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Martha Robinson doesnt mince words when it comes to the right way to barbeque. If people want to use a liquid fire starter then I wont sell them a Big Green Egg, she says. A Big Green What?
According to Martha, the Big Green Egg is the best way to cook just about anything, from hot dogs to apple pies. Launched in 1974 and derived from an ancient clay cooker called a kamado, the Big Green Egg is a unique combination of a grill, smoker and oven. Made of high-tech ceramics, the egg-shaped unit reaches cooking temperature in about 10 minutes, far faster than a regular gas or charcoal grill. Temperature is accurately controlled by dampers, and the temperature gauge on the lid gives precise readings from zero to 750 degrees F. You can sear steaks at a high temperature and then turn the heat down immediately to finish them off, says Martha, who owns Nordic Stove and Fireplace in Stamford with her husband, Scott Robinson. Pizzas cooked on the egg taste as if they've come out of a brick oven, she says.
Lump charcoal, which is made from hardwood and which burns hotter and longer than briquettes, is the fuel of choice. We sell 20-pound bags of hickory charcoal for $23, she says. We cook on our Egg every day in the summer and a bag will last us about a month. Trader Joes and Whole Foods sell the lump charcoal, too, but in smaller bags.
Martha and Scott fire up a BGE at their store on Harvard Avenue in Stamford at lunchtime every Friday and Saturday. We want customers to see for themselves how easy it is to cook perfect barbeque, says Martha. People even bring their own food to cook on our egg.
May is National Barbeque Month and the Big Green Egg is on sale for $749 for the most popular size. BGEs come in four sizes from the 30 pound mini with its nine-inch grid to the 140 pound large which has an 18-inch cooking surface.
Have you ever heard of the Big Green Egg? Scott Robinson says that once youve tried it youll never cook on another grill.
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