BBQ Master “Big Moe” Cason on Using Your Big Green Egg® to Its Full Potential

Date Posted: Oct 21, 2016

Grill lovers take note: Pensacola Egg Fest is a gathering of competitive cooks firing up nearly 100 Big Green Eggs® at Blue Wahoos Stadium on Pensacola Bay. Egg Fest takes place this year on Sunday, Nov. 13, from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. Among the celebrity judges is Moe Cason, a nationally known competition pit master and seasoned Green Egg chef. We asked Big Moe for a little Green Egg advice.

What are three tips to use the Green Egg to its fullest potential?

First, always use fresh, lump charcoal. You’ll hear you can relight it after a cook, but I feel like you always need to start with fresh. Second, use the right amount of charcoal for what you’re cooking. Don’t just use a little bit of charcoal if you’re doing a brisket and need it to last eight hours. Finally, do not open the Egg up a lot when you’re cooking because you’ll let in oxygen and raise the temperature. It’ll get too hot.

What common mistakes do people make when using the Green Egg?

In addition to not using enough charcoal, one of the things that you have to watch is making sure the firebox opening is aligned with the opening of the shell of the Egg. If not, the air won’t draw properly.

You’ve cooked an endless variety of foods on a Green Egg, but what are some of your favorite dishes?

Oh man, chicken wings, steak, brisket. It does a great job on brisket. I love doing fish, too. It’s great for that. I love pizza crust, and I even do a cheesecake on the Egg.

What trends are you seeing among Green Egg cooks?

There’s lots of bacon-wrapped stuff, big “fatties,” or sausage loaves. Planking fish continues to be big, and some people are even taking Tomahawk ribeyes and putting them directly on the coals.

As a celebrity judge and award winning competition cook, what are you going to be looking for in this year’s Pensacola Egg Fest?

The cool thing about Egg Fest is that the cooks are so creative. They’re creating all kinds of different dishes and unusual foods, so I’ll be looking to be wowed once again.

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