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Well, I have been at this Big Green Egg thing for a few years now, and as most of you know, I love the BGE community. I have been to some regional Big Green Egg festivals before but had yet to make the pilgrimage to Atlanta, GA for the mother of all Big Green Egg festivals… EGGtoberfest! So for me, participating in this year’s EGGtoberfest was special as I got to meet so many people in person who I had come to know online, and I got to sample their food! Whether you have been to an EGGtoberfest in the past or not, this post will share the experience through my eyes . Now sit back, grab a Boulevard Pale Ale, and enjoy this post for EGGtoberfest 2015
EGGtoberfest 2015
Day 1 – Prep & The Meet & Greet
Mrs. Buddha and I arrived at Stone Mountain Park Friday afternoon to check in and meet up with our friends at Dizzy Pig Barbecue Company. We were graciously invited to help them cook in the Big Green Egg Culinary Partner’s Tent.
Walking up to the tent we find Chris Capell prepping this huge hunk of meat (Beef Clod) that he will smoke over night in prep for the festival Saturday.
Chris is using one of the Big Green Egg Dizzy Gourmet Seasonings – Cosmic Cow for this Beef Clod. Dizzy Pig has been a long time partner with Big Green Egg and makes a special line of rubs just for them! This rub features smoked morita chilies and black peppercorns to deliver just the right amount of heat. This is so good on beef (or lamb).
It didn’t take long for “Mrs. Buddha” to jump in to action rubbing Dizzy’s Whirly Bird on Chicken Thighs. This rub is a clever blend of herbs, spices, citrus, garlic and pure maple sugar, and it delivered an unforgettable taste sensation on the chicken!
After prepping the food for Saturday’s main event it was time to go back to the hotel and get ready for the EGGtoberfest Meet and Greet.
Once checked in we find friends old and new. First up we find John Hall from the North Georgia Eggers who we first met John at DizzyFest 8 back in June.
Chris Capell started 15 years ago on the Big Green Egg Forum and Cooking Competitive BBQ at the same time as Ray Lampe (aka Dr. BBQ). It was great to be a fly on the wall watching the two Pit Masters talk food, techniques, and BBQ.
As the evening progressed we got a chance to meet long time Big Green Egg employee Stretko and his son-in-law Lucio (also a BGE employee).
Next we got a chance to meet and talk to Bob Atkinson (on the left) who had a lot to do with planning and marketing EGGtoberfest 2015. On the right, is another long time BGE employee Jonathan Thompson.
Here are Dizzy Pig friends and members of their Competition BBQ Team: Susan Handy and Teresa Nester from Indigo Farms Seafood. I was so happy that Debbie (aka Mrs. Buddha) had a chance to get to know these two wonderful people! Now we have had a full night of prep, partying, and fun it was time to get some sleep and get ready for Saturday’s EGGtoberfest.
Day 2 – EGGtoberfest 2015
We started Saturday off bright and early checking in to the festival by 9am.
As we approached the festival grounds there was much debate if the smoke over Stone Mountain was from all the Eggs or if it was the morning mist from the rain overnight. We like to think it was all that wonderful smoke from the Eggs…
This year the Culinary Partners Tent had special guests from Big Green Egg Europe. This team of Chefs from Europe were here on a mission… to cook some of the best food you will ever eat from the Big Green Egg! It was a pleasure getting to meet them and taste all of their wonderful creations.
In the Culinary Partners Tent there were classes scheduled all day long, one of which featured Chris and his class “Cooking with Your Senses”!
The classes were co-hosted with the Kevin Jenkins and Executive Chef Erik Holdo from the radio show Chef and The Fatman . I learn something new every time I see Chris give a class.
At this point I wanted to seek out several of my Instagram friends and EGGheads cooking with Big Green Craig. It was such a great EGGsperience meeting people in person who I have come to know online. In addition, Craig’s team was voted #1 in the EGGtoberfest People’s Choice Recipe Contest and his recipe for Piglet Poppers will be posted on the Big Green Egg website. Congratulations Big Green Craig!
Craig’s team was featuring Brazilian Style BBQ using the Carson Rodizio! This contraption turns your Big Green Egg into a Churrascaria!
It was so great meeting some of my Instagram friends in person including @tshelburn and @jackarnold21. If you are not following them you should start NOW.
Someone I have come to know through Instagram is Award Winning Pit Master Ryan Lane from Lane’s BBQ. His rubs are outrageously good and ones you should try soon… like his SPF53 spicy rub!
I got a close up look at Craig’s Piglet Popper’s in action watching @kevinmw76 cooking up the winning recipe!
Back at the Dizzy Pig table we find Mike French and his wife Michele. The French Family (not related to the Europeans) were so great and friendly. A real joy to cook and work with all day!
After settling in I got a chance to work the Eggs and cook some of the delicious treats we were serving to the thousands of people in attendance.
Remember that Beef Clod that has been smoking overnight?! it is finally done and Chris starts pulling the beef for the crowd to sample and enjoy!
Look at that smoke ring and tender beef!
OH MAN… this beef is good!
A nice surprise for me at the EGGtoberfest was meeting fellow blogger Jason Apple from Kitchen Man Can. Jason was incredibly generous with his time and gave me good insight in to the world of Food Blogging (thanks Jason).
The highlight of the afternoon was this delicious Prime Rib that had been cooking all day. Unfortunately, the rain hit the festival hard around 3 PM scaring all the festivalgoers away. As a result this lovely piece of meat had no hungry masses to feed… what were we to do?!?!
Resting the Prime Rib
Chris was kind enough to slice this bad boy up and share with all the people in the Culinary Partners tent! This Prime Rib was so tasty with the perfect salted crust. (I may be daydreaming about this experience just a little as I type this blog post)
As the festival wound down and everyone began to clean up I was able to catch this moment between Dr. BBQ and one of the European Chefs. It was a great experience listening to two of the best discussing their craft. I may or may not have taken some notes!
Well, as the day time activities of this year’s EGGtoberfest came to a close we packed up and said goodbye heading to the after party back at the hotel. What a great festival to attend. We cannot wait to go again next year!
