Coffee with Jim and James (CWJJ)

CWJJ Episode 15: Matt Purchatzke

Written by Energy Worldnet (EWN) | Jul 16, 2020 2:51:00 PM

Thursday, July 16 – Matt Purchatzke joins the show to discuss the versatile cooking apparatus – the Big Green Egg.

Episode Transcript:

Troy Hudson:  [0:00] Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, welcome to the most amazing interview show on the information superhighway, now Zooming to you live and simultaneously from two secret studio bunkers in dual time zones located somewhere south of Alaska, east of Area 51, north of Guantanamo, and if I give you one more clue we’ll all be in deep trouble. 

[0:22] It’s the amazing twin namesakes separated at birth, the two most famous guys not in witness protection, it’s Coffee with Jim and James.

Jim Schauer:  [0:37] Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the LinkedIn community. We are happy and ready for this, egg‑cited for today’s episode. 

[0:46] I’m not sure why, but I want to throw a shrimp on the barbie. I want to throw a shoulder of something on the grill, maybe catch a tuna in that ocean behind me and throw it on the smoker. That will give you a little hint as today’s exciting episode. 

[1:06] And before we get into that, as always my partner in crime, the one that is a yin to my yang, right up here, Mr. James Cross. 

[1:15] Sir James, how are you this fine and beautiful day?

James Cross:  [1:19] I’m hungry Jimmy, and based on what I know about this episode, it’s a good time to be hungry.

Jim:  [1:25] Absolutely.

James:  [1:27] It’s obvious based on your cheesy intro, as always, that today we’re going to be talking a little bit about grilling, a little bit about smoking, with my new friend that we connected on LinkedIn, Mr. Matt…Hold on, I wrote some notes on how to say your last name.

Matt Purchatzke:  [1:44] Yeah. All right.

James:  [1:45] Purchatzke.

Matt:  [1:47] That’s it.

James:  [1:48] From the Big Green Egg company. Matt, how are you this morning?

Matt:  [1:52] I’m doing good, guys. Good morning.

James:  [1:53] Morning

Matt:  [1:54] Thanks for having me.

James:  [1:55] Listen, I’m an egghead. I have been for quite some time now. Jim has no clue what you and I are about to geek out about today, but he’ll catch up, he’ll pretend like he knows. He’s pretty good at that. He’s been in sales before.

[2:11] But we’re super pumped that you are here, and it’s an honor for me being an egghead, to share the screen with you.

Matt:  [2:20] Well the honor, the honor’s all mine. I appreciate you guys having me on. I’m excited as well.

James:  [2:25] All right.

Jim:  [2:25] Well we’re excited. OK, you guys are right. I am a naive barbecue griller, whatever you want to call it. So I would classify myself as a novice, but I want to become, ready for this? An apprentice. 

[2:38] So with that, Matt, can you bring us into your world a little bit? Tell us about Big Green Egg, your company?

Matt:  [2:46] Sure.

Jim:  [2:47] Some, give us some of the things that draw me in even farther, so I can get my certificate.

Matt:  [2:53] Yeah, absolutely. So when we’re done here, you might be an egg‑spert on it. See, there you go. Once you start…

Jim:  [2:59] I like it.

Matt:  [3:00] It’s hard to quit. 

[3:00] But so anyways, the Big Green Egg, essentially to make it as simple as possible, is the world’s greatest charcoal grill and smoker. It’s the most versatile outdoor cooker on the market today, been around since 1974, so well established.

[3:17] And it’s just, it’s just incredible. You know, as James can talk about the versatility and the food that you can cook, you can do low and slow at 200 degrees or sear a tuna steak at over 1,000, and everything in between so, pretty impressive.

Jim:  [3:31] 1,000 degrees?

Matt:  [3:33] Yeah, it’ll get above 1,000 degrees.

James:  [3:35] Yeah, and it’s a, that’s one of the most amazing parts to me, is the versatility of it and to be able to cold smoke something really really low, or take it to the extreme. You haven’t lived until you’ve cooked a steak in about 60 seconds, and, and experienced on a Big Green Egg, or made a pizza, or whatever it is at those high temperatures, Jim. 

