We went to the supermarket Shop-Rite last Thursday after making a few deliveries in the Albany, NY area. I like the supermarket chain Shop-Rite; it’s where my family shopped where I grew up in Iselin, NJ. Unfortunately, there are no Shop-Rites in Vermont, so I go there whenever I can.
We wanted to make a summery meal like we would have if we went away somewhere; it would be some shellfish for me. Marty suggested grilled bbq chicken, something I have never made before, believe it or not. Meal planning is the hardest part of cooking, so if someone gives me a suggestion or request, I jump on it.
All the memories that I had of grilled bbq chicken were terrible ones. Whoever was the “grill master” would start with some delicious-smelling chicken. Then they would brush bbq sauce on the grilled chicken parts. Here’s the bad part, they would leave the chicken on the grill until it was completely black and incinerated.
I know the people who were doing the grilling didn’t do the cooking inside their homes but insisted on doing the outdoor cooking. I also know they didn’t want to kill their families and guests from food poisoning from undercooked chicken. But hello, do you have eyes and a nose? Don’t you see it turning black and smelling burned? Is that how you eat it when someone who knows how to grill serves it?
As a kid, I would be so disappointed that bbq chicken was ruined. My dad never made bbq chicken; grilling wasn’t his thing; he liked to cook. So I had to have it at other people’s cookouts. Everyone would pretend to eat the chicken that was burnt beyond recognition. I’m sure people had to stop at McDonald’s or White Castle on their way home since everyone was starving after the cookout.
Last night on a Michael Pollan show called “Cooked,” they showed an old black and white TV clip where a son watched his father grill and asked the dad why he was cooking. “A women’s place is in the kitchen; men do the outdoor barbequing.” 😖 Thank goodness things have changed.
Since we decided on bbq chicken, I read how to make it, which is much easier than smoking chicken. The cook time is quicker, but you have to pay more attention. I followed a recipe loosely that turned out better than I thought. Yay!
I brined the chicken for a few hours then patted it dry. Next, I covered the chicken parts with olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Unfortunately, it took me a while to have a fire hot enough to grill on; Marty had to come to my rescue since I don’t have my fire-starting badge yet.
The recipe instructions called for a hot and cool side of the grill. So, basically, you push all the hot coals over to one side. I followed the recipe searing the skin side first on the hot side of the grill, then flipping it over to do the same thing to the other side.
Next, I moved the chicken to the cool side of the grill. I kept checking and flipping the chicken. I also checked the temperature of the chicken; when it was getting close to 165 degrees, I started brushing on the bbq sauce. I repeated this a few times until the temperature of the chicken was above 180-degrees. If I didn’t brine the chicken first, it might have started drying out at that point.
I took the chicken off the grill and let it sit while I concentrated on the rest of our dinner. It came out really good! Better than I had hoped for! Yes! It was some legit bbq chicken. We all agreed it was the best thing I’ve made on the smoker grill so far.
I love roasted chicken and could eat it every day; now I love bbq chicken as much and could definitely eat it every day. I’m so happy that this time I was successful on my first try! Yay!