Near disaster with chicken leg quarters

[Andy Rowland]

Last Saturday I bought a bunch of leg quarters and decided to smoke them for a small dinner party. I had done it many times before, but I decided that I didn't need to foil the water pan because it was already pretty dirty. Also, I neglected to trim any of the excess fat and skin because I was going to pull it anyway.

As some of you probably guessed, the fat all dripped down and collected in the water pan where it burned. All of the burning fat released a terrible smelling smoke. They had been cooking for 45 minutes before I realized what was happening and removed them from the smoker. I finished them in the oven and then pulled the meat after they cooled. Luckily, most of the bad flavor was in the skin, which I discarded.

I covered them with a strong BBQ sauce (a shame, I know) and nobody noticed the slightly off flavor of the smoke. I could taste it, though. I think the fact that it smelled so terrible while cooking made me more aware of that particular flavor in the meat.

Anyway, I thought I would share this in the hopes that someone else may avoid my mistakes. Foiling an empty water pan isn't only to keep it clean.

 

[JimH TX]

Some of my best grill fires were because of untrimmed leg quarters.

 

[Bob Sample]

Chicken legs keep you on your toes. I never go far from the cooker when I'm doing those. Try removing the pan all together and let it drip on the coals a la roadside chicken style.

 

[Becky M-M]

One of the reasons I don't do thighs very much. When I do I trim them very, very well....

 

[Andy Rowland]

I was curious how big a factor the lack of trimming was. From your responses, it seems that the lack of foil wasn't the only problem. Thanks for the feedback.

I am curious what effect removing the pan would have had. perhaps if the fat dropped directly on the coals it wouldn't have smelled as bad.

live and learn

 

[JimH TX]

I cook two chickens on the top Grate of the WSM without the water pan and I have never had a fire or flare-up while cooking them or just thighs for that matter. All of my fires have been on the grill (an old Charbroil made more than 30 yrs ago). I use my Performer for steak, fajitas and the like. My parents still talk about how I almost burnt the garage down.

 

[Gary S]

I did 14 chicken leg quarters when I seasoned my 22, no water pan, no triming, fat right on to the coals beneath. Lots and lots of smoke. I left the dome damper wide open and held back the charcoal dampers so there would be no flare ups. I also cooked them a little over done rendering out as much as I could. They were fine, the smoker got gunked up and the ash was greasy in the bottom of the bowl. Your mistake was the pan. Grease like that can ignite at a fairly low temp especially if you have your coals really hot. I would normally cook those and thighs indirect over a drip pan. I prefer my grill and would still use a chunk of apple or cherry for flavor.

 

[Cecil]

I love to do leg quarters on my gas grill. I used to burn the heck out of them until it finally; dawned on me that after the LQ's got a little brown on them that I didn't have to have all five burners on my grill on.

 

[Bob Sample]

I am curious what effect removing the pan would have had. perhaps if the fat dropped directly on the coals it wouldn't have smelled as bad.

If the fat just drips and burns off quickly you get a nice grilled flavour. You don't get the greasy black stuff and awful flavour you would have after your pan of grease caught on fire. I cook untrimmed RSC thighs on my kettle direct all the time. You just have to watch them and move them around when needed.

This is 60 untrimmed RSC thighs I did direct over lump charcoal.

 

[Andy Rowland]

oh man, those pics of quarters and thighs on the grill made me realize how much I want a new grill. The 26" one touch gold has been haunting me.

 

[Gary S]

Nice Bob, they look awesome! I like the aroma of chicken cooking right over the coals. I love my kettle for that because I can hold back the air to prevent flare up.

 

[Bryan B]

Hmmm I didn't know it was considered "bad" to not trim chicken and let all the grease accumulate in the water pan. This is how i always smoke chicken thighs, and I have never noticed an "off taste" in the food.