Roadside Chicken


 
I agree Bryan, a great recipe!! But really, I just wanted to be the 400th. poster! (lol). Next Friday (Aug. 14) will be the 4 year anniversary of this "Super Chicken Thread". Congrats to you, Bryan, and "hats off" to all of those dead chickens, RIP! And Thanks for sharing!
 
Hello all,
I have been visiting this site for over a year, pretty much finding everything I need to know about my WSM. Have had many, if not all successful cooks, from a taste persepctive anyway.
So here is my question, and I have researched but not found a definate answer. I want to do RSC on the wsm, about 15 thighs w/skin and bone on breasts/skin. Can I use a high heat cook -no pan w/ both racks over Kingsford?? Not sure if there is a concern about fat dripping into coals and ashing up. Or should I use a pan with no water and try to get to 375 or so? Again my only concern is the ashing of the coals?
Thanks in advance
 
Originally posted by Don Flanigan:
Hello all,
I have been visiting this site for over a year, pretty much finding everything I need to know about my WSM. Have had many, if not all successful cooks, from a taste persepctive anyway.
So here is my question, and I have researched but not found a definate answer. I want to do RSC on the wsm, about 15 thighs w/skin and bone on breasts/skin. Can I use a high heat cook -no pan w/ both racks over Kingsford?? Not sure if there is a concern about fat dripping into coals and ashing up. Or should I use a pan with no water and try to get to 375 or so? Again my only concern is the ashing of the coals?
Thanks in advance
Don, I prefer to use the lower grate only, with no water pan so the skin gets nice color and comes out crispy. If you use both grates, the chicken on the bottom grate will get done before the upper grate. Now you can, flip flop the top/bottom after 20 - 25 min or so during one of the basting sessions. HTH
 
Bryan,

1st of all, congrats 4 years and 21 pages of postings for your Roadside Chicken. Pretty incredible.

Honestly, the recipe looked good. Very simple but I just wasn't getting why this posting was so huge. So I gave it a shot.

Here are the pics of my super-fun adventure
Roadside Chicken Fun


I stayed true to the 1st posting for the recipe and didn't add any smoke to the trial. Wanted to judge on its own merit.

I'm now a believer, this is some pretty great stuff.
The marinade was so tasty I was very tempted to start drinking it (seriously!).

Read through the postings, picked up some valuable tips and here's how it went.

Made of batch of marinade without the oil. Added it to a big ziplock and 4 leg quarters. They marinaded for about 4 hours in the fridge. Took them about before cooking for about 30 min or so.

Took the lazy man attempt with the gasser for the 1st try and wanted a few hot ones since it sounded like a little tricky work.

Set-up 3 zones, 1. Med-High 2. Med 3. Indirect.
Got the water bottle ready for the flares (needed it).

Made another batch of marinade as adviced with the oil in it.
You are right you can NEVER add to much mopping sauce when you cook it!!

TIP: For the mopping, I took a water bottle poked a couple of holes. Made it super easy to squirt the mop and then just disposed (recycled)the bottle when done.

Added the chicken to the med-high zone and then the FUN begins.

Initial flares up are wicked, got the water bottle out and firemanned it down a bit.
Put them down skin-side and patiently let it go for about 10 min to develop that great crust start.

From there, I worked between the 3 zones and worked the lid for some indirect.
I had to judge the pieces on where they were going as I flipped.
Always slapped some serious marinade as I turned them about every 5 min or so.

Final product-about 1 hour later, took them off around 170-175 and let them sit for just a few min (way to hungry by this point).

Crust is AWESOMENESS, man does it develop into some serious goodness and the moisture was out of this world.

I now understand why this simple recipe has survived strong for 4 years. It's incredible and sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.

Recommendation for any 1st time RSC attempts: Follow the original recipe (1 batch w/out oil for marinade & 1 batch with oil for mopping).
Enjoy the challenge of working the grill (don't leave it unattended)
Reap the benefits of some super tasty chicken!

Thanks Bryan, you rock brother!!!
 
Marc B, while you were producing that lovely looking chicken, half a world away I was doing the same!

Today (Sunday) was forecast as an unusually warm day in Sydney (for winter). We already had an invitation to a friend's place for lunch, so I wanted to get some chicken marinating for a BBQ dinner when we got back. I ducked out in the morning, bought the ingredients I lacked (hadn't used/seen garlic or onion powders before!), along with some skin-on, bone-in thighs, drumsticks, wings, and a skinless breast for my wife (she doesn't like dark meat, and it's difficult to get skin-on breast at least at our supermarkets).

In a hurry, I threw the marinade together and chucked the chicken in. Then reread the recipe, and realised it said to leave out the oil when marinating. D'oh! Then realised I'd missed adding the pepper too. Double d'oh! Added the pepper and tried to work it into the marinade. Glad I did - it really added to the flavour.

Then off to our friend's for lunch. And of course, my luck - she's put on baked soy and honey chicken wings and drumsticks! So we were well and truly chickened-out by the end of today!

Back home, fired up the Weber Q 300, and tried it on just the middle burner, with the chicken around the edges for the first 15. Turned, spooned more marinade over, cover, spoon, turn, cover, spoon, etc. Later put the outer ring back on, on low. At about 50 mins, took them off and served them up. They were delicious. I was really expecting a much saltier, garlicky taste, but the seasoning is much much more subtle than I had thought. It was amazingly moist and juicy, and both the wife and kids loved it.

Thanks Bryan S!

Has anyone tried any variations to this recipe? (I'm only up to page 4 or so of this thread, so maybe I should continue reading first.)
 
