Char-Broil The Big Easy User manual

1
Congratulations and welcome to ownership of The Big Easy
®
from Char-Broil
®
. It is our sincere hope that by reading this
guide, and with a little practice, you will come to fully enjoy the
tender juiciness and delicious flavor of food you prepare with
your new TRU-Infrared Smoker, Roaster & Grill.
We suggest you take a few moments to read the Product
Guide, ensure your cooker is assembled correctly and
completely, and that you are familiar with both its construction
and operation before using.
There are no hard and fast rules for cooking - just some basic
facts about how The Big Easy
®
works. The exclusive and
patented TRU-Infrared cooking system will help you prepare
wonderful meals. Use this cooking guide as an introduction to
cooking with The Big Easy
®
. It’s filled with great tips, tricks and
recipes.
The most important thing you can do first is register your
cooker so that we can be more helpful when you need us.
Please complete the warranty registration card found on the
last page of your Product Guide or save a stamp and visit us at
www.charbroil.com.
When you register, be sure to sign up at
live.charbroil.com for grilling tips, tricks, recipes,
party ideas and exclusive subscriber offers. We
never sell or distribute your contact information!
We want your Char-Broil
®
experience to be a
great one and this is one way we can stay in
touch.
Happy Cooking!
AN 14.100382

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FIRST THINGS FIRST
1) You will find that most of the product assembly has
been completed for you at the factory. Complete any
remaining steps and reference all safety and usage
information found in the Product Guide.
Make certain that the holes in the cooking chamber are
positioned towards the smoker box. This will ensure
that smoke flows properly during use.
2) Hand-tightening the LP hose from
The Big Easy
®
to a full 20lb.
propane tank sounds easy enough,
but thanks to some built-in
safety features inside your
regulator and propane tank, it
MUST be done absolutely
correctly, step-by-step, for your
cooker to function properly. Refer to the Product
Guide for detailed instructions.
3) Just like grandma’s cast iron skillet, the stainless steel
Cooking Chamber needs to be seasoned prior to use.
This is most important, as it will allow the cooking
chamber to work properly. In addition, it will make
cleaning easier and inhibit rusting.
Coat all interior surfaces of the cooking chamber with
vegetable oil. If you use a vegetable spray, wipe down
the cooking chamber after spraying to ensure an even
coat. Start The Big Easy
®
, close the lid and let it burn
until the vegetable oil burns off and stops smoking.
The shiny finish of the stainless steel cooking chamber
should now have a very dark brown or bronze color.

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You are now ready to cook. The more you use your Big
Easy
®
, the better it will cook. The darker - more
seasoned - the cooking chamber becomes the hotter
and the more evenly it will cook. A light coat of
vegetable oil after each use will keep the surfaces
seasoned and help prevent any rusting –again, just like
grandma’s cast iron skillet.
SMOKING
Smoking food has never been… well… easier . Instead of
charcoal or wood, The Big Easy
®
uses the convenience of
its TRU-Infrared cooking system. Smoke flavor is added
using about a ½ lb. of wood chips or pellets inside the
stainless steel smoker box.
To begin, prepare the cooking basket
with the food you plan to smoke. Food
can be placed in the bottom of the
cooking basket and/or closer to the top
using the cooking racks. Food placed
higher in the cooking basket will be
exposed to more smoke and will cook
slightly faster.
Fill the smoker box and position it in the side of the cooker.
Do not fill above the top of the smoker box. Ignite The Big
Easy
®
, ensure that the temperature control is set to HIGH
and close the hood. The wood chips will heat up and begin
to smoke after 5-10 minutes - depending
on outside weather conditions. In cold or
windy conditions, it will take longer for the
wood chips to begin smoking. Once the
chips start to smoke, turn the temperature
control to LOW, and lower the cooking
basket with the food inside into the
chamber.

