Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[jdmessner]

I am trying to figure out what to do for a picnic next week. I thought it would be fun to try various meats on a stick. I did a test run with chicken breast strips. I marinated them in Italian dressing and put them on the grill at 250* until they hit an IT of 165*. They were very dry and chewy. Should I try grilling them at a higher temp?

I am going to experiment with some beef in the next day or two. I am starting with thin slices of top round. If that doesn't work, at least I will end up with some good jerky! Any other ideas are welcome.

[pmillen]

When I shish kabob chicken breast I don't brine it, I chunk it and marinate it and grill it hot and fast.  It doesn't have time to dry out.

[02ebz06]

When I shish kabob chicken breast I don't brine it, I chunk it and marinate it and grill it hot and fast.  It doesn't have time to dry out.

+1

  Faster is better for small pieces.

[Free Mr. Tony]

How long did you marinate in the dressing?  Marinades with acid (vinegar, lemon juice, etc) basically cook the chicken while marinating pretty much like ceviche. Your chicken may have already been nearly "done" before you even cooked it.

[jdmessner]

How long did you marinate in the dressing?  Marinades with acid (vinegar, lemon juice, etc) basically cook the chicken while marinating pretty much like ceviche. Your chicken may have already been nearly "done" before you even cooked it.

It was only marinated for an hour or so, I don't think it made much of a difference, but that is a good idea to keep in mind for future reference. I do think I just cooked it at a temp that was to low for too long. I will try again at some point.

The picnic is this Sunday and the menu has changed several times. After scrapping the kabobs I thought about hot dogs and brats. The only problem was then you have to mess with condiments and I can't do brats without green peppers and onions. Then I got the bright idea of to do pulled pork and brisket, it was a big hit last fall. I was shocked at how much prices had gone up since the last time I looked. On a whim I stopped into Aldi's. I almost never shop there. They had chicken quarters (legs and thighs) for 55 cents a pound. No condiments and no buns required. That sounded like a good deal to me.

So it looks like Sunday chicken dinner with baked beans, potato chips, apple or banana, and a cookie or brownie.

Now the question is whether or not to brine. Ideas encouraged!

[Bentley]

Are you going to Smoke, BBQ or Grill the chicken?

[jdmessner]

Are you going to Smoke, BBQ or Grill the chicken?

I guess I tend to use those terms interchangeably! I plan to cook them in the pellet grill.

[hughver]

When I shish kabob chicken breast I don't brine it, I chunk it and marinate it and grill it hot and fast.  It doesn't have time to dry out.

This is good advice for virtually any small cut of meat. You probably sacrifice some smoke flavor this way but I prefer moisture over smoke flavor, dry meat sucks. 

[Bentley]

Are you going to cook it at a Temperature around 200° (Smoke) around 300° (BBQ) or 400°+ (Grill)?

Are you going to Smoke, BBQ or Grill the chicken?

I guess I tend to use those terms interchangeably! I plan to cook them in the pellet grill.

[jdmessner]

Ok, now I see where you are coming from. I have been a little slow catching on to things since staying up past my bedtime to watch the Tigers on the west coast. It was worth it the other night when they no hit Seattle. However, this year it seems like someone is throwing a no hitter just about every other day! This was the second time in two weeks it happened to Seattle. Still it is fun to watch.

I am planning on using the vintage Trager with only smoke, medium, and high options. I was thinking about cooking the birds on medium, which is usually in the 250*-325* range, depending on the pellets used and the weather. However I could easily be persuaded otherwise.

[Bentley]

I would say they should be brined then!

[hughver]

Are you going to cook it at a Temperature around 200° (Smoke) around 300° (BBQ) or 400°+ (Grill)?

I typically start virtually all cooks at 150-160° to obtain maximum smoke, then after some period of time, raise the pit to 225-250° to achieve desired IT. This works fine for large items but seems to falls short for smaller ones (i.e., less moist). If I need higher temperatures than that, I use either the BGE or the gasser.

As an example, a few weeks ago I sous vide four pork tenderloins at 140° and froze. They were small, about a pound apiece, 1 1/2-2" in diameter and 12-15" long. I thawed one and smoked at 150° for several hours, raised the pit to 225° and continued until IT had returned to 140°. The resulting product was very good but not near as moist as I am accustom to. I'm going to do another one soon but start cook at 250° or higher, will post results.

[pmillen]

As an example, a few weeks ago I sous vide four pork tenderloins at 140° and froze. They were small, about a pound apiece, 1 1/2-2" in diameter and 12-15" long. I thawed one and smoked at 150° for several hours, raised the pit to 225° and continued until IT had returned to 140°. The resulting product was very good but not near as moist as I am accustom to. I'm going to do another one soon but start cook at 250° or higher, will post results.

I sometimes brine pork tenderloins or chops.  It helps keep them moist during longer cooks.  IDK if it would be better to brine them before or after the SV, freeze and thaw.  I'd try after first, because some people have said that internal ice damages meat tissue.

[jdmessner]

I do plan to brine. In the past I have brined whole chickens and turkeys, but not smaller pieces of meat. How long should I go? Most of the stuff I have read says 4-6 hours, but I am thinking I may not need that much time.

[Bentley]

I like a longer brine.  6% I go 12 hours, 3% I go 24. 1 gal water, 1 cup salt, 1 cup sugar is 6% solution.  Well, it is a 6% sodium solution without the sugar, I just like that simple brine.