[4:02] It’s not like you’re your run‑of‑the‑mill grill, or even your run‑of‑the‑mill smoker. It takes it to a whole ‘nother level. Matt, tell us a little bit about the history of Big Green Egg, because this is something that I recently learned as well. But I think it, it helps people kind of understand what makes Big Green Egg a little bit different than a standard smoker or grill. But then also a little bit of background to help them understand where the roots of it all kind of came from.

Matt:  [4:36] Yeah, sure. So, Big Green Egg’s creator is a gentleman named Ed Fisher, so he created Big Green Egg, but he did not invent the style of cooking. 

[4:46] So what the Big Green Egg is, essentially an ancient Japanese style of cooking called the kamado cooker, where the shape of the cooker promotes convection. 

[4:56] So again, the creator of Big Green Egg, Ed Fisher was in the military, saw these overseas and actually when he came back to the States he imported them, on a ship, from from overseas and into Atlanta, Georgia. 

[5:09] So the first Big Green Egg store was in Atlanta, Georgia, 1974. Ed essentially a spent his entire adult life ‑‑ he’s a, he’s an elderly man now, but he spent his entire adult life perfecting it. 

[5:22] So they’re no longer clay like they used to be. Now we use the highest quality ceramics in the world, which is what gives is Egg the versatility, the temperature control, moisture retention, and then also the lifetime warranty that the Big Green Egg gets. 

[5:38] It is a true lifetime warranty on your Egg so essentially, unless you’re buying multiples of it for a few different sizes, it will be the last Egg you buy, or last outdoor cooker you buy.

James:  [5:49] Jim, that’s the thing. They got me a long time ago. You know I’m on Reddit and some other sites and so I’ll follow a lot of people that that are in the smoking scene. That sounds bad to say. I don’t ever know how to say that it doesn’t sound like drugs or something. 

[6:09] And some of the, some of the stories that I heard firsthand were some of the warranty stories, you know, where you know, something happened, you know, the lid came off, you know, whatever it might be. They were moving or, or something cracked, and Big Green Egg just took care of them. Every single time.

[6:31] And when stories like that happened, and Jim, we live in an industry that’s, that’s not too far‑fetched to understand. You know, when you have that level of customer service and it feeds on itself, right? 

[6:45] I mean, I bought it because I truly believed that I would never buy one again. Or I hoped, right. Probably now I’m going, “Man, I could really use the bigger one, you know, and the one above that.” 

[7:00] But, but originally when I took the leap and joined the cult, if you will, we, when I was telling my wife she said, “Man, that’s expensive,” you know, like I’m sure everybody’s wife does. And I said, “Yeah, but I’ll never buy another smoker again.” 

[7:18] And she knew that because I had rusted out the bottom of plenty of offset smokers that’s out in the elements, and that’s the truth. And it’s, it’s something special when you can cook on something and know, no matter what, if something was to happen, that they’re going to take care of the client.

Jim:  [7:39] And that’s an important thing, and we embody that in our industry. And you know, sometimes there’s a huge value. You know, in our industry, we use a lot of tools and you can get many different grades of tools, right? But with the best tool, what happens? You use it for decades, and decades, and decades.

Matt:  [7:59] Sure.

Jim:  [8:00] I definitely respect that, and I like that, embody it, and I’m getting closer to probably purchasing one, guys. I’m going to go to James’s house, take his, and then he has to buy him [inaudible]. I’m good to go. So.

James:  [8:15] I know a guy, Jim. Yeah.

[8:19] Matt, when you talk on customer service, is that a big seller for you guys, or is it…I know too, because it’s kind of a movement, that a lot of people just come because it’s cool, it’s flashy.

Matt:  [8:32] Sure.

James:  [8:33] We know, but does that really get them?

Matt:  [8:35] It does. I think it what it does is, it separates us from any type of competition, whether it be other style of kamado cookers, or other style of grills, whether it be pellet, gas, charcoal.

[8:49] A lifetime warranty, you know, it’s not a throwaway product. You know what I mean? There’s nothing to fail on it. There’s no moving parts. It’s not going to rust. Typically, almost every other grill you get out there has a lifespan to it, and whether the warranty that that manufacturer gives you is 30 days, 90 days, a year, 10 years, eventually that life is going to run out.

