Grilled Chicken: eG Cook-Off 53

[Chris Amirault]

My personal problem was walking away during the initial sear and I got it a bit too dark.

That happens to me all the time. I tend to interpret it as a sign that I'm very good at getting a blazing hot fire going (and not that I dilly-dallied making my Collins ).

The extra marinade was cooked to take care of evil chicken germs and will be used with the leftovers- over rice I think.

That sauce is also nice poured over the chicken skin while it's finishing on the grill.

[David Ross]

I never seem to get grilled chicken right if it has any kind of sauce on it. I must be putting the sauce on too early or maybe it has too much sugar? What are the key points to applying the sauce so it doesn't burn on the chicken? Should you grill the chicken until it's done and then put the sauce on during the last part of cooking just to glaze the chicken and heat the sauce? Any tips from the grilled chicken experts?

[Chris Amirault]

What kind of sauce are you using, David?

[heidih]

I am happy to report that thanks to the inspiration from this topic and my commitment to record my efforts in the Kitchen notebook topic (in order to be able to replicate the recipe and note details about the process), I am quite satisfied with my grilled chicken. I reported my first attempt with bone-in, skin on thighs in a SE Asian spice paste/marinade earlier. My third version of the same dish was excellent this weekend.

Based on my experiences I will stick with the following:

- an overnight marinade (or at least all day)

- numerous slits in the flesh

-starting non skin side down on the hot part of the grill until I get some color, then flipping, and going back and forth as needed until I have really nice browning

- NEVER walking away from the grill

- using a Weber kettle- top off until the final stage where chicken is off to the side of the heat

- finishing the chicken as noted off to the side of the fire which I build to the side

I have nice brown bits, crunchy skin that takes my all not to rip off and cover the chicken with more sauce to hide my gluttony, and great flavor to the bone it seems.

[Chris Amirault]

With the New England weather staying warm, I'm grilling some chicken tonight using a marinade I threw together with ginger, garlic, cumin, and some pomegranate molasses. Serving it later with chana dal and broccoli; will report back!

[Richard Kilgore]

It should be cool enough to grill comfortably here in Texas sometime in the next month. Some people grill weenies. Me? I'm a grilling weenie.

[Kerry Beal]

Spatchcocked, dusted with a little "Cluck and Squeal", grilled for about 50 minutes.