Big Easy - Test 1 & 2 & more

[deb415611]

Today::: 

Starting to get ready for Thanksgiving - always make stock for gravy ahead of time.  Started in the Big Easy....  the turkey thighs & veggies did not get that brown but since the thighs hit 200 I decided they needed to come out.     
 



Also did a turkey breast & an acorn squash for dinner tomorrow night:





The very bottom of the turkey breast was not quite cooked.  Like Hab's turkey it was on the bottom & the cover was on the whole time.  So I'm not sure which prevented it from cooking. 

[deb415611]

The turkey breast hung out in the OBS for 5 pucks of apple before I put it in the Big Easy

[beefmann]

looks good deb,, hope you and yours have a great turkey day and warm wishes

[Smokin Soon]

That look's really good, Deb! If I was entertaining all the time, which I do not do because most of my friends have said "California See Ya Later" I would love to have 2 Big Easy's for cooking. One for the main dish and one for veggies and spuds. Ya gotta try the garlic infused olive oil on Beg Easy spuds!

[stillsmoking]

Looks great Deb!  I did a couple of game hens last night with corn, carrots and zucchini.  I did it in two layers and everything was good.  The one thing we noticed though was that some of the carrots which I had put between the game hens did not quite get completely cooked.  Game hens and some carrots on the bottom then corn, zucchini and more carrots up top.  Did all your veggies turn out cooked about the same or were some more done than others?  Love your pictures.

[deb415611]

SS,

Since I was doing the thighs & veggies for stock I never tested the veggies.  They did not get browned which was my original purpose but I wanted to get the turkey breast started so I pulled them anyways. 

The stock has been simmering all afternoon & the house smells good  ;D.  I'll strain it tonight, let it sit overnight in fridge, skim the fat off and then into the freezer until turkey week. 

Deb

[Oldman]

I'll strain it tonight, let it sit overnight in fridge, skim the fat off and then into the freezer until turkey week. 

There is nothing like a good base stock to work with.

[Habanero Smoker]

Deb;

Information is difficult to find on the operation of this unit. Reading the small amount of information that came with the unit; for best browning you need the top on and only the area exposed directly to the reflected heat from the cover will brown.

When I cooked my first chicken I did not use the top and the chicken did not brown like it would if it was in the oven.

[HCT]

Damn Deb, I could smell the aroma up here. We were all drooling. ;) :D :D

[westexasmoker]

Any issues with maverick temp probe down inside the BE??

C

[deb415611]

Any issues with maverick temp probe down inside the BE??

C

.

so far so good.  Have only tried it four times though.

[Oldman]

deb415611
I picked this up on the B&E forums. If you cover or block your food with foil or place it in a pan then the B&E becomes just a regular oven.
Olds

[geofite]

The very bottom of the turkey breast was not quite cooked.  Like Hab's turkey it was on the bottom & the cover was on the whole time.  So I'm not sure which prevented it from cooking. 

I did a prime rib roast in my BE and found the same thing, that the bottom of it was not cooked. I think the best way to cook smaller pieces of meat is to use a rack and put the meat on the rack and then into the middle of the basket. I will do this next time I cook something smaller than a turkey. I think the heat does not reach the bottom of the BE very well so this is the reason why the bottom of meats are not cooked. When I cooked my chicken pieces, I did not use the bottom of the basket for this reason, that food does not cook when placed on the bottom.

[deb415611]

deb415611
I picked this up on the B&E forums. If you cover or block your food with foil or place it in a pan then the B&E becomes just a regular oven.
Olds

Thanks Olds.   I have to go over there and do some more reading. 

Deb

[Habanero Smoker]

Geofite;

I agree with you. I dug out my vertical turkey roaster,  or most of it; I can't seem to find the top part. If I don't get too sick of turkey I'm going to roast it vertically, one rack up using the vertical roaster to keep the whole bird centered in the basket.