....and it was delicious.

Tried a butterflied chicken tonight, cooked directly over lump charcoal and it
turned out just great. Started the coals, let them ash over and let the temp
come up to 300. Put the chicken on, skin side down and let it cook 20 minutes.
Didn't add any other coals, just let the temp gradually drop to 225 - 250
during the 20 minute cooking time. Turned the bird and cooked it on the other
side for 20 minutes and it was great. Tasty and a nice crisp, slightly charred
skin.

My first chicken last night tasted good, but looked as black as the coals I
cooked it over. Slow but sure, and with the information I get from this group
and it's FAC, I'm learning.

One question about regulating the heat. I have a CharGriller SmokinPro grill
with the side firebox. To keep the heat fairly even is it best to try and use
just the opening on the firebox door with the chimmney wide open, or should I
use a combination of opening/closing both?

Thanks again.

"Tranch749" > wrote in message
...
> ...and it was delicious.
>
> Tried a butterflied chicken tonight, cooked directly over lump charcoal
and it
> turned out just great. Started the coals, let them ash over and let the
temp
> come up to 300. Put the chicken on, skin side down and let it cook 20
minutes.
> Didn't add any other coals, just let the temp gradually drop to 225 - 250
> during the 20 minute cooking time. Turned the bird and cooked it on the
other
> side for 20 minutes and it was great. Tasty and a nice crisp, slightly
charred
> skin.
>
> My first chicken last night tasted good, but looked as black as the coals
I
> cooked it over. Slow but sure, and with the information I get from this
group
> and it's FAC, I'm learning.
>
> One question about regulating the heat. I have a CharGriller SmokinPro
grill
> with the side firebox. To keep the heat fairly even is it best to try and
use
> just the opening on the firebox door with the chimmney wide open, or
should I
> use a combination of opening/closing both?
>
> Thanks again.

Try taking a brick and wrapping it in foil and place on top of the chicken
while cooking it. It will flatten the chicken out and provide more even
cooking and perhaps a shorter cooking time. I do this whenever I butterfly a
bird.

On 28-Jun-2004, "Special Ed" > wrote:

> "Tranch749" > wrote in message
> ...
> > ...and it was delicious.
> >
> > Tried a butterflied chicken tonight, cooked directly over lump charcoal
> and it
> > turned out just great. Started the coals, let them ash over and let the
> temp
> > come up to 300. Put the chicken on, skin side down and let it cook 20
> minutes.
> > Didn't add any other coals, just let the temp gradually drop to 225 -
> > 250
> > during the 20 minute cooking time. Turned the bird and cooked it on the
> other
> > side for 20 minutes and it was great. Tasty and a nice crisp, slightly
> charred
> > skin.
> >
> > My first chicken last night tasted good, but looked as black as the
> > coals
> I
> > cooked it over. Slow but sure, and with the information I get from this
> group
> > and it's FAC, I'm learning.
> >
> > One question about regulating the heat. I have a CharGriller SmokinPro
> grill
> > with the side firebox. To keep the heat fairly even is it best to try
> > and
> use
> > just the opening on the firebox door with the chimmney wide open, or
> should I
> > use a combination of opening/closing both?
> >
> > Thanks again.
>
> Try taking a brick and wrapping it in foil and place on top of the chicken
> while cooking it. It will flatten the chicken out and provide more even
> cooking and perhaps a shorter cooking time. I do this whenever I butterfly
> a
> bird.

I suggest getting that brick good an hot before putting the bird on. I did
one
something like that in the house the other day, after being led on by one of
the cooking shows. I used a big brick, about 50% larger then the typical
red building brick. Did the bird first in a skillet and then in a 450° oven.
Took
the better part of an hour to get it done. I'm guessing that it would get
done
and with a nicer texture in 40 min. starting with a hot brick. Bird was
fresh
from the store and rubbed with my favorite just before going on the heat.
There's a bunch of ways to improve on what I did. It still eats good though.

--
M&M ("When You're Over The Hill You Pick Up Speed")

"M&M" > wrote in message
...
>
> On 28-Jun-2004, "Special Ed" > wrote:
>
> > "Tranch749" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > ...and it was delicious.
> > >
> > > Tried a butterflied chicken tonight, cooked directly over lump
charcoal
> > and it
> > > turned out just great. Started the coals, let them ash over and let
the
> > temp
> > > come up to 300. Put the chicken on, skin side down and let it cook 20
> > minutes.
> > > Didn't add any other coals, just let the temp gradually drop to 225 -
> > > 250
> > > during the 20 minute cooking time. Turned the bird and cooked it on
the
> > other
> > > side for 20 minutes and it was great. Tasty and a nice crisp, slightly
> > charred
> > > skin.
> > >
> > > My first chicken last night tasted good, but looked as black as the
> > > coals
> > I
> > > cooked it over. Slow but sure, and with the information I get from
this
> > group
> > > and it's FAC, I'm learning.
> > >
> > > One question about regulating the heat. I have a CharGriller SmokinPro
> > grill
> > > with the side firebox. To keep the heat fairly even is it best to try
> > > and
> > use
> > > just the opening on the firebox door with the chimmney wide open, or
> > should I
> > > use a combination of opening/closing both?
> > >
> > > Thanks again.
> >
> > Try taking a brick and wrapping it in foil and place on top of the
chicken
> > while cooking it. It will flatten the chicken out and provide more even
> > cooking and perhaps a shorter cooking time. I do this whenever I
butterfly
> > a
> > bird.
>
> I suggest getting that brick good an hot before putting the bird on. I did
> one
> something like that in the house the other day, after being led on by one
of
> the cooking shows. I used a big brick, about 50% larger then the typical
> red building brick. Did the bird first in a skillet and then in a 450°
oven.
> Took
> the better part of an hour to get it done. I'm guessing that it would get
> done
> and with a nicer texture in 40 min. starting with a hot brick. Bird was
> fresh
> from the store and rubbed with my favorite just before going on the heat.
> There's a bunch of ways to improve on what I did. It still eats good
though.
>
> --
> M&M ("When You're Over The Hill You Pick Up Speed")

I find it takes about 20-25 mins per side for a large bird on my gas grill
using a room temp standard building brick.