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Real wood chips will smoke for 45 minutes in the smoke
box. Wood pellets will smoke almost twice as long. When
refilling the smoke box, leave a few burning embers to help
start the new chips or pellets smoking. If you have no
embers left or want to start with a full box of fresh chips or
pellets, simply fill no higher than the top of the smoker box
and preheat on HIGH for approximately 15 minutes or until
they begin to smoke. Don’t forget to turn the Power Level
back to the original setting. The 15 minutes of cook time
on HIGH will not affect your overall cooking results.
It is normal for some smoke to leak out around the edges
of the smoker box on LOW. If burner is left on HIGH
setting, wood chips will burn too fast and an excessive
amount of smoke will escape around the edges of the
smoker box.
ROASTING
Cooking on HIGH with The Big Easy
®
will allow you to
prepare Rotisserie Chicken and other recipes without the
hassles of traditional rotisserie cooking. When roasting
with The Big Easy
®
, there are no forks and spit rod to
balance or troublesome flare-ups to control. No pre-
heating is required. Place the food in the cooking basket.
(Food placed higher in the basket using the cooking racks
will cook faster.) Lower the cooking basket with your food
inside into the cooking chamber. Turn to HIGH and ignite
the burner.
Start out with the lid closed. If your food browns faster
than you like, simply open the lid to finish cooking your
food to the proper internal temperature.
This is also how you can make a delicious, safe and healthy
Southern Fried Turkey –without gallons of oil to purchase
or recycle.

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GRILLING
Food can be grilled with the lid open
or closed and the temperature
setting on high or low –but always
preheat on high for 15 minutes with
the lid closed before placing your
food on the grate. Wood chips or
pellets can be used inside the smoker
box while grilling. You will find that
The Big Easy
®
is perfect for grilling smaller foods that can
fall through the grates on other grills and fatty foods such
as bacon or hamburgers. The enclosed burner design
eliminates any flare-ups from dripping grease.
To prolong the life of the cooking basket, remove it from
the chamber when using the grilling grate. It is not
recommended to place food in the cooking basket while
using the grilling grate.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1) How does this thing work?
You’ll think it’s magic, but it’s
really simply using two
methods of heat transfer.
First, the propane burner
heats the air between the
cooking chamber and the
outside of The Big Easy
®
.
This hot air, also known as
convective heat, warms the
cooking chamber before it
escapes out the top. The
cooking chamber absorbs the
heat and radiates it to the
inside as TRU-Infrared heat.
By converting the hot air, or
convective heat, into TRU-
Infrared, radiant heat, food
cooked in The Big Easy
®
is moist and juicy.
2) Do I need to soak the wood chips in water?
No. Soaking the wood chips in water before use will
not extend the smoking time; only lengthen the time
before they start to smoke.
3) Can I cook a frozen turkey?
No. Turkey must be completely thawed and you should
always remove the giblets, neck and anything from
inside the cavity before cooking.
4) How should I prepare poultry?
The turkey or chicken must be completely thawed and
you should always remove the giblets, neck and
anything from inside the cavity before cooking.
Remove the metal or plastic tie that may be used to
bind the legs together before putting the turkey in the

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cooking basket. Opening the legs
will allow the turkey to cook
evenly and maintain its position
inside the basket. Always set the
turkey inside the basket with the
breast up and the legs down so
that it can cook evenly.
5) Can I cook a turkey with
stuffing inside?
The USDA recommends cooking
stuffing separately for optimal safety and uniform
doneness. Visit www.isitdoneyet.gov for more
information on cooking turkey safely.
6) Can I use injectable marinades?
Absolutely. But if you are really into making it easy,
simply use a dry rub on the outside. One of our
favorites to use is a Creole seasoning with salt, red
pepper, garlic and other spices found readily at any
grocery store. Try to avoid rubs with high sugar
content if you are roasting with the temperature setting
on HIGH. When preparing fried turkey or rotisserie
chicken, you can rub the skin with peanut or canola oil
before using a dry rub if desired. The TRU-Infrared
heat will keep your food moist and juicy on the inside.
7) How long will it take to cook?
With The Big Easy
®
, food is done once it reaches proper
internal temperature. Always use a food thermometer
to check doneness and remember these USDA
guidelines for proper use:
1) Insert the probe into the thickest part of the food -
not touching bone, fat or gristle before lowering into
the cook chamber.