[9:10] Where, with Egg, they’ve said, “We have, I have customers that have Eggs that are 20, 30 years old, and they’re still using them.” Now they’re a little bit, you know, maybe a little bit different. The size and shape and all that have kind of stayed pretty consistent, but for the most part they’re still functioning, still working as they were on day one, you know.

[9:30] So that definitely helps seal the deal, because it gives that person peace of mind, you know, put that…When you’re doling out that kind of money up front, it’s peace of mind to know that that’s it.

Jim:  [9:39] All right. Let me ask you two. Me being a novice, what’s the most craziest thing that you’ve, either either of you, have, you know, done on the Egg or have seen done on an Egg? I mean, because again, I’m kind of a burger and steaks and, and hot dog, and I need to graduate up. Hit me up with your wildest one.

James:  [10:01] Matt, you go first.

Matt:  [10:03] So I guess for me personally, is just when we do some of these rib fests or larger Egg events that go on throughout the country. I have seen 61 racks of ribs, all stacked up on a 2XL.

[10:19] So, Egg has seven different sizes. We have a mini, and then all the way up through a 2XL. That’s our biggest. The Egg itself weighs roughly 400 pounds. It’s incredible. And on that I’ve also seen 275‑pound little piglets. So it’s, it’s, it’s the, it’s the mother lode of, of that. 

[10:38] I typically don’t get too crazy. You know, we do a lot of pizzas and at our house. My family loves to do homemade raw dough pizzas, where we’ll roll out the dough, my kids will put their sauce on and all that, get the Egg to about 650, 700, and cook them in five to seven minutes. It’s, it’s awesome. It’s great.

Jim:  [10:58] You do it like, what’s that called? Like a, like a pan? Not a pan, but it’s a clay thing that you would put in an oven I’ve seen. Is that what you use?

Matt:  [11:08] Yeah, so we use, so Egg has their own ceramic accessories. So we use a baking stone which is made of the same ceramic that the egg is, so it can withstand high, high temperatures. Some of the ones that you get other brands are meant to go in your oven.

Jim:  [11:23] Yep.

Matt:  [11:23] And if you get them above 400, 450, they might crack, where these, you know, if you’re at 800 degrees cooking pizzas or doing something it’s, they withstand that heat. But you’re right, yes, we cook them on a pizza stone or a baking stone.

Jim:  [11:36] There you go. Interesting.

James:  [11:37] And Jim, if you, if you’re familiar with what the Big Green Egg looks like, you know, I speak for myself too, because I…Again, I’m a nerd, so I’m in all these groups and stuff. So we all steal from each other on how to do it best. 

[11:53] And so I’ve got a couple of bricks set to bring it up higher into the dome, and I’ve got my pizza stone on that. So it’s almost like you’re cooking it in one of those, you know, brick oven style,  right up next to the to the surface, really, really cool. 

[12:11] So I’ve done that, but I think Jim said what was the craziest thing? So this is, I’m going to go another direction, like stupid crazy. 

[12:20] So there’s a movement about three or four years ago where people started smoking…So they would have, you know, have a brisket on, have something on smoking it, and they would take things like Cheez‑Its and Cheetos and stuff, pour it in there, and smoke them for, you know an hour while that was going on. Pull them, and it is kind of crazy how good it is.

Matt:  [12:44] Is it good?

James:  [12:46] Yeah, it’s wild. I would have never done it. Somebody did. 

[12:50] The, the other one is right now, people are, in the last couple of days actually, on this group that I’m in on Reddit, has started doing queso. So they’ll put all the ingredients in, you know, one of the foil, you know, [inaudible]. 

[13:12] They just put you know, the cheese, all the different cheese, the meat they’re going to use, the peppers, all of it, in that container, not mixed up. They’ll put it in there, it catches, you know, a couple hours of smoke, and, and it’s enough temperature to start mixing it. They pull out this smoky queso that’s amazing. That’s my next on my list of crazy things to do.