On Tue, 29 Jun 2004 14:14:21 GMT, "Special Ed"
> wrote:

<snip 75 lines of text>
>
>I find it takes about 20-25 mins per side for a large bird on my gas grill
>using a room temp standard building brick.
>

Um, Ed? Is your delete key b0rken?

--
Kevin S. Wilson
Tech Writer at a University Somewhere in Idaho
"Anything, when cooked in large enough batches, will be vile."
--Dag Right-square-bracket-gren, in alt.religion.kibology

"Kevin S. Wilson" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 29 Jun 2004 14:14:21 GMT, "Special Ed"
> > wrote:
>
> <snip 75 lines of text>
> >
> >I find it takes about 20-25 mins per side for a large bird on my gas
grill
> >using a room temp standard building brick.
> >
>
> Um, Ed? Is your delete key b0rken?
>
> --
> Kevin S. Wilson
> Tech Writer at a University Somewhere in Idaho
> "Anything, when cooked in large enough batches, will be vile."
> --Dag Right-square-bracket-gren, in alt.religion.kibology

Kev, Sorry, why don't you send me a copy of your personal NG do's&don'ts.
Some of us are still un-enlightened to your standards.

"Special Ed" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
>
> "Tranch749" > wrote in message
> ...
> Try taking a brick and wrapping it in foil and place on top of the chicken
> while cooking it. It will flatten the chicken out and provide more even
> cooking and perhaps a shorter cooking time. I do this whenever I butterfly a
> bird.

If you take the breast bone out the brick isn't necessary.

_________
ht_redneck

On 28-Jun-2004, ospam (Tranch749) wrote:

> ...and it was delicious.
>
> Tried a butterflied chicken tonight, cooked directly over lump charcoal
> and it
> turned out just great. Started the coals, let them ash over and let the
> temp
> come up to 300. Put the chicken on, skin side down and let it cook 20
> minutes.
> Didn't add any other coals, just let the temp gradually drop to 225 - 250
> during the 20 minute cooking time. Turned the bird and cooked it on the
> other
> side for 20 minutes and it was great. Tasty and a nice crisp, slightly
> charred
> skin.
>
> My first chicken last night tasted good, but looked as black as the coals
> I
> cooked it over. Slow but sure, and with the information I get from this
> group
> and it's FAC, I'm learning.
>
> One question about regulating the heat. I have a CharGriller SmokinPro
> grill
> with the side firebox. To keep the heat fairly even is it best to try and
> use
> just the opening on the firebox door with the chimmney wide open, or
> should I
> use a combination of opening/closing both?
>
> Thanks again.

The answer to your question is easy, but succeeding (exactly) is a little
more elusive. I use an NB offset, which is very similar to your machine.
I leave the chimney wide open and regulate with the firebox draft 'AND'
the size of the fire. Everybody ought to slowcook a bird at least once
just to get the experience. But having brined for a day and then spending
half a day cooking a bird that way, I prefer to butterfly (spatchcock),
brine,
and then grill birds. Pretty much the same result, but with much better
skin texture. Those that don't eat the skin anyway don't give a S%^&.

--
M&M ("When You're Over The Hill You Pick Up Speed")

On 29 Jun 2004 01:22:16 GMT, ospam (Tranch749)
wrote:

>Tried a butterflied chicken tonight, cooked directly over lump charcoal and it
>turned out just great. Started the coals, let them ash over and let the temp
>come up to 300

WDYM by "ash over"? You don't need to wait for lump charcoal to turn
white and ash over the way you do with briquettes.

--
Kevin S. Wilson
Tech Writer at a University Somewhere in Idaho
"Anything, when cooked in large enough batches, will be vile."
--Dag Right-square-bracket-gren, in alt.religion.kibology

>WDYM by "ash over"? You don't need to wait for lump charcoal to turn white and
ash over the way you do with briquettes.<

Thank you for telling me that. I didn't know you don't have to wait. Learn
something new everyday I read this NG.

Tranch749 wrote:
>> WDYM by "ash over"? You don't need to wait for lump charcoal to turn
>> white and
> ash over the way you do with briquettes.<
>
> Thank you for telling me that. I didn't know you don't have to wait.
> Learn something new everyday I read this NG.

Typically for cooking something that will take more than 25 minutes or so
I'll lay some extra lump out to pour the lit (or mostly lit) chimney onto.
Couple of handfulls will generally do it. As an added bonus most of the
smoke comes during the lighting process too.


--

"Tranch749" > wrote in message
...
> ...and it was delicious.
> One question about regulating the heat. I have a CharGriller SmokinPro grill
> with the side firebox. To keep the heat fairly even is it best to try and use
> just the opening on the firebox door with the chimmney wide open, or should I
> use a combination of opening/closing both?
>
> Thanks again.

Get some stove pipe or flexible duct stuff and extend the chimney down to
cooking grate level.

Leave the chimney wide open and use the air intake to regulate the temp.

_________
ht_redneck