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2) After cooking, check the temperature in several
places to make sure the food is evenly heated.
3) Compare your thermometer reading to the USDA
guidelines printed inside the back cover of this
guide to determine if your food has reached a safe
temperature.
4) Make sure to clean your food thermometer with hot,
soapy, water before and after each use.
5) Visit www.isitdoneyet.gov for more information on
food safety.
Cook times will vary depending on outdoor weather
conditions, but generally you can expect 10 minutes per
pound for turkey, 15 minutes per pound for chicken,
and 30 minutes per pound for pork or beef roasts.
Use the included food thermometer for
larger cuts of meat where at least
three-quarters of the stem length can
be inserted into the turkey, chicken
or roast. For smaller foods, use an
instant-read thermometer that measures
temperatures closer to the tip of the stem.
Always follow the instructions for use from the
manufacturer. See www.charbroil.com for instant-read
and other food thermometer purchase options.
8) How is The Big Easy
®
faster than an oil fryer?
An oil fryer requires up to 3 gallons of peanut oil that
can take up to 45 minutes to preheat to the proper
temperature. Cook time is about 3 minutes per pound,
but it can take several hours for the oil to cool down so
that you can clean up and recycle the oil. When
roasting with The Big Easy
®
, no preheat time is
required and it will cool down after cooking in about 15
minutes. The oil-frying process, from start to finish, will

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take twice as long as frying without oil in The Big
Easy
®
.
9) Can I use drippings for gravy?
Yes - if they are properly prepared.
Before cooking, you must insert a
food-safe aluminum liner into the
removable grease tray to catch the
drippings. After cooking, the
drippings must be heated on a
stovetop to the proper temperature for doneness
(180˚F or 82˚C). Never serve the drippings directly
from the removable grease tray. Custom-fit aluminum
liners are available for purchase at
www.charbroil.com.
10) What is the easiest way to remove food from
the basket?
Patience is a Virtue. When you remove the basket from
the cooking chamber, you will be tempted to want to
immediately remove the food from the basket. Instead,
set the basket on a tray or platter and allow the food to
rest for 10-15 minutes. Once the basket has cooled,
gently separate any places where the turkey, chicken or
roast has attached itself to the basket during cooking
and turn the basket on its side to remove.
11) How do I clean The Big Easy
®
?
After each use, burn off any excess grease and food
debris remaining on the cooking basket or that has
accumulated inside the cooking chamber by allowing
unit to burn for approximately 15 minutes on HIGH with
the lid CLOSED or until it stops smoking. After the unit
has cooled, a grill brush can be used to loosen any
remaining material in the cook chamber or grilling
grate.

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After brushing/scraping the bottom of the cook
chamber, it can then be lifted out and emptied. The
cooking basket and racks can be brushed and treated
similarly to the cooking grates on a gas grill. They can
also be washed in a sink or dishwasher if desired.
Disposable food-safe aluminum liners for the grease
tray make cleanup much easier and are available from
www.charbroil.com. If any drippings spill onto the
grease tray when removing it, clean with soap and
water. The grease tray has a painted finish and should
not be cleaned in a dishwasher. Likewise, the exterior
surfaces can be cleaned with soap and water as
desired.
A light coat of cooking spray on the stainless steel
cooking chamber after cleaning will help protect against
rusting and build the seasoned finish –again, just like a
cast iron skillet.
Minimize cleaning between uses with a custom-fit cover
for The Big Easy
®
Smoker, Roaster & Grill available
from Char-Broil.com.