Roasting
Roasting and grilling are two cooking techniques that are often confused, even though there are some major differences between them. Grilling involves smaller or sliced ingredients, where contact heat from the cast iron grid plays an important role. Roasting, on the other hand, is used for larger ingredients, with little to no direct contact heat.
De kooktechniek roosteren
This technique is perfect for cooking large cuts of meat or game, whole poultry, fish or entire vegetables like celeriac or beetroot at relatively high temperatures. The result is a beautiful and even colour. When roasting meat, fish, game or poultry, you aim for a specific core temperature, while for vegetables, it’s all about achieving the perfect bite. You can even roast a whole pineapple – the natural sugars caramelise, giving it an amazing flavour. And of course, the signature roasted taste from the Big Green Egg is a bonus!
Roasting temperatures
There are two ways to roast in your kamado: oven-style or using a spit. In both methods, you heat the Big Green Egg to between 175 and 200°C to give your ingredient a lovely colour. For larger roasts, you can start with a lower temperature (around 130 to 140°C) to allow it to cook slowly. Towards the end, raise the heat to between 175 and 200°C to develop colour and, if desired, a crispy crust.
Indirect roasting (like in an oven)
For traditional roasting in the Big Green Egg, once the charcoal is glowing, place the heat shield, drip pan and stainless steel grid inside the kamado. If you find it convenient, place your ingredient in the Ribs and Roasting Rack on top of the grid. The heat shield prevents direct radiant heat from the charcoal, and the stainless steel grid conducts less heat than a cast iron one, so there’s only minimal contact heat. Cooking and browning occur mainly through airflow and heat reflection inside the ceramic EGG, which is why this is called indirect cooking.
Side dishes
This method is ideal for preparing a delicious piece of pork belly, a (stuffed) roast, a whole fish, bear can chicken or the fruits and vegetables mentioned earlier. With beer can chicken, there’s no contact heat at all, since the chicken doesn’t rest on the grid. Want to roast a side dish at the same time, like potatoes or vegetables in a skillet, but running out of space? Add a raised grid to increase your EGG’s capacity. Place your skillet on top and cook a tasty side while your main dish roasts below.
Direct roasting on the spit
The ultimate roasting method is spit-roasting – cooking your food using a rotating spit. Big Green Egg has designed the Rotisserie specifically for this. In this method, your ingredient roasts directly over the glowing coals, creating an even more intense roasted flavour. This is direct roasting. Because the Rotisserie constantly rotates, your food isn’t exposed to continuous radiant heat, significantly reducing the risk of burning – as long as you keep an eye on the temperature.
Indirect roasting on the spit
Want to be extra cautious? In this method of roasting, you can also place the heat shield with a drip pan on top between the charcoal and the Rotisserie inside your kamado. When roasting pork belly, for instance, tie it into a roulade, secure it with the spit forks and let it rotate evenly. The Rotisserie also makes it easy to cook sliced vegetables, shawarma, chicken thigh gyros or pork collar steaks. Use the matching Tumbler Basket to roast smaller items such as pieces of vegetables, chicken wings and even nuts. Or, for example, roast an entire fish in the Flat Basket.