We had a great time at the Cigar, Bourbon and Beer Festival!
We would like to thank all who came out to the Cigar, Bourbon and Beer Festival on Saturday, August 26, 2017. The weather was beautiful and there was a great turn out! Joe Haynes, author of Virginia Barbecue: A History, joined us. He grilled and barbecued up some delicious samples for all who stopped by our tent. MOINK balls, pulled pork, and peach cobbler – all made on the Big Green Egg!
Operations Coordinator, Stephanie Pruett and Sales & Service Manager, Brian Stanley, handed out samples and wowed the crowd with their Big Green Egg knowledge. Some freebies at our tent were koozies, wrist bands, and BGE recipe books.
Did you enjoy the samples? Try making them yourself with these simple recipes!
Virginia-style Barbecued Pork on the Big Green Egg
1 8-pound pork butt
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
1 tablespoon mild paprika
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
Bring your Big Green Egg to 275 – 290 degrees Fahrenheit with the place setter installed. Use hickory chunks for smoke.
Make the Virginia-style barbecue rub by thoroughly mixing the salt, pepper, paprika and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Apply a light coat of unsalted butter along with a few sprinkles of vinegar to the entire meat side surface of the pork butt. Follow that with a medium coat of rub.
Barbecue the pork uncovered in the Big Green Egg at 275 to 290 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 hours. After 3 hours, tightly wrap the pork butt in two layers of aluminum foil and return it to the smoker. When the pork is tender, after about 3 to 4 more hours, remove it from the smoker and let it rest for 30 minutes. The internal temperature of the pork butt should be at least 200 degrees Fahrenheit. However, don’t go by temperature alone; tenderness is the true guide. Use the barbecue to make sandwiches topped with coleslaw and a little Virginia-style barbecue sauce. Recipes for the sauces from the festival can be found in the book Virginia Barbecue: A History. Serves 12 to 15 people.
MOINK Balls
Moo (beef meatball) + Oink (bacon) = MOINK
1 package of pre-cooked beef meatballs
Bacon
Black Pepper & Cayenne Pepper
Barbecue sauce
Toothpicks
Big Green Egg with the place setter at 325 degrees F
Cut the bacon into lengths just long enough to make one wrap around a meatball with a little over hang that will be pierced by the toothpick to hold it in place. Wrap the meatballs with the bacon, stick a toothpick in to hold the bacon in place and season with the black pepper. The cayenne is optional. If you use it, use as little or as much as you like.
Put the MOINK balls on your Big Green Egg and close the lid. Let the MOINK balls cook until the bacon is done and is as crispy as you like. The internal temperature of the meats shouldn’t be less than 165F. Using a basting brush, apply a little barbecue sauce to the MOINK balls and let them cook for about another 5 minutes to allow the barbecue sauce to caramelize. Remove from the Big Green Egg and serve.
Big Green Egg Peach Cobbler
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup self-rising flour
2 cups sugar (divided into 3/4 cup each)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk or buttermilk
4 cups peaches, peeled and sliced (fresh, frozen or canned & drained)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Bring the Big Green Egg to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the place setter installed. Melt the butter in an 8-quart Dutch Oven or 11″ x 13″ disposable aluminum pan or a 12” cast iron skillet that’s been placed in the BGE.
Mix flour, 1 cup of the sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the milk or buttermilk and stir just until all ingredients are mixed. Pour the batter into the pan over the melted butter. DO NOT STIR.
In a saucepan, bring the peaches, the remaining cup of sugar, the lemon juice and the spices to a simmer over medium high-heat long enough to melt the sugar. Pour this mixture into the dutch over or aluminum pan or skillet (whichever one you are using) over the batter. DO NOT STIR.
Cook the cobbler in the BGE for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the BGE and let the cobbler cool until warm before serving.
If you missed us at the Cigar, Bourbon and Beer Festival, don’t forget to stop by Anderson Propane Service’s showroom and take a look at our great selection of Big Green Egg items and Eggcessories!
