Kingdaddy
Assistant Cook
I have always been a cooking enthusiast or “Foodie”, but until recently I was never so into it to the point of discussing it on a forum. What changed all of that was a recent purchase of a Mongolian style flat top grill called the EVO. At first I thought is was just a griddle so I passed it up and continued to mull over getting either a Big Green Egg or the top-O-Line Hasty Bake. But I kept coming back to the EVO even though the salesman didn’t really push it, he was trying to sell me the Hasty Bake and claimed it was the grill of choice by many top 4 and 5 star restaurants because of the ability to control the heat so well from lifting the fire box closer or further away from the cooking surface. He also explained how cooking over a gas grill with direct heat and flame was the worst possible method as he claimed that LP Gas has a lot of water in it and will just boil and grey the meat. Then he said something that rang true from my previous experiences, he claimed that the best way to cook a steak was to pan sear it on a stove top (dry heat) and then finish it in a oven. I’ve tried this method before and had the best lamb rib chops I have ever had so it got me thinking about the EVO grill which was designed to do just that with the help of some metal grates and cooking domes.
Anyway to make a long story short I went for the EVO even though it cost an arm and a leg and thought I would just add a BGE at a later date to complete my outdoor kitchen as the EVO doesn’t slow cook as efficiently as the BGE. However what I didn’t realize is how the EVO changed the way and what I cook, is has been the best large purchase I have ever made to date, I use it 3-4 times a week and for over 2 months haven had or needed to cook inside even once, not even to boil a pot of water since it can be done on the EVO. Best of all, it will do everything from Pizza to Steak to Breakfast and the large cooking area and all around access allows you to do many things at once at many different temperatures. Two heat zones from two independent burners and the use of risers and domes allow you to sear then bake/broil a steak while vegetables and other sides cook directly on the top, you can steam, boil, braze sauté, and stir fry, technically there in nothing you cant do although I will still have a charcoal grill for slow cooking and for other occasions when I need to use both for large gatherings.
Anyway to make a long story short I went for the EVO even though it cost an arm and a leg and thought I would just add a BGE at a later date to complete my outdoor kitchen as the EVO doesn’t slow cook as efficiently as the BGE. However what I didn’t realize is how the EVO changed the way and what I cook, is has been the best large purchase I have ever made to date, I use it 3-4 times a week and for over 2 months haven had or needed to cook inside even once, not even to boil a pot of water since it can be done on the EVO. Best of all, it will do everything from Pizza to Steak to Breakfast and the large cooking area and all around access allows you to do many things at once at many different temperatures. Two heat zones from two independent burners and the use of risers and domes allow you to sear then bake/broil a steak while vegetables and other sides cook directly on the top, you can steam, boil, braze sauté, and stir fry, technically there in nothing you cant do although I will still have a charcoal grill for slow cooking and for other occasions when I need to use both for large gatherings.