INTRODUCTION

If this book caught your attention, then it is probably safe to assume that you are an outdoor cooking enthusiast who would like to learn about kamado-style cooking. When it comes to kamado-style cooking, the Big Green Egg^® is billed as “The Ultimate Cooking Experience.” That is because it is one of the most versatile and durable cookers on the market today. Feel like searing some steaks over direct heat? Slow smoking your favorite barbecue meats? How about creating brick oven–like pizza and baked goods? The Big Green Egg can do it! With its egg shape and thick ceramic walls, this kamado-style cooker can maintain a steady, even heat, helping you achieve great results right away. With some knowledge and a little practice, you will learn how to grill, smoke, roast and bake like a pro in your own backyard.

What makes me think I can help you? Well, I was you. I have been on a quest to learn all that I can about barbecuing for the better part of my adult life. What started out as experimentation with a kettle-style charcoal grill has grown into an all-out obsession with outdoor cooking and a growing arsenal of smokers, grills and kamado-style cookers. In 2014, this obsession led me to get involved in competition barbecue. Since then, my BBQ Buddha Competition team has competed head to head with some of the top pitmasters in the country. We have gotten top ten calls in such categories as chicken, ribs, pork, brisket, bacon, chili and even crab cakes. Around the same time, I began creating the sauces and rubs that we would use to flavor our ‘cue. They were so well received at cookouts, family gatherings and on the barbecue circuit that I decided to make a go of it as a business. The BBQ Buddha brand was born! Soon after creating this all-natural line of BBQ sauces and rubs, the awards started coming in, but this time for the sauces themselves. My BBQ sauces have received top honors at some of the biggest national and international competitions, such as the American Royal “Best Sauce on the Planet” contest, the National Barbecue and Grilling Association’s Awards of Excellence, the Scovie Awards, the World Hot Sauce Awards, the International Flavor Awards (the Flaves) and the Sauce King NYC Championship. I also authored Award-Winning BBQ Sauces and How to Use Them: The Secret Ingredient to Next-Level Smoking, which won BBQ Book of the Year from both the National Barbecue & Grilling Association and Barbecue News Magazine for 2020.

Over the years, my business has grown to include teaching barbecue cooking classes, pop-up dinners and speaking engagements. I am proud to be a part of this barbecue community and thoroughly enjoy sharing my experiences, tips and best techniques for grilling and smoking to preserve the barbecue culture and pass it on to the next generation of cooks and pitmasters.

If you are seeking a solid foundation in kamado-style cooking, then you are in the right place. In this book I will cover everything you need to get started, including how a ceramic cooker works, lighting the fire, temperature control and more. With 60 standout recipes, and chapters that are organized by technique, you will become familiar with every aspect of cooking on the Big Green Egg. It won’t be long before you master these recipes and begin creating your own. Are you ready to crack open the Big Green Egg and take your grilling and smoking to the next level? Let’s go!