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Cooking with the Char Broil Oil-less Big Easy Fryer

Dejah

By Dejah
in Cooking

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Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted

Wow. Wow! :wub: Maybe I'm going to have to get one of these. Please, keep the stories and photos coming!

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
Host, eG Forums - nsmith@egstaff.org

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"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

Dejah

Dejah

Posted
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Posted

That looks great. What cut of beef was it, and how did you arrange it in the fryer?

It was a rib roast on sale at 5.99 / lb. so cheap enough for me to experiment with. I ran a thick skewer thru' the centre, and it was suspended about half way up the basket that came with the unit. The skewers were hanging from the rungs, close to the heat. Pulled the peppers when they were ready - that is - charred!

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Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

  • 2 weeks later...
Dejah

Dejah

Posted
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Picked up a slab of "country cut ribs" for $5.99. I brushed on some commercial BBQ sauce and suspended it full length into the Big Easy. Full heat for 1 hour and it was just done. Not as much char as I'd like, but was running late. The meat was tender and juicy. The little knobs of rib bone was charred and tasty chewy bits. I forgot to take a picture of the slab as it was pulled from the BE, but here it is, half of it cut up.

Pretty cheap meat for a couple of meals.

BigEasyCountryRibChops1648.jpg

  • Like 2

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

Dejah

Dejah

Posted
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Freaking Awesome!

I was about to spend $2500 on a custom tandoor oven, now I can try this!

If you can afford the custom tandoori oven, you should!

This, however, is working well for me as I can cook other foods in it. I can see where YOU would get a lot of use from a custom one, percyn. I encourage you to invest in one so we can all see the wonderful food you would turn out from the oven!

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

  • 3 weeks later...
Dejah

Dejah

Posted
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Posted

It's -28C but i REALLY wanted to use the Big Easy for a chicken, so I did!

Picked up a $1.50 paper towel holder at Dollarama, and it works perfectly for one or two chickens...much better than the ones sold commercially for "beer can chicken". It should be a little more stable for the Xmas turkey.

I rubbed commercial Cajun spice under the chicken skin, laid 4 chunks of potato at the bottom, pre-heated the BE for about 5 minutes, and the fowl was done in 1 hour 15 min. - same as when temps were warmer. The breast meat was juicy, yet the skin was translucent and crispy!The potatoes were perfect as well.

Gravy was made from the drippings, thickened with just .5 tsp cornstarch in chicken broth.

Hubby had the potatoes, gravy, chicken and peas. I had chicken, raosted spaghetti squash, and steamed asparagus.

Cajun Chicken1757.jpg

TowelHolderChicken1758.jpg

MOIST Chicken1759.jpg

Chicken Skin Chips1762.jpg

Gravy and Cajun Chicken1760.jpg

  • Like 3

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

judiu

judiu

Posted
Posted

Dejah, that is just (pardon, please) bloody effin' brilliant! A paper towel holder, hm? Wonder if was remarketed from a beer can chicken holder for the winter? It looks perfect for either chore!

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"Commit random acts of senseless kindness"

Dejah

Dejah

Posted
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It was only -6C today, so what else could I do but cook with the Big Easy again!

Chipotle Turkey Meatloaf in a bundt pan. The meatloaf - ground turkey breast and thighs, chopped mushrooms, onion, parsley, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - was moist with a little bit of kick. Will have to work on the presentation...maybe more like a cake... :laugh:

Bundt Turkey Meatload1770.jpg

CookedBundtMeatloaf1772.jpg

SlicedBundtMeatLoaf1774.jpg

Meatloaf& Latke1776.jpg

Eaten with potato pancakes, green beans, salsa, and jalapeno peppers.

  • Like 1

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted

It was only -6C today, so what else could I do but cook with the Big Easy again!

Chipotle Turkey Meatloaf in a bundt pan. The meatloaf - ground turkey breast and thighs, chopped mushrooms, onion, parsley, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - was moist with a little bit of kick. Will have to work on the presentation...maybe more like a cake... :laugh:

attachicon.gifBundt Turkey Meatload1770.jpg

attachicon.gifCookedBundtMeatloaf1772.jpg

attachicon.gifSlicedBundtMeatLoaf1774.jpg

attachicon.gifMeatloaf& Latke1776.jpg

Eaten with potato pancakes, green beans, salsa, and jalapeno peppers.