[13:35] But I’ve probably cooked a little bit of absolutely everything on there. You really can’t go wrong. I’ve never done any of the baking, other than cooking, you know, pizzas. But as far as, a lot of people bake like cobblers on it, and pies, and cookies and stuff. I’ve never went that route, but for no reason other than I guess my wife won’t let me smoke every meal. So that’s that’s really the only thing holding me back. 

[14:01] But Jim, what about you? What’s the craziest thing you’ve smoked on your Egg?

Jim:  [14:07] Well, I don’t have my own Egg, but my son‑in‑law has one in, you know, and lives in Nashville, Tennessee. And I am a pork chop guy. I love pork.

James:  [14:18] Lot of hickory in Tennessee.

Jim:  [14:20] What?

James:  [14:20] I said, they smoke on a lot of hickory in Tennessee.

Jim:  [14:26] Oh, yeah. And so, we did some really good pork, and I tell you I was out there. Now, he became like you guys, like an aficionado. He bought like gloves and digital thermometer with the, with the wire going in and, you know, he’s adjusting things. 

[14:43] He goes, “I need it just a little bit more,” and I mean, you know. He’s like, “Perfect.” You know, he’s going at it. He goes, “We’ll check it in 17 minutes.” I’m like, “All right, we’ll set our clock.” It’s fun.

[14:55] And it’s given me, you know, like I said, when we think about the energy industry, everybody loves to barbecue or grill in the energy industry. And I could see, you know, in the back of my pickup truck, you know, tying one of these off and [inaudible] with it there or something like that. 

[15:09] So that’s, that’s, that’s…

James:  [15:14] It’s a slippery slope, I will tell you that.

Jim:  [15:17] Roping me in.

James:  [15:20] The cool thing about the Egg is there’s more accessories than you can imagine, now. Especially, you know, not, not even just a Big Green Egg ones, but a lot of people have jumped on the big, Big Green Egg bandwagon and begun to supply different things for it. 

[15:38] But the funny thing about it is I always find myself stripping it right back down. You don’t really need a lot on the Egg, you know. 

[15:47] I have one of the…I think Barbecue Guru makes it, or DigiQ, one of those, where you hook up the fan to the bottom. You can regulate heat a little bit better. I think there’s a Big Green Egg equivalent even.

Matt:  [16:02] There is.

James:  [16:03] Man, it feels like cheating. It feels like I’m cooking in an oven, because I can cook on the same set of coals for 18 hours and not even watch it, you know.

Matt:  [16:11] Right.

James:  [16:13] Which is amazing. But…

Jim:  [16:16] Wait, is that serious, James? 18 hours?

James:  [16:19] Oh, yeah, no doubt about it.

Matt:  [16:21] Oh, yeah.

James:  [16:22] That’s what I’m saying. It’s wow, isn’t it?

Jim:  [16:24] OK, one…So when I…Go ahead Matt.

Matt:  [16:28] No, I was just going to say, just to kind of carry off what James was saying, one full load of charcoal on a large or an extra‑large, if you’re smoking something, you’ll get 18 to 20 hours easy. 

[16:39] So that’s a very common question we get is, people will go, “How do I add fuel?” You know, like, “How do I add charcoal?” and it’s like, you don’t need to. 

[16:46] If you start with a full load and you’re cooking it a, you know, smoking at a good temperature anything that you cook under normal circumstances, you don’t need to refuel. It’s incredible. It blows my mind every time I see it how little charcoal these use.

Jim:  [17:01] I didn’t, I didn’t know that, and that is really cool because I’m like the old‑school, normal, dump the bag of charcoal in and then like two hours later it’s all ash and we’re, you gotta add more, move the meat.

[17:13] [crosstalk]

James:  [17:16] That, that part is something else, and you know with the little cheater that I just talked about, being able to regulate that temperature and set alarms and things like that, I, there’s plenty of times that I put something on and go to bed, like go to sleep, and wake up in the morning and finish it. 

[17:38] Where, back in the day, that was the best part. You know when I was young, when I was younger, those are the nights you would stay up all night, drinking and feed the fire. You know, somebody had to take care of the fire all night, didn’t want it to burn. Like, now I’m old and I can put it on and go to sleep, and wake up and take care of it in the morning.

Jim:  [18:00] That’s really cool.

James:  [18:00] It’s pretty awesome. Yeah. Cool. 

