Chicken and Nature Glow Charcoal comments


 
J

Joe McManus

TVWBB All-Star
Was at GFS getting some RO Lump, and picked up a bag of Nature Glo briquettes too. Cook up a couple butterflied chickens over the Nature glow on my kettle.

Was very happy with these briquettes. They had a nice smell as they were burning, and I'm ready to give them a try in the WSM soon. I've had good fortune at comps cooking butts over briquettes, but went to lump this winter, just to minimize what I take to competitions. We'll see, I just may go back.

Another thing I noticed was the taste of the chicken. Now I cooked these almost in a direct manner, only moving them off the coals for a very short time. I noticed a distinctive burned fat flavor on the chicken, not terrible, but definitely pronounced. The thing that I really noted was that flavor is remarkable similar to the flavor I've heard judges commenting that "tastes like lighter fluid". I can tell you I don't even own an ounce of lighter fluid! I think my conclusion is I'm not a fan of burned chicken fat.

Joey Mac

P.S. one other comment, the skin came off the cooking nice and crispy. By the time it was served, crispiness had dissapated, but it was still was tender.
 
Joe,

I also use Nature Glo and pick mine up at GFS when I get my RO LUMP. I like it. Good aroma, good burn time. medium ash.

Have used it in my WSM and am satisfied with the results. I'll buy more next time I'm there.
 
I too discovered Nature-Glo ant Gordons a few weeks ago. Very nice product. Burns even. Gives nice smoke aroma while cooking, ie no amonia smell. Leaves a nice flavor on the meat.

I will say it doesn't burn as long as Kingsford, but is by far a superior product for flavor.

GFS is Gordon Food Service. They are around the Great Lake States only.
 
I have found that if you let chicken pieces drip their fat over hot coals it gives the chicken that flavor. Plus the drips on hot coals get the ash to get in the air and rise up onto the chicken. Maybe you should cook the chicken thru using indirct and then move the chicken over the hot coals at the end to crispen the skins up. Most of the fat should be done dripping by then.
 
Some people on the board have said that the problem of trying to crisp the skin at the end of the cook is that the fat has rendered from the skin and this prevents the crisping they're trying to achieve. If I cook chicken indirect in a kettle, my temp is around 400 and I get the desired amount of crisping; likewise on my Genesis, indirect. At that temp, I just go indirect for the entire cook.

Paul
 
Thats pretty much what I do, sometimes I hit the chicken with heat at the beginning for a few minutes before all the dripping happens and then move them to the center. What also works good is I use the wire charcoal holders and then put aluminum foil on the bottom and the up the sides of the wire baskets. This way it forces all the air flow thru the grill up the coals. Perfect for heat control.
 
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