Specifics! We’re not talking about a nuclear reactor where you can get it “close” and come out ok. We’re talking about chicken and that requires a great deal of control. I grill a lot of chicken and drying out isn’t a problem though I’ve heard from mortals that they have difficulty.
Breasts: The most common part of the chicken and since it has the least amount of fat (if skinless) it dries easier then other pieces. Here’s what I do.
Pound the breast flat. If the chicken is of uniform thickness then it will all cook at the same time. The breasts I buy typically have a very thick part tapering down to a very thin part. By the time the thick part is cooked the thin part is chicken jerky. (Drying is a common problem with pork chops as well.)
Marinate the breast for an hour in whatever you like. I use some oil, water/wine, and whatever spices I feel like throwing on.
Grill. If you’ve pounded it flat (don’t go crazy) it won’t take more than 10 minutes to cook the chicken through and through.
Give that a shot and I’ll tell you how to grill a whole spatchcocked chicken!! The toughest part about grilling whole chickens is making sure to avoid burning the skin. When you get it right the skin should be crispy but not burned and of course it shouldn’t be dry.
Believe you me, my friend, that indirect grilling isn’t all that tough using coals. Before I got my smoker that’s how I made beer can chicken. As far as the gas/coal debates go I don’t understand why some people want to make a big deal out of it. (Not that you are.)
I use a gas grill for the majority of my grilling needs. If I want to grill a chicken breast for dinner it doesn’t take much effort to get the gas grill going. For special occasions or certain items I do prefer to use my charcoal grill and I use natural charcoal. For example if I’m going to spatchcock a chicken I’m going to use charcoal not gas. Finally for special occasions I use the smoker but usually only when a lot of people are coming over.
<prepares self to run from the angry mob carrying flaming torches and farming implements of destruction>
Well, what I do is put a large pot of water on the stove, and turn it on. I wash off the brining solution [kosher salt and water] and pop either the whole chicken or the separate parts in. I parboil the chicken until it is partly cooked, about lalf cooked more or less. Take it out, pat it fry. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and rub in gently.
Place on grill, and grill as normal, reserving the slathering of the sauce until the last 5 minutes or so. Takes a medium heat, and about 5 minutes on each side before the saucung and final turning which takes about 2 or 3 minutes on each side. I also butterfly the whole chicken if i am not cooking quarters.
Chicken is cooked through, nothing is tough or burned, and the parcooking can be done earlier that day as long as the chicken is put into the fridge to hold it until cooking time.
I don’t grill boneless/skinless chicken. I want me that skin=)
[nitpick]Barbecuing and grilling are very very different things[/nitpick]
That said, I grill boneless skinless breasts, but only until I think they’re not quite done. They always come out perfectly. If I cook them until I think they’re done, they’re overdone.
Dedicated smoker. Charcoal fired Brinkman model no longer in production. (I understand current model is inferior) Either mesquite or hickory. Different flavors, but I can’t say that I prefer one over the other. I tend to use hickory more, as I associate mesquite with things Texan.
I make damned fine bird, but I’m still working on making it perfect. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever done it the same way twice. Dry rubs, marinaids, injetable marinades, etc…all lend variety, and I’ve yet to find a way to make it NOT work.
Last weekend I did 3 birds. I stuffed them with a mush made of corn meal, blue posole (homony outside the southwest, NOT grits) dried currants, and a bit of maple syrup. It was tasty, but I needed a bit more precooking on the posole.
Those and a big brisket filled the smoker. I’ve done as many 8 birds at once for a large gathering a friend was hosting. He wanted to pay for the meat…couldn’t believe I only spent $20.