[18:04] Well, Matt, what…You mentioned some of the things that you cook, but if you had to choose a favorite, a favorite item, from, from you know, pulling off the Egg, what would it be?

Matt:  [18:18] Sure. So it’s, you know, my favorite thing is, is the pizza. It’s just delicious, you know. Magic’s the brick, it’s your brick oven pizza cooker that people go out to eat to have, and cooked in front of, and we do it a lot. 

[18:35] I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that it’s very delicious, but I love the family aspect to it. It’s just, you know, it’s the lifestyle, and the kids love it, and that just makes it all worthwhile.

James:  [18:49] First time we ever did pizzas was a Fourth of July, probably about five or six years ago, and my whole family came over. And I actually worked at a pizza place when I got right out of high school, so I knew about dough and how to make really good dough, and things like that so I had proofed this dough for a couple days and fermented, all this stuff. 

[19:13] Anyway, I’ve never cooked pizzas that were that good, by the way, since. I’ve been chasing the dragon ever since.

[19:21] But, but the family part. What you talked about, being able to, the kids get in there and make their own and design their own and, you can’t beat that part of it, right because I mean that’s what we do it for, right?

Matt:  [19:37] Right, yeah.

Jim:  [19:39] It is.

James:  [19:40] I you know, you probably, you probably can’t go wrong with almost anything you put on it, but when I talk about smoking, I’m I really enjoy putting a pork butt on there.

Matt:  [19:58] Oh, yeah.

James:  [19:58] You know, big bone‑in pork shoulder, something like that, that I can put on there, catch all the renderings, and reintroduce it later. That’s probably one of my favorite, for sure.

Matt:  [20:12] Oh, yeah. I agree with that completely.

James:  [20:15] In Texas we do a lot of brisket, and you can’t go wrong there either.

[20:22] I’d probably don’t grill on it enough. That’s the one thing I don’t do. Because I do, I have a gas grill too, but sometimes that’s, that’s the plus, right? I can fire a gas grill up and, you know have it done and and wrapped up in no time.

[20:38] But I probably should grill on it more, but honestly, that’s probably that’s probably my biggest shortcoming.

Matt:  [20:46] Sure.

Jim:  [20:46] Can you guys help me for a second? I know we’re getting close to getting some final thoughts from Matt. 

[20:52] But we, and I’m being very serious, we talked about grilling, smoking, barbecuing. And again, I’m a novice. I got the smoking idea, that it’s low and slow and hood down. Is there a difference? Is there something I need to know between grilling and barbecuing or is there other terms that I need to know?

James:  [21:13] I mean, you know, barbecuing and smoking probably fall somewhat in the same area. It’s a matter of where you’re from and what you say. Some people just think if you’ve got a grill in front of you, it’s called barbecuing, but…

Jim:  [21:27] Exactly.

Jim:  [21:28] But, but, you know, grilling’s definitely different, right? So steaks, pork chops, you’re throwing something on there, putting some heat under it, like hamburgers, hot dogs, stuff like that. 

[21:40] But if you want to put some smoke into something, then obviously you’re going to be taking a lot more time with it.

Jim:  [21:46] OK, that helps.

James:  [21:47] That’s probably the biggest difference. Am I off‑base, Matt? You’re the expert.

Matt:  [21:51] No. No, I think, I agree completely. Yeah, that’s what it is. You know, grilling is going to be a higher heat for a shorter period of time and your smoking is going to be lower, and adding additional, like smoke chips, cherry, pecan, that sort of thing to get that additional smoke flavor. Low and slow, longer. You know, it’s, it’s pretty, pretty simple.

James:  [22:11] Yeah. It’s fascinating when you really get into it, because you learn so much about, you know, the different types of wood, you know. One thing I do like to do on the Egg is I really liked, I’ll put some smoke on some ribs, once I get them close…

[22:32] I like dry ribs. I think that if you do a really good job, then it kind of speaks for itself. You don’t have to cover it up with barbecue sauce, kind of deal. But a lot of people like barbecue sauce, right? Because that’s all they’ve known their whole life. 

