Simple 2- zone chicken pieces


 

Dave Russell

TVWBB Honor Circle
The weber 26.75" kettle is a marvelous thing. These legs and thighs were simply rubbed with a typical BBQ rub and indirectly grilled at 350-400 by my gauge. The smaller drums in the rack crisped up fairly nice, so I only had to crisp up the larger ones and the thighs over the coals at the end. (Careful with the brown sugar!)

Notice my wood chunks on the grate. They smoke nice and slow that way. Leftovers are great pulled off the bone and microwaved with some sauce for sammiches with pickles. :) Been a while, so next time I think next time I'll sauce with some Stubbs.

 
Thanks, Vern. I prefer to lay all on the grate, but I do what I have to do when the boss shows me all the chicken that needs to go on the grill. Sometimes I have to fire up both my 26"OTG AND my Performer, but NOBODY goes hungry 'round here! ;-)
 
Great looking birds!
Great tip about chunks on the grate. But when you use water do you still put the chunks over?

Thanks. Sorry if I'm not sure what you're asking, but typically, I only use a water pan in my smokers, and just put the wood chunks in and/or on top of the charcoal. I only put wood chunks on top of a kettle's cooking grate if going indirect with a thick bed of hot coals on one side.
 
Your chunks on the grate will give something to try, and your chicken looks about perfect to me.
That 26-3/4 is an interesting size, bigger than a std kettle, not quite a ranch, and a bargain in comparison
pricewise.
 
Your chunks on the grate will give something to try, and your chicken looks about perfect to me.
That 26-3/4 is an interesting size, bigger than a std kettle, not quite a ranch, and a bargain in comparison
pricewise.

Thanks, Bob. The big kettle gets used a LOT, and I got it off CL for $150.
 
Nicely done Dave! I envy that hanger. I picked up a brinkman hanger from Home Depot, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna toss it, LOL
 
Thanks for the kind words, guys. In the mountains with the missus, and last night grilled some corn and drums on my jumbo SJ. First I browned the skin direct a bit, indirect a while, a bit more direct to crisp the skin, and then I spun the grate back around to glaze a couple of times with Stubbs Hickory Bourbon while the corn was over the coals. It's been a long time since I sauced any chicken, but at least for drumsticks, I do believe I'll be doing similar from now on. The Stubb's Hickory Bourbon on them was really good!
 
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Thanks. Sorry if I'm not sure what you're asking, but typically, I only use a water pan in my smokers, and just put the wood chunks in and/or on top of the charcoal. I only put wood chunks on top of a kettle's cooking grate if going indirect with a thick bed of hot coals on one side.

Thanks for replay and sorry for my written english! The spoken is worst!
Any how what I meant is if you put chunks over meat grate directly over the lit briqs where do you put water pan? I understood from all over that water pan SHOULD stay right over the lit briqs not far from there.
Is it not true? Could the water pan stay every where on the meat grate, even on the opposite side of lit briqs?
 
Thanks for replay and sorry for my written english! The spoken is worst!
Any how what I meant is if you put chunks over meat grate directly over the lit briqs where do you put water pan? I understood from all over that water pan SHOULD stay right over the lit briqs not far from there.
Is it not true? Could the water pan stay every where on the meat grate, even on the opposite side of lit briqs?

Gotcha. If I'm grilling chicken, my experience is that water pans don't help with crisp skin. Maybe over the coals opposite the poultry for the indirect part of cooking? That would likely slow cooking down and mean more direct heat needed at the end, but I do know that a water pan UNDER the poultry results in more uneven cooking and color in my experience.
 
Enrico.
I get what you are saying but Dave is right water and crisp skin do not go together.
I personelly just use the pan to catch dripping for a easier clean up.
Great cook Dan, making me hungry.
 
Good looking bird. My mouth is watering. I've been trolling CL for the big kettle but haven't seen one out here in Denver. Where'd you get the leg rack?
 

 

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