Arn K,
Good to hear that we did some world-wide cooking of Bryan's RSC and appreciate the compliment.

Welcome to the world of garlic and onion powder, for me it's a staple ingredient for rubs and sauces. I start getting withdrawals when my supply is even looking like it's getting low.

At least you remembered to add the pepper before it was too late, and your right that all of the ingredients come together really well.

I see that you used the middle section, did you still get some good initial flaring? I found that it was actuall quite nice to work it around the grill between developing the crust and then slowing it down to cook it through.

Hopefully next time you try it, it won't be a totally chickened-out day and by the way great story!! Cheers Mate
icon_smile.gif
 
Thanks Marc!

I had the middle burner going, but put the chicken pieces around the outside edge of the Q, so no initial flaring (except the ones at each end of the burner). Later, with the outer burner on, I got mucho flare-ups.

You're right, I did feel more "connected" to my Q with this recipe, instead of closing the lid and turning my back on it like a heartless father, I was tending it and babying it along
icon_biggrin.gif


Tell you what though, I only did a basic clean that night due to the time, and next morning in daylight I realised what a messy way to cook it is! There were oily spatters as far as the eye could see! I was also pondering if the vinegar would affect the metal somehow - vapourised acid?

Next time, I feel I'll have to try introducing some smoke somehow - I'll try Phil H's foil pouch idea for a start. I was hoping I could use Eucalyptus, as I have a backyard full of it, but from what I've read it's not a flavour combo I'd like.

Until next we cross drumsticks...
 
Heya Arn K, another Sydneysider eh....where abouts?
I'm in the Campbelltown Macarthur area and it's great to see another Aussie on here.
Are you also familiar with our forum group in Australia where Phil is also a very active member.
http://www.aussiebbq.info/forum/index.php

If you haven't already been there, drop in, have a look and say G'day to your fellow Aussies trying to keep the BBQ dream alive.

I see you were talking about the Weber Q and you must have the Q300 by the sound of it.
Great stuff..i have the Q120 but i've replaced it with the Q220 due to the higher lid and larger cooking surface but i didn't need the larger 300 as I've got other the larger kettles and WSM to take care of the big cooks.
It'd be great to have more Sydney folk doing serious BBQ as I feel all along cooking in this big city
icon_rolleyes.gif

Cheers

Davo.
 
G'day Davo!

I'm on the North Shore. No, I wasn't aware of the Aussie forum you linked - thanks for that, I'll join up!

Yep, I have a Q300 and am still coming to grips with it. I thought I'd mastered the grill when I had a clunky old Bunnings hoodless 4 burner special, but the Weber is taking a bit of getting used to. Impressive that you've got a range of BBQs to choose from! Hopefully one day I'll get my steaks (and roasts) down pat!
 
going to do RS quarters for labor day. i just noticed that the woosty sauce i got is the new lea&perrins thick stuff. i was going t o go back and get the regular but i thhink i'll just see how the thick works out.
 
I just made RSC on my WSM as a high temp cook (no pan, chimney full of lit and on top an unlit chimney full) and it was fantastic! I can see why this is such a highly praised recipe. Hats off to BryanS!

Someone said this reminded them of BBQ chicken they had as a kid. They hit it right on the head. Part of my standard BBQ meals from now on.
 
I just wanted to say that this is simply the best chicken I have EVER tasted. It is a shame I am all alone right now with nobody to share this with, come to think of it thats not that bad after all.
I did it on the WSM lower grate no pan a little apple smoke came out perfect.
 
I've been cooking this all summer and I have to say it's got to be the best chicken I've had.
First time I did it exactly as on the original post and I have tweaked it over time so it's a bit less vinegary and a bit sweeter - just my personal taste. This has become my standard when I grill chicken and IMHO thighs work best.
Great recipe!!

Mick
 
I have made this twice. I marinated it both times The first time I tried it I cooked the chicken indirect for most of the cook and then placed the chicken direct and added the sauce. It was kind of bland without much flavor. Last night I decided to try it again. This time I placed the chicken direct for the whole time applying sauce every 5 min or so. What a difference!!!! Direct is the key to making this chicken awesome.
 
John,

I actually prefer to do it indirect but still turn and sauce every 7 minutes or so. Then at the end I go direct and keep adding sauce. This recipe can be made so many ways but it always come out fantasitic.
 
Roadside virgin no longer!

I just finished my first go 'round with RSC. I got a two pak of 4-5 lb whole chix at BJ'S for $8 & change. (our local warehouse joint) I butterflied them and marinated for about 2.5 hrs. They went onto a 22.5 kettle, indirect, before I realized that I wasn't hot enough. I was hovering around 310 then started dropping. More fuel brought me back up to the mid/upper 300's. I was aprehensive to open the lid 'til the temp came up, so I lost out on some primo mop time. In the end, I removed at 171 degrees at the dark meat and came away with some very attractive chicken with a nice, even color, and still VERY tasty.

Lessons learned:
Gotta start with the higher temp grill
I coulda gone a bit higher in the finished temp a still retained the juiciness
Had I achieved these first two items, my skin would've ended up crispier
Mo' marinade, Mo' betta; I'll try 4 hrs next time

All in all, a succesful test and a tasty meal. I'll be doing this again on the 23rd for a party of 15 to 20, with ribs.
Thanks to all who posted. You guys really helped.

Brett
 
Leaving Santa some Roadside Chicken this year... Hoping for a new computer.

As good as this recipe is, He may leave me an entire network!

Happy Holidays to all and a rousing Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! to our friends from Down Under...

Matt
 

 

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