[22:47] So I usually will have some dry ribs that I pull off and set it aside and wrap up, but then I’ll pull, pull my great, pull my offset out, put, and just flare that thing up and and slap some ribs back down on it after I’ve sauced them and just put some layers of flavor on it, caramelize everything. 

[23:11] Jim’s mouth watering. 

[23:13] And and I’ll just layer it, and slap it again, and let that fire touch it and really caramelize that on there and it, it…Man, again, just being able to go from a smoke setting to something more of a grilling instantly, and man…

Matt:  [23:30] Yeah, it is quick.

James:  [23:31] Bringing new layers of flavor on there, that people just kind of take for granted.

Matt:  [23:36] But one thing here, James. I challenge you. I don’t know if you ever done it or not, but to do a steak, they call it caveman style. Don’t you ever seen in or tried it?

James:  [23:48] On coals.

Matt:  [23:48] Yeah, directly on the coals. Yup. So you get them lit, you put the stick directly on the charcoal. No grate.

James:  [23:54] I’ve heard about it.

Jim:  [23:55] Really?

Matt:  [23:56] Yeah, and I don’t understand it, because I’m sure I’m sure, Jim, you’re questioning, “How does it not just get covered in ash and all that?”

Jim:  [24:04] Exactly.

Matt:  [24:04] I don’t know the answer to that, but I know that it doesn’t and it’s delicious. Just, just Google search it and it’ll blow your mind.

James:  [24:14] I’ve watched it. I told you, I’m a nerd. I know all about what he’s talking about.

Jim:  [24:21] I did that one time, like five years ago, but it was a mistake. The steak fell through the grate, got all full of ash, I had to throw it away. I was out in the middle of the woods.

James:  [24:31] So I got one question for you. Matt we’ll jump [inaudible], and this is just a personal thing.

[24:39] So I’ve got a Big Green Egg. Some of my friends are like, “Well you got an Egg. I’m going to go a different route,” you know. So I’ve got a brother‑in‑law of mine just picked up a, you know, a pellet, a pellet smoker as well.

Matt:  [24:52] Sure.

James:  [24:53] Which I think has their place. I mean, I’m not going to fight it because once I put my attachments on mine, mine’s pretty much an oven and can program it to do whatever I want top. 

[25:04] You think there’s a place for both in this world, or you being the Big Green Egg guy you’re like, “I can’t answer that question.”

Jim:  [25:11] Yeah.

James:  [25:12] But you know, there’s purists, there’s purists that are out there with, you know, post oak in an offset smoker, you know doing their thing and I’m not going to…Listen, man, I’m an equal opportunity barbecue person, man.

Matt:  [25:26] Sure.

James:  [25:26] I’ll eat it all. But, and then you’ve got this new…I’m not going to call it a fad, that sounds bad, but this surge of pellet smokers. Is that is that impacting you guys? Or is that something that you think there’s plenty of room out there for?

Matt:  [25:44] Well, you know, it’s it’s definitely…You know, when all these different types of categories and you’re chasing after that one griller, right, and, and pellet has really come on strong the last few years. And their, what they claim, right, is just ease of use, you know, really twist a knob and walk away, and it lights itself, and that sort of thing. 

[26:04] So there’s definitely a place for that. I think it’s more of a entry‑level. I don’t want to offend anybody, right, but it’s it’s…You turn a knob and you walk away. You can’t walk away completely, because you have to be there to feed it with pellets, you know, there’s moving pieces. 

[26:24] So there’s things that can fail on them. They don’t last as long, they’re not as fuel efficient, but it’s it’s a good…I can understand where that consumer’s coming from, because with the Big Green Egg, it appears to be intimidating. Right, because they’re big, they’re hot, and they’re heavy, right? And you have to light it ,and it’s intimidating at first. 

[26:45] I can tell you with absolute certainty that once you use it once or twice, that goes away. My nine‑year‑old son, we have a MiniMax that he thinks is his, that he lights and he does it all his own.

[26:57] But there’s, you know, there’s room for everybody to play, right. And I just think that those people who get into the lifestyle of smoking eventually will be like, “Well, there’s got to be something better,” or “What’s, what’s the next challenge out there?” And that’s the Big Green Egg, you know. And, and it’ll be the last one they buy. They won’t need to replace it.

