Jamie Thingelstad

Cooking

Outdoor cooking experiments—primarily on my Big Green Egg and new Traeger grill—are documented here. Posts recount brisket attempts, sous‑vide pork butt sessions and holiday tenderloin traditions, with candid notes on smoke, temperature and results.

Tammy has coined the name “European Picnic” for what has become one of our favorite family lunches. Baguette, block of cheese, chocolate to finish. Turkey is an optional addition. Perfect for the four of us.

Three cutting boards on a picnic table by a lake holding broken chocolate bar, sliced cheese and turkey, and torn baguette pieces.

Just wrapped up my first attempt at doing pulled pork using the Sous Vide. I started the Sous Vide last night. I let it run for 20 hours at 165. When I pulled the bag out the pork had shrunk and there was about 3-4 cups of liquid in the bag. I poured the liquid into a sauce pan to reduce on the stove. I transferred the pork to the Big Green Egg and let it smoke for 3 hours at 280, with some good chunks of hickory for added smoke. 🔥

When I pulled the pork off the grill the bone pulled out clean and the meat shredded just by pushing on it. It had nice flavor. After pulling it I poured the reduced liquid over to taste. It was delicious and really easy.

Next time I will add more dry rub before putting it on the grill. Otherwise it was one of the best pork butts I’ve ever made. 🐖

Smoked pork butt with dark bark resting on a wood cutting board, bone partially exposed, surrounded by rendered juices. Smoked pork butt sliced open on a wooden cutting board, showing tender shredded meat with a dark bark crust. Shredded pulled pork in a large stainless steel mixing bowl with two pairs of tongs resting across it, on a kitchen counter.

Transferred the pork butt to the Big Green Egg after 20 hours in Sous Vide. Time for the finish smoke at 280 for 2-2.5 hours. Reducing the liquid from Sous Vide bag to add back to pulled pork.

Spice-rubbed pork butt on a Big Green Egg charcoal grill with a temperature probe wire visible on the grate. Hand holding an Angry Trout Cafe pint glass of amber beer in front of a Big Green Egg kamado grill in a backyard.