BBQ Diping Sauce not so much.  I like onions as much, if not more, than the next guy but this was a little too much. 

Ingredients:

Assorted chicken breasts, thighs, drumsticks with skin
Dry Rub: (equal parts)
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Basil (dried)
Parsley flakes
Oregano
Thyme
Pepper
BBQ Dipping Sauce
2 chopped onions
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup chili sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Mix equal amounts of dry ingredients for rub.  Heavily  coat chicken pieces with dry rub.  Toss pieces

together in large bowl to coat evenly.

Cook chicken at 300°.  Turn once while cooking.

 

Smaller pieces (wings, legs) will be done in 25-30 minutes.  Larger pieces will take a little longer.

Serve with individual bowls of dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.  If too thick, add a small amount of Coke.

Meatloaf

This was the first time we made meatloaf on the Egg and it turned out very well.  One reason I was never a big fan of meatloaf is because it is greasy because it cooks in it's own grease in the loaf pan. We used the loaf fan to for the meatloaf and left it in the fridge for an hour.  I cooked it on a perforated pan with a drip pan underneath it

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef (we used venison tonight)

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped bell pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten

16 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Topping:

2/3 cup ketchup

4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

Preheat egg to 350, indirect

 

Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf and leave in fridge for 1 hour.

Cook for 45 minutes and then put the topping on.  Cook until the internal temperature hits 160 (about 30 more minutes).

Filets and Crab with Bearnaise Sauce

Happy Father's Day to all you Dads out there.  This recipe came from the Weber site.  We have made it a couple of times now.  This is a very good meal for any occasion.

I also got new asparagus skewers for Father's Day.  They are fantastic.  They work a lot better than trying to slide asparagus on to bamboo skewers.

Ingredients:

½ pound asparagus, tough ends removed

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Rub:

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground pink peppercorns

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 filets mignons, each about 8 ounces and 1½ inches thick, trimmed of excess fat

Extra-virgin olive oil

Sauce:

⅓ cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 egg yolks

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Crab Legs, precooked (thawed, if frozen)

 

Lightly coat the asparagus with the oil and season evenly with the salt and pepper.

In a small bowl mix the rub ingredients. Lightly brush both sides of the filets with oil and season evenly with the rub. Allow the filets to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before grilling.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).

In a small saucepan combine the vinegar, water, shallot, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced to 3 tablespoons. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

In a small bowl whisk the egg yolks and then whisk in 1 tablespoon of the vinegar mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the vinegar mixture and whisk until smooth. Place the pan over low heat and whisk the mixture constantly until it thickens to the consistency of mustard. Then immediately start drizzling the melted butter in a thin stream into the pan, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches the consistency of thin mayonnaise. If at any time the sauce looks like it is separating, remove the pan from the heat and continue whisking to cool it down. Set the sauce aside at room temperature.

Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the filets over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until cooked to your desired doneness, 11 to 13 minutes for medium rare, turning once or twice (if flare-ups occur, move the filets temporarily over indirect heat). At the same time, grill the asparagus and crab legs over direct medium heat until the asparagus is crisp-tender and the crab is heated through, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once or twice.

Remove everything from the grill and let the filets rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch lengths and keep warm. Crack open the crab legs with a mallet or cut them open with kitchen shears and remove the meat.

To serve, place one filet on each plate and top with some of the asparagus and crabmeat. Drizzle béarnaise sauce over the top.
 

Teriyaki Wings

We really enjoyed these wings.  The apricot dipping sauce was a lot better than any of us expected.  It was a good dip for the vegetables as well.

Ingredients:

Teriyaki Marinade:
3-4 pounds fresh chicken wings (about 16-24 wings), whole
3/4 cup teriyaki sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1-2 teaspoons sriracha chili sauce (a.k.a. Rooster Sauce)

Apricot Dipping Sauce:
1/3 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoons honey
1-2 teaspoons sriracha chili sauce

Combine the ingredients for the marinade (minus the chicken) in a large container with a lid. Mix

well. Add the wings to the mix, seal, and shake to make sure that they are covered with the

marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight, turning the

pieces occasionally.

Set up your BGE for an indirect cook at 400°. Use a pan under the grate to catch any drippings and

further diffuse the heat.

Remove the wings to a plate, reserving the marinade. Put the reserved marinade in a small

saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let

cool.

Combine the ingredients for the apricot dipping sauce and refrigerate.

Put the wings on the BGE and cook about 15 minutes, flip the wings, and baste them with the

reserved marinade. Repeat every 15 minutes until the wings are done (about 45-60 minutes total).

Serve hot from the grill with the dipping sauce on the side.