James:  [27:17] That’s right. Jim, I don’t even think we have to ask for final thoughts just then.

Jim:  [27:21] I think that was it.

James:  [27:22] Nailed it, for sure. I mean, I think there’s a place for, for it. I’m not, I’m not in that place, I’ll tell you that sure. I’ve taken the leap and I enjoy it.

[27:37] Being a part of these groups that that are very passionate about the Big Green Egg, it’s a different level of smoking. Like it, it is a different different group of people, if I can say that. In a good way. In a weird like cult drink the Kool‑Aid kind of way.

Matt:  [27:59] I’m sure.

James:  [27:59] Only fine. Nobody made us make this video. 

[28:04] No, it’s a ton of fun, it brings us together. I think at the root of all this right, and I think Jim, Jim mentioned it in in the pre call a little bit, about our industry loves to come together.

Jim:  [28:18] Yes.

James:  [28:18] And, and whether, you know…Of course, we’re in the natural gas industry. We got these big set‑ups that are propane based, and then in the same breath, we have these big setups that are big trailer smokers, too. 

[28:31] But, but at the end of the day it brings people together like we talked about with family. Our industry is a big, giant family. Yeah, and anytime somebody wants to cook for the family we all pull up a chair. We have a good time. 

[28:46] And so, with that, we’re excited to be a part of the family. I’m excited to be a part of the family. I know Jim, Jim’s got some work to do. We, we’re still converting him.

[28:59] [crosstalk]

Jim:  [29:03] I was just thinking, it would be great to have Matt be at one of our events some time doing some cooking and such, because you’re right, fellowship is industry and you just, you know, you get the the positive vibe from Matt that and he’s just a, you’re a great guy, sir.

[29:19] I could spend another hour to talk about…I need to go out and find out how I’m going to buy an Egg, but I got to look at sizes too, because given my elderly stage in life, we’re downsizing a little bit. 

[29:34] So, but anyways, any last words, guys, before I wrap up? Anything you want to say? Any, any words of advice?

James:  [29:45] Whew.

Jim:  [29:46] That was, that’s probably pretty right.

James:  [29:51] Get a Big Green Egg.

Matt:  [29:52] Get a couple of them.

James:  [29:53] Talk to Matt. He can hook you up.

[29:56] No, man, Matt, it’s been a pleasure having you on board. Thankful, thankful to have you on board. I’ve been a Big Green Egg for years, fan for years, and years, and years. So being able to connect with you and geek out on this stuff is something that I’ve been wanting to do. So I appreciate you being on board.

Matt:  [30:17] Well, I appreciate you guys having me. It’s been, since, since we connected, James, to now, for the fast past few weeks I’ve enjoyed emailing with you guys. And you know, I appreciate it. 

[30:27] I think our, our outlook on life and family and all that kind of stuff syncs up very well together, so I appreciate you having me on here. It’s been a lot of fun.

Jim:  [30:36] It’s been a blast and I’m glad that I have a new friend, and I consider you part of our industry family, man.

Matt:  [30:44] All right.

Jim:  [30:45] You’re in. I want to encourage everybody that’s listening and tuning in, watching, to connect with Matt and as well as well as, and learn a little bit more. I’m sure Matt would enjoy getting a question or two. 

[31:00] See if you could stump him on something. See if you can play, “How how would I cook a 400 pound tuna caught in that ocean right behind me?”

James:  [31:09] Can I put pellets in my Big Green Egg?” No, I’m just kidding. I’m just I’m trying to stump him, right, stump the chump. Go ahead.

Jim:  [31:18] So do connect, and if you like the video, you like this session, like it, share it. We just want to spread the good word and, as we say, spread the love. So with that I will again thank Matt so much for your time today.

Matt:  [31:35] Thank you.

Jim:  [31:35] My partner, James. Like I always say, he’s the Starsky to my Hutch. Wait. That’s an ‘80s reference. I’m showing my age again. 

[31:43] Anyways, listen, everybody be safe out there. Have a great day. God bless us, and God bless our industry, and let’s all be safe, and we will see you next time for another exciting episode. But until then, have fun with this one. Have a great day. Take care.