Cooking with the Char Broil Oil-less Big Easy Fryer

[Dejah]

Supper from my new toy: Char Broil Big Easy Oil-less Turkey Fryer - pork tenderloin with Thai coconut curry marinade; chicken with Mediterranean marinade, and shrimp with citrus - ginger marinade, plus hot Italian sausage.

Last night was experimenting for the first time

When I first saw this unit in action, I immediately thought: tandoori oven = naan!

Tonight, I tried a different method of hanging the skewers - just by the hook on the basket - Leftover chicken and pork from last night plus lamb chops with rosemary - red wine vinegar marinade

And I tried keema naan.

Off the Big Easy:

Anyone else using this unit? Any hints and recipes would be appreciated!

[Ashen]

Supper from my new toy: Char Broil Big Easy Oil-less Turkey Fryer - pork tenderloin with Thai coconut curry marinade; chicken with Mediterranean marinade, and shrimp with citrus - ginger marinade, plus hot Italian sausage.

Last night was experimenting for the first time

1BigEasyShiskabo0752.jpg

When I first saw this unit in action, I immediately thought: tandoori oven = naan!

4BigEasyNaan0756.jpg

5BigEasyNaan0757.jpg

Tonight, I tried a different method of hanging the skewers - just by the hook on the basket - Leftover chicken and pork from last night plus lamb chops with rosemary - red wine vinegar marinade

BigEasyLambChicken&Pork0767.jpg

And I tried keema naan.

Off the Big Easy:

BigEasyLambEtAl0768.jpg

Anyone else using this unit? Any hints and recipes would be appreciated!

that is freakin awesome.

[pastameshugana]

Anyone else using this unit? Any hints and recipes would be appreciated!

Shoot. That looks fantastic. I think I may have to pick one up.

[Dejah]

More meat from the Big Easy:

Pork rib roast: The roast was cut into 3 portions: 2 were marinated in Hoisin sauce as I needed char siu for my hot 'n' sour soup. The third portion was rubbed with a dry rub from a foodie friend - ancho and guajillo.

I put them in the Big Easy with the Hoisin chunks at the bottom. They were thinner and were done in 30 minutes. The third portion was thicker and was just done at 45 minutes. All turned out moist and tender, and my kitchen stayed cool!

We enjoyed supper with corn from a local farm.

This Big Easy is fun and easy!

I paid $99.00 for the unit at Home Depot in the states. Tonight, I saw them at our local Home Depot for $139.00 instead of the advertised $169.00.

[Alex]

Based on what I see on Amazon (US$98.91 today), this looks like an improved (?) version of a model that came out in 2007. Any thoughts on that? Dejah, are you using the optional accessories kit or just improvising from what you already own?

BTW, you (well, the fryer) had me at "naan."

[Dejah]

Alex: I didn't know that there was an earlier model. I haven't bought any accessories, but I am looking for the cone-shaped stand used in the oil fryers. That's just so I can cram TWO chickens on instead of using skewers.

Tonight, I cooked pork ribs with a dry rub in foil for 1.5 hours, then brushed with commercial BBQ sauce and cooked for another 40 minutes. Great results - tender, juicy, and good caramelization.

While the ribs rested, I slapped on another batch of naan...getting more sure-handed. I just now realized that lightly brushing the finished naan with butter would prevent drying of the more crispy parts.

[gfweb]

How is this different than an oven?

[HowardLi]

Naan is supposed to be brushed with butter after it's taken out of the tandoor, IIRC.

[Dejah]

HowardLi: That's exactly what I remembered last night - brush with butter as soon as the naan comes out / off the oven!

gfweb: I haven't done naan in the oven, other than warming store-bought stuff before supper. I think it's the contact with the hot "oven wall" like in a tandoori oven.

Practice is needed in placing the dough in the oven without burning myself. So far, lucky,

[Dejah]

rotuts This is the Big Easy - Oil-less Turket Fryer. It is NOT "the Green Egg"

The chickens were the first try at using this unit after we got home from our road trip thru' USA

[rotuts]

Im going to have to look into this.

many thanks!

[gfweb]

Still just looks like an oddly shaped oven to me. What's the advantage over a box-shaped oven in the kitchen?

[dcarch]

I don't have one, so I am guessing.

Based on the Big Easy design, It appears to me that the cooking (heating) of the food is mostly by infrared baking. Because of the circular shape of the heating space, the baking can be very even, unlike in a regular over, which heats mostly by convection, you have to keep turning the food upside down to help even cooking.

dcarch

[pastameshugana]

Yes it seems to be designed to limit convection as much as possible.

