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Anyone ever try the port a pit copycat recipe?

Want to try to make some leg quarters in the port a pit fashion. Chicken baked in a covered pan with a lot of butter, vinager, Worcestershire,salt,pepper. 325 deg.for about 45 min. then finished on the grill about 15 min. Until browned. My question is how to set up my new and beloved LBGE for the grilling? I'm new to the egg and to the forum but man am I enjoying the journey. Thanks for all the info here I am very appreciative.

Comments

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    The quarters will be pretty wet so you'll need some high heat to dry them and get them crispy, if that's what you're expecting.  I'd just fire it up to around 500-ish and cook them direct, keeping an eye on them and moving them around so they don't burn.  They're done at 170.  They'll probably cook another 5-10 F after you pull them off because you're cooking so hot. 

    Another thing you can do is wipe the skin down with a rag or paper towels, or remove the skin all together.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
    Sounds like an indirect cook for the first 45 minutes and then grill d direct to finish them off. Never tried anything like that. Keep an eye on the temp so you don't over cook them.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • dizzy1
    dizzy1 Posts: 34
    The recipe calls for dipping the chicken in the liquid several times during the final grilling
  • Black_Badger
    Black_Badger Posts: 1,182
    Can you post the recipe?
    Finally back in the Badger State!

    Middleton, WI
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Nope, never tried that recipe.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • dizzy1
    dizzy1 Posts: 34
    I'm not sure if I can post the recipe or not I'm new to this forum thing too. Got my hands full right now I'll try in a min.
  • dizzy1
    dizzy1 Posts: 34
    Hey this turned out great !!! Took a lot longer in the pan because I really over filled it, but I pulled it out of the pan at 165 and grilled direct at 400 for about 15 mins. The skin really got crisp and the chicken was moist and flavorful.
  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
    @Dizzy1, I will be cooking this today with the new grill extender. Chicken on the bottom and corn on the cob with hobo potatos on the top grate. Thanks for posting. ;;)
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    The port-a-pit chicken was one of the few things I could do right on my Webers, and the ECB. I was told that the flavors came from a mix called Lake Michigan Sand, which I happened to locate at a butcher shop not to far away. Nothing too special about it in terms of flavor, generic good for poultry but saltier than most. Did look a lot like beach sand.
    I spent some time watching Port-a-pits. The chickens are attached to a mesh conveyor that passes them  thru a flavor bath, and the into the cooking chamber. Around and around. Typically, there is a lot of steam as well as smoke and chicken odors coming from the cooker.

    The method I came up w. is more labor intensive than that in the linked recipe.

    I dissolve a bag of the "sand" in a pot w. a couple of quarts of warm broth. Get a low fire going, but raised direct, lots of wood for smoke. I used leg quarters.  Dip in broth. Place over coals. Wait no more than 10 min, dip in broth, and replace on grill, the pieces flipped. Repeat, repeat, repeat. The more often the dip and flip is done, the better. Eventually, the outside of the chicken becomes almost black. No crisp skin. I don't believe I've ever had Port-a-pit w. crisp skin. Its more like it is coated w. paint. The meat does disintegrate.

    The fastest I ever got them done was at least 2 hours.