A month ago I had my first Big Green Egg meal at All Corked Up. Sound strange? It wasn’t at all, it was the best BBQ I’ve had in my young…err…life. BBQ Galore sells the egg-shaped green-domed BBQ and All Corked Up had Jeff Marr, Area Manager, make Tri-Tips for partygoers that night. I snatched Jeff up for a private BBQ in my home a month later. Hey, he offered.
The Day Before the Big Green Egg (BGE) Arrives
Buy the baby backs from Costco as Jeff has advised, make Eddie cut the two ginormous slabs in half so we can fit into four ginormous Ziploc bags with a ginormous amount of Orange Juice marinade. Jeff says the OJ will tenderize the ribs.
How the Day Went
5:00 – 9:00 a.m. I finish all of my writing deadlines and cruise Facebook, and the West Ranch Beacon. I swear the cruising took place only between 8:30 and 9.
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Clean house and yard to prepare for the 12 guests coming to our dinner party. Set the table, as I’m anal. Make rhubarb pies without baking crusts first. Ed makes enough potato salad and baked beans for one of his fire stations.
1:00 – 1:40 p.m. Received call from Jeff that they are on their way with my Big Green Egg (BGE)! It takes Jeff, and a couple of others, to hoist it up over my brick steps out front and roll into my waiting backyard.
1:50 – 5:00 p.m. Jeff unpacks apple wood chips and places in a bowl for soaking, a chimney starter and real wood lump charcoal. He only fills half of the BGE with the wood as the ceramic lid holds the heat in longer. The longer on low heat, coupled with the OJ, guarantees a fall-off-the-bone effect.
Jeff also has brought along different BBQ sauces for us to try. Before brushing them on he squirts three different ones on Ed’s fingers and Ed decides. He also uses “John Henry’s East Texas Pecan Rub” that I don’t think actually had any pecan nuts in it.
(I’m wondering why my dog isn’t barking like usual. He likes Jeff, and is happy to sit at his feet while we wait for the ribs to cook. I’m a little irritated by this and vow to rub some BBQ Sauce on my ankle the next time Jeff’s over.)
When the BGE reaches the desired temperature, Jeff fiddles with the vents to make sure airflow is entering, and regulates the temperature by opening and closing the vents.
As we waited for the ribs to slow cook Jeff tells me about the outdoor BBQ’s, custom islands, heaters and fire pits they design and build.
5:00p.m. – 6:30p.m. BBQ Galore Sales Associate and Professional Chef Jack Peraza arrives. He rewashes my Italian squash and zucchini, deftly slices so that each will lie flat on the BGE and then seasons with rosemary, sea salt, fresh pepper and lots of olive oil. Guest Sandi Gordon is questioning him on everything so she can duplicate it all herself at home and I’m calculating how I can get him to move in.
Soon everything is ready and guests serve themselves extremely large portions and take their seats. All is now quiet, save the popping of corks, while food is seriously consumed.
How the Night Paired with Wine
Jeff had suggested white wines with the ribs, so we went through a couple, but mostly before the actual rib eating. Hey, guests came early! Both were from Trader Joe’s and weren’t very expensive: La Crema Chardonnay and an Estancia Pinot Grigio.
Then in rapid order, we consumed 07 Mondavi Carneros Reserve Pinot Noir, 02 Pride Merlot, 05 Lancaster Cabernet, 05 Trefethen Cabernet and 08 Seghesio Zinfandel. I can’t tell you which I liked better as the guests that brought them are reading this – or better be! I know that both the Pride Merlot and Seghesio Zin were high on Wine Spectator’s Wine Of the Year lists, I bought the Lancaster at Valencia Wine Company and the Mondavi was from our member’s shipment. Not one bottle, and this I can say for sure, didn’t pair perfectly with my BGE!
Get your own Big Green Egg at: BBQGalore.com or scoot past me in the local store when I can convince Ed we NEED one NOW at: 25550 N. The Old Road, Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381, 661-284-6880, in the Valencia Marketplace across from Sports Chalet.
Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com