[rotuts]

• "Char-Broil's patented infrared cooking technology prevents flare-ups, eliminates hot and cold spots, and delivers juicy, crisp, and flavorful results every time"

the IR seems to come from heat from a propane source heating the walls so that it then radiates energy.

its circularity as mentioned suggests the heat might be even. its smaller than an oven ( Wall diameter ) so the IR field might be much more intense.

if there were a way to add a bit of wood on the bottom for some smoke flavor, well ....

could not tell if there were a heat proof lid to further trap and contain the heat of combustion.

sort of like a gas tandoor.

Edited September 10, 2013 by rotuts (log)

[dcarch]

"----------------------------- if there were a way to add a bit of wood on the bottom for some smoke flavor, well ....

could not tell if there were a heat proof lid to further trap and contain the heat of combustion.

sort of like a gas tandoor.-"

Good ideas!

A small wok will be a perfect cover.

A smoke generator to pipe in smoke will make this an amazing appliance.

Also,

A PID digital temperature controller ($20.00) will give complete precise temperature to do low & Slow cooking.

dcarch

[rotuts]

If one already had an outdoor propane grill and the space, ( it doesn't seem too large ) this might make a fine addition to ones

Out Door Armamentarium. Propane Tandoor.

( quite some time back in another thread long lost to me I ref'd an article in the NYTimes, or WSJ, probably food section on

someone making a very nice well review tandoor, with a ceramic 'tube' powered either by electricity or propane, on wheels so

you could move it around: I think it was 1 K though !)

the PID might have to be more involved to control the propane source.

[dcarch]

Propane? My mistake. The picture looks like a power cord connection.

If it is propane, it would be very dangerous to fool around with the flame. An ignitor or a pilot light will need to be fool proof.

dcarch

[rotuts]

you can see the propane connector valve in the amazon shot.

you can still fiddle with this carefully outdoors as you might with w Webber.

[KennethT]

You can google it to get to CharBroil's website, and download the instruction manual. It is very descriptive. The cooker comes with a screen type lid that reflects IR which intensifies heat inside. They also recommend that the inside be seasoned, like cast iron, and over time, the cooker will get even better as the seasoning will emit IR more effectively as time goes on.

So, it is not baking (as baking refers to hot air doing the cooking) but roasting in the traditional sense of cooking with IR.

It looks like a great device - if I had any outdoor space whatsoever I would consider getting one... as much as I don't like to follow rules, I think I would follow their constant advice (read warnings) as to not use indoors!

[Dejah]

So techie...! I bought it because of the possibility of naan in my own "tandoori"

I have my unit set up outside (definitely not meant for inside use!)on a cement pad, beside the BBQ. I think I'll pick up another propane tank so I can use BOTH at the same time if need be.

Taking a hint about adding bits of wood to the bottom: I have a bunch of kaffir lime branches from a friend. Stripped off the leaves, stuffed some under the skin on a seasoned chicken, and laid the branches on the bottom of the wire basket. I love the aroma of the lime leaves, so maybe this way, I'll get more of what I like!

It's a 2.5 lb chicken. Just set it in the fryer. I tossed in several whole carrots into the basket also. We'll see if they cook well. Should be ready in an hour, and my kitchen stays cool!

[rotuts]

Just me: currently i only have an Antique Weber. but Ive always kept a spare full tank just in case.

this puppy is not just talking to me, its starting to sing ....

what material in the liner that suggest seasoning might help?

Hall-yeh-You-Ya

[gfweb]

So it cooks with IR...what heat isn't IR? I still don't get it. Its just a tube-oven no? How good is the temp control ?

[dcarch]

So it cooks with IR...what heat isn't IR? I still don't get it. Its just a tube-oven no? How good is the temp control ?

For instance,

1. if you boil food in water, the heat is applied completely by conduction.

2. if you bake food in an oven, most of the heat is by conduction from the food making direct contact with hot air.

3. if you are at an outdoor bonfire, you can still be burnt even the air temperature is - 60, really freezing cold, because you are being roasted by IR radiation.

4. If you broil food, that is mostly IR cooking.

Microwave heat is strange, it is neither conduction nor radiation. The food cooks itself.

dcarch

[Dave the Cook]

I feel dense. Why is this called a "fryer"? Just a marketing ploy (asked the former marketing guy)?