CHICKEN, CHICKEN, CHICKEN

Of course there is a lot more to grill than just burgers. Another popular item is chicken. Now for this, if you’re concerned about undercooking, and you should be, get a probe thermometer from any store. This will save you a ton of time, headaches, and having to constantly cut into the meat to see if it’s done.

Eventually you’ll get the timing down as you remember when you placed things on the grill, when you flipped, and when they hit the right temperature. But even then, a probe thermometer can be a life saver.

Chicken is one of the most versatile meats there is to grill, because it’s able to absorb just about any flavor. However, it can also be a difficult meat to grill as there is a fine line between done and juicy, and overdone and dry leathery meat. This is one of the reasons I recommend a probe thermometer.

Seasoning The Chicken

You first need to choose the cut and the seasonings. I always say do the prep work ahead of time. If you can get by doing it the night before, then do so. It allows even more time for the seasonings and marinades to get into the fibers of the meat. With chicken, I like to get creative. It’s more than just salt and pepper. I want flavors, I want to taste something. Chicken in itself has no flavor. This is where I usually break out the barbecue sauce and the basting brush. For chicken breasts, I like to use boneless and skinless, again it’s just a bit easier than when cooking bone on. I also love grilling chicken legs. It’s hand food. It’s amazing. My prep is the same. The night before, I mix up barbecue sauce (I like to use “Bacon Bourbon Barbecue Sauce” from Spirits of Texas in Bandera or “Grill Your A** Off” out of Houston or “G. Hughes Sugar Free Sauce” from HEB). I mix the sauce with minced garlic and coat the chicken with it and let it sit covered in the refrigerator overnight.

Grilling The Chicken

When it’s grilling time, I bring out the container with the chicken, a basting brush, and tongs. Use the tongs to place the chicken on the grill. For breast’s, after about 3 minutes, add some sauce to them with the brush. After 6 minutes, use the tongs to flip them, and then add sauce to the side that’s been on the grill. Let it sit for another 6 minutes, then use your probe thermometer on the thickest part of the breast, this takes the longest to cook. It should be 165 degrees. If not, give it another turn, apply more sauce and check it in another couple of minutes.

down. They’re going to be a little hot.

Now a bonus with coating chicken is it will give the outside some good flavor and texture. The sauce tends to blacken when grilled and just adds an amazing flavor. Just make sure not to burn it, so heed the timing. I repeat…Do not ignore the timing.

Sauce Alternatives

For legs, you’ll go about 30 minutes total. I like to break this up by turning and basting every 10 minutes or so. Again, use the thermometer when the 30 minutes is up to make sure that internal temp is 165 degrees.

Eating undercooked chicken is not an option. Once they hit temp, pull ‘em and let ‘em sit for about 5 minutes to rest and to cool

Let’s say you don’t want to use barbecue sauce, and that’s alright. Not everyone enjoys it. I’ve got family that doesn’t like barbecue sauce. You can find a marinade that fits you. Use some soy sauce to impart a level of saltiness, or a tropical glaze from the store. There’s a company out of Fredericksburg called Fischer and Wieser that does a “Smokey Mountain Whiskey Glaze” you can find at HEB or Spirits of Texas in Bandera that’s amazing to put on chicken going on the grill. You can even go simple and dust it in salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika; or maybe even use lemon pepper instead of regular black pepper. Maybe you like things a little spicy, try some buffalo sauce instead.

The best part about marinating is to experiment and find those flavors you enjoy. The only time to worry about if people don’t like it, for me, is when allergies are involved. Otherwise, flavor it the way you want. If they don’t like it, they can grill next time, or they can bring over something to grill.

NON-TRADITIONAL GRILLING ITEMS

There are a number of things I enjoy throwing on the grill that most people may not think of. One of my favorite things to grill is fruit. Specifically, pineapple and watermelon. You can go to the store and get fresh pineapple rings and cut watermelon from most produce sections, or buy a whole watermelon and pineapple and cut them down yourself. If I go this route, I tend to use the smaller personal watermelon.

Cut this into slices and then cut the rinds off. With pineapple, you really want rings. But why these specific fruits you ask? Because I said so!…No, seriously, I love the contrast of flavors of these when they come off the grill. Both pineapple and watermelon have a lot of good natural sugar. When the fruit hits the grill, the heat of the grates begins to caramelize the fruit.