Brilliant! I wouldn't have thought of cooking meatloaf in a bundt cake pan, much less over / in the cooker like that!

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
Host, eG Forums - nsmith@egstaff.org

Follow us on social media! Facebook; instagram.com/egulletx

"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

  • 1 month later...
Dejah

Dejah

Posted
  • Topic Starter
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Temperature in the -single digits after a a couple of weeks of -30C with some days of windchill at -50C.

Time to head out to the Big Easy!

2 nights ago, I cooked 2 chickens stuffed with fresh Kaffir lime leaves. It's got to be my favourite taste, and I don't think I'll be running out of leaves any time soon. I won't post pics of the chickens - just see above. :rolleyes:

A friend was pruning his kaffir lime tree and asked if I was running low from the last bag he gave me. Just in time I quickly replied. My coffee table is 4.5 feet by 2.5 feet. This pile is 12 inches deep. Once I stripped off the leaves, I got SEVEN large ziplock bags full! He also gave me several branches of bay leaves and some of the kaffir limes.

03Table Of Kaffir Leaves0269.jpg

Last night, I cut up cubes of pork shoulder, marinated them in coconut milk, lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger. Today, I strung them onto skewers using the branches from the lime leaves. My hands felt a bit raw as the branches have tiny thorns on them. I did trim them before using, but they still left a bump.

Raw Pork Skewers 0276.jpg

I laid the skewers across the basket - should have remembered to just stand them up in the basket. I think they would have cooked more evenly.

Pork Skewers in Basket 0277.jpg

Only 2 skewers had to cook longer in the BE. The others were perfect. I loved the charred bits of fat coated with coconut milk!

Kaffir Lime Pork Skewers 0278.jpg

To use more of the leaves, I tore up several, added to jasmine rice along with some green cardamom for flavour. The rice cooked up like sticky rice - must have used more water than usual, but it was perfect with the pork! A squeeze of lime was added to the pork. The kaffir added a lovely aroma and flavour. The coconut milk didn't come thru' as strong as I thought, but it helped with the char.

  • Like 4

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

KennethT

KennethT

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Posted

I love lime leaves - and your haul is incredible! If you can get it, galangal is a great match with kaffir lime leaves...

Dejah

Dejah

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lennyk: See if you can find some heavy poultry skewers (ones used to close up openings in poultry after stuffing) and bend them into hooks. That's what I do.

rotus: Did you ever buy the Big Easy? I know you were tempted.

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

rotuts

rotuts

Posted
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nope not yet

decided to put my Research Dollars in the Cuisi Steam-Boy for now.

but its mighty tempting. I need more Toys, Stuff, Interesting Research Tools like I need more holes in my head.

its already a bit breezy.

  • Like 2
dcarch

dcarch

Posted
Posted

You can make heavy duty stainless steel hooks/skewers easily.

Stainless steel wire/rod bends easily, just heat it up red hot.

dcarch

Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted

Or better yet hie thee to a kitchen supply store and get some small meat hooks -- no oven mitts or weldig mask required.

  • Like 1

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

dcarch

dcarch

Posted
Posted

No. No welding gloves. Just pliers and your gas stove flame. About 10 minutes of work. save you half of a day of driving and looking around.

Another important thing about HD hooks: Never use galvanized items in a high heat environment. Zinc fume is toxic.

dcarch

hooks.jpg

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Dejah

Dejah

Posted
  • Topic Starter
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I didn't have a fish basket used for BBQs, but I really wanted to cook the rainbow trouts I picked up in the Big Easy. They fell off the hooks once they started cooking. I ended up putting the fish on the half rack that fit into the BE.

The trouts were seasoned with a "cajun spice mix", stuffed with parsley, Meyer lemon slices, and kaffir lime leaves (gotta use the bounty somehow before the next fresh batch comes in!)

The fish turned out lovely. Anxious to try again once I pick up a fish basket!

Raw Rainbow trout 0287.jpg

Platted Rainbow Trout 0288.jpg

Bite Rairbow Trout 0289.jpg

  • Like 2

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

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