Chicken Flippin'


 
D

DarylB

TVWBB Fan
I have had a kettle for a few years and have used it for certain things but recently, my gas grill developed a terminal burner problem so I have been using the kettle exclusively. I've cooked on it enough to know just how great a grill it is but never really paid attention to specific techniques or characteristics until the last couple of weeks.

So I bought some chicken thighs from Costco and have cooked them twice in the last two weeks. Once I just used a dry rub and the second time I gave my first effort at Jerk Chicken. The jerk chicken was very good but not exactly what I wanted so I'll make adjustments and give it another run soon. But back to my point.

I cooked them indirect (fire piled up on one side) with the skin side up. I would check them at some point and they looked like they were loving life so I just left them. The longer they cooked, the nicer the skin started looking, and it was even crisping up. For some reason I cant explain, I felt the need at some point to flip them to make sure the cooking was even. But both times, that seemed to mess up what was looking like a great cook. The skin would either burn fast or if I only flipped for a short time, it seemed to loos the crisp.

Does anyone every cook them this way without flipping them? It almost seems like I either need to flip flop as I go along or just leave them alone and not worry about flipping them to the skin side.
 
I've done it your way without the flip. Just depends on whether or not the skin develops a nice browning and crisping. One of my favorite things is to make chicken teriyaki using thigh meat where I've deboned them. Pretty easy to make and great on weeknights.

My kettle gets a workout with the rotisserie every week!! Just made chicken last night after a 24 hour brine; fantastic!
 
The grill marks make me a flipper. But skin side down can only be for a couple minutes at a time direct.
The more you practice, the better you will be able to judge it. Indirect is ok, but for me chicken parts
direct are the best. You just have to watch it.
 
Try the roadside chicken recipe in the recipe section. Usually if cooking thighs indirect I don't flip except to sauce the bottoms.
 
It seems I've gone from cooking everything direct to cooking indirect and maybe finishing direct. I may trying to do thighs direct also but if I do them indirect, I have to resist the flip.
 
If I'm grilling thighs indirect I don't do any flipping. The meat will cook thoroughly without it, and as a skin fan I don't want to do anything to mess it up!
 
I guess I initially underestimated the power of the dome! :cool:

The shape apparently keeps that air circulating just like it should.
 
FWIW, in my world, anything cooked indirectly doesn't needed to be flipped. You are roasting, not grilling. You can get your grilling marks or sear at the end of the cook right over the coals or fire depending on what you're using to bring it to what you're looking for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top