Now since we don’t have to worry about internal temperature or undercooking fruit, the amount of time you leave it on the grill is up to you. I like to go for about 3 or 4 minutes per side. After the first 4 minutes, flip and wait again. After that, flip again and remove from the grill. The hardest thing for me is to wait once they’re done. I’ll eat them straight off the grill if I can.

These make a great side dish to any meats. There’s a fun rule about combining salty and sweet together, hence, why salted caramel is such a big thing. Adding this to your grilled meal will add amazing flair.

Aside from fruit, vegetables are also fun to grill. If you’re going this route, I recommend a grill safe veggie tray or basket. The last thing you want is for the greens to fall through the grates into the abyss of flame and ash. Veggies

I commonly use are squash, zucchini, carrots, onions, bell peppers, and asparagus. Prior to putting them on the grill I coat them in olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. I let this sit for about 2 hours in the fridge. Again, the longer you let it sit, the more flavor you get out of it. Put the veggies in the basket then set it on the grill. Use tongs to turn them over and move them around every 4 minutes. You want an even cook all the way around. Otherwise, you’ll get one side that’s charred and one that’s mush. That’s not good for anyone.

If that’s the case, you’ll get some very interesting looks for what you’ve cooked and not because of the bad “dad” jokes you learned for the evening.

Want to kick it up a notch? Use flavored olive oil, like Texas Olive Ranch “Rattlesnake Chili-Chipotle Infused Olive Oil,”rather than regular olive oil.

How about flash grilling leaves of romaine lettuce for either a salad or a burger topper?

That’s right, I said… grill it. It adds amazing flavor. It just needs a couple of minutes on either side to get some marks and flavor, then move it to a plate.

You can even throw them for another loop when making burgers. Brush a little olive oil (I prefer the garlic olive oil here) on either side of a hamburger bun and give that a few minutes on the grill to add some toastiness.

Get a variety of cheeses and place a slice or two on top of the patty before it comes off the grill to allow it to start melting. Then add it to the buns as they come off the grill. You just hit them with high level restaurant quality food right out of your backyard. Tell them to leave a great Yelp review.

When all is said and done it’s all about having fun. If you’re not having fun then it’s not worth doing. Many folks can be intimidated by a grill, it’s big, it’s hot, it’s heavy, it’s a lot of metal that you have to do more than just turn on. But think of it as nothing more than an outdoor stove top, or range. Can you cook on a stove? Yes, yes you can. Then you can cook on a grill. Will you mess up? Maybe. Maybe not. But when something is new, expect to mess up. It’s like making pancakes, the first one is always a do over. The first time you grill, you may mess up. It’s ok. It doesn’t matter what that judgmental neighbor says. Don’t invite them over next time. That friend that looks at you funny for throwing some pineapple rings on the grill? Look at them funny for drinking seltzer or that lite beer. I mean seriously, you’re the grill master here.

WHAT ABOUT HOT DOGS?

You’re here to grill, not just to reheat pre-cooked meats. Take that Oscar Meyer or Ball Park somewhere else; unless it’s an HEB brisket hot dog. Grill them bad boys up! Or Koegel’s viennas from Michigan. They’re amazing and amazingly easy. You’re talking like 5 minutes on each side max and they’re done.

Anyway, where were we, oh yeah. If they don’t like it, tough. They will though. You’ll do fine. You’re a Texan, either by birth, or by choice, and that means there’s grilling somewhere in your DNA, we just need to let it out. And with what we’ve discussed here, you’re well on your way to being the next backyard grill master of your complex, neighborhood, block, cul-desac, or wherever you live. Have fun and grill on!

Matthew Harvey is a father of two, who enjoys cooking and sharing his love of food with others. He left the restaurant industry early on and embarked on a long career in IT before eventually moving to the small, but quaint town of Bandera, Texas with his wife and two teenage kids. He feels that no recipe is too secret or sacred that it cannot be shared. Be it family recipes, recipes he’s come up with or things he’s found on the internet, he loves to share what he’s learned with other people. He has never lost his passion for cooking or his love of making people laugh while sharing what’s he’s done or made for others.