Grilled chicken - gas-like taste?

[Sameer Wahid]

Made some grilled chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on) on my OTS last night, using a chimney full of the natural briquettes from Whole Foods, lit using two Weber paraffin cubes. The charcoal doesn't have any starter or anything funky AFAIK.

Marinade was lemon juice / EVOO. Cooked on direct high heat for 15 minutes, flipping once. Thighs were cooked and juicy, but there was this off-taste, kinda like starter fluid, but not exactly. No idea where it came from. There was a lot of smoke during the cook, mostly from chicken fat dripping on the coals.

Chicken was bought that day, and had 4 days before the "best before" date. I've had this happen a couple times before using another briquette (not sure if it was K or maple leaf).

Any help would be appreciated!
Sameer

 

[A.D.Letson]

You answered your own question as far as I can see. The dripping chicken fat caused the almost acrid taste you're talking about. If there is a lot of fat over a very high temperature, I have had this same thing happen, but it most often happens when there is actual oil, etc, on the food and it is dumped on a very hot grill. Ruined a batch of gulf shrimp like this one time. HTH.

 

[B Krikalo]

almost always take the skin off my thighs, they produce a "sooty" gross taste when the thigh fat drips on the grill. It only happens with chicken thigh meat for me.

 

[Ray Crick]

You answered your own question as far as I can see. The dripping chicken fat caused the almost acrid taste you're talking about

Sameer,

AD is correct. Did you have a pan under the chicken to catch the drippings? Tru one next time and cook indirect.

Ray

 

[Sameer Wahid]

Thanks all, I'll go indirect tonight.
Cheers,
Sameer

 

[Sameer Wahid]

Success! Two-zone fire, placed the chicken on the indirect side and cooked for 35 minutes. Tried searing the skin on the direct side for ~30 seconds at the end - it worked great on 2 of the thighs, but on the other three the skin fell off (I pulled the skin off a bit when marinating).

The thighs were juicy and moist, and no off taste whatsoever. The only catch is there was still some un-rendered fat - anyone know any tricks to deal with that? Do you trim the thighs before putting em on the grill?

 

[James Trapp]

Virgin olive oil can give off an odd taste if subjected to too high heat.