First Cook, chicken breasts dry. . .

Riley · August 2008

Thanks to all who responded about having Eggs on a covered deck. I went for it on Saturday and got a Large. NO ONE in my area has any plate setters whatsoever. Where can one get these online?

Anyway, I threw on some chicken breasts Saturday night. These are the same breasts I normally buy, and the same Stubbs marinade I always use for cooking on my Weber gas grill.

I got the grill up to 600 or so just to let it burn off any residual manufacturing goodness, and then let it cool to 350. I threw on the breasts with some mesquite, and let them cook like I normally would at that temp.

I opened the grill after about 8-10 mins, and flipped them. They were already at 130. They cooked for another 5 mins, and were at 160, so I took them off.

I let them rest like normal. They were really flavorful from the smoke, but they were nowhere near as moist as they are on the Weber gas grill.

Any thoughts about what I did wrong?

Do I need to rethink getting rid of the Weber for cooks like this?

Thanks!

Riley

skihorn · August 2008

I am a newbie also, so take everyone else's advice over mine. I just did breasts this past weekend over direct heat. (I have done 7 or 8 cooks but this was the first chicken over direct.) I had it closer to 325 (breaking in my second gasket) and basted every five minutes (keeping lid open as little as possible) with lemon juice, worcestshire sauce and butter. My total cooking time was probably 30 minutes. Basically the same way I cooked on my old grill. They were very good but were only slighty better than my old grill. Other things I have done have been much better.

You definitely need a plate setter. You can order from the headquarters but you have to wait and pay shipping. Surely your dealer is just temporarily out until the next shipment. That is a pretty basic necessity and the Large is the most common size. See if you have any other dealers nearby. My dealer seems to have everything in stock.

Freddie
League City, TX

emilluca · August 2008

I would say they could have been dry on the weber also. The breast you got may have come from some old birds. Where they large as compared to others you have used? I have not had that problem on my end with breast meat although I generally cook thighs with no marinade just a dusting of Old Bay and a little season salt because there is so much more flavor to dark meat. I marinade breast in just kosher salt and water with a little apple juice. About 1/3 cup of salt to quart of liquid.
Keep at the egg for awhile it is a different beast then you are used to. Most of us our gassers are storage racks.

E

Chef in the Making · August 2008

about the only thing that i do different is turn them over after about three minutes and take tehm them off at 150 - 155 and let the rest bring it to 160. I am not sure but I doubt if the mariade would have anything to do with it.

Others may be able to give you a more definitive answer

Gunnar · August 2008

I cook indirect bone side done with the skin on. (I prefer these with skin hoping it helps on moisture; because my wife won't let us eat the skin :( ) I put the temp. probe in the average sized breast and pull at 160 to 165. I don't flip them or open the lid unless I have something else on the grid that may need attention.

gdenby · August 2008

From your post I surmise that besides not having a platesetter, you also don't have an extended grill. Direct exposure to the coals at the base grill position means that even though the dome is at 350, the IR coming from the coals is intense. Think of sitting in an air-conditioned car, with one arm by the window in sun. Nice way to burn the arm. Same with the chix.

Till you get a setter, and a grill extender, you might try using the smallest bit of lump. Just a few handfuls. It won't cook for very long, but the small fire will keep small pieces of meat from drying out.

Alternatively, use a low fire, dome around 250, expect some basting and some extra time.

Pdub · August 2008

You could also try a spatch cocked chicken. It about the most tender chicken I have ever had.

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/spatch.htm

Ike Witt · August 2008

http://www.fredsmusicandbbq.com/ is a bge dealer who will ship a platesetter reasonable.

eggaccessories.com has the raised grid and other toys.

good luck

allen

Riley · August 2008

Thanks for the input. Question on the extended grill. . . I was considering using the platesetter to bring the grate up a bit. Is it recommended, when direct cooking meats like chicken/pork, to cook it at lid level, or higher? I thought about that little extra fire ring to raise me up, but I also want to use a spider for steaks at some point. What's a good solution?

Thanks!

Riley

Fidel · August 2008

Unless I am searing I cook just about everything on a raised grid. Direct or indirect I like to be about an inch or so above the felt line.

It's easier to cook that way for me and much less risk of burning or scorching.

I have 3 eggs of various sizes and raise the grid on them all.

The spider is nice for searing too....

Slotmercenary · August 2008

greetings,
i cook mine the same as gunnar bone down indirect and don't flip. everyone has a method that is useful to them and their cooking conditions. when doing an indirect cook try to think of the egg as an oven and not a grill.
how do you cook or bake chicken in the oven? you will also see a difference in the outcome as your egg gets seasoned more.

Grandpas Grub · August 2008

Riley,

Look at tjv's adjustable righ and spider. They are fantastic. I very seldom ever use the plate setter any more.

If I feel I need ceramic as a barrier I use a pizza stone on the inverted spider.

Mostly I use foil or a aluminum serving tub as a barier for indirect cooking and most always on the raised grid of the adjustable rig.

If I had to do it all over again I possibley wouldn't even get the setter, just the adjustable rig and spider.

You can take a look at it at www.eggaccessories.com

Re: uour dry chicken brests. I normally don't just do breasts. Last night on my small I was trying a new recipe and had to do a couple of breasts. Normal grid height and about 320° dome.

I opened the dome to baste often and turned the meat. The breasts came out very dry.

I normally never turn the meat unless dogs or burgers then only once.

Truning meat has a tendency to dry it out but I wanted a good glase on the breasts. Didn't work for me.

Once you get a raised grid cook a whole chicken or spatchcock chicken at 400° for 1 hour. It also works at 500° for right close to an hour.

You will not believe how moist the chicken will be.

GG

jamiemeyer · August 2008

Riley,

I have nothing more definitive than others have offered.
I use an XL, and all my experience is with the spatchcock yard birds. The worst one was fantastic, and I must note that I am not a fan of chicken. However, the wifey loves them, so I cook them.
I cannot see that there is so much difference between the LBGE and the XLBGE - I cook the spatch direct.
I have not tried breasts alone.

bubba tim · August 2008

Kent, do you know that eggaccessories.com makes a rasied grid for the mini? I found it today?

Egglicious · August 2008

Maybe some bad chicken? Sounds like you did everything ok. What did you use to check the meat temp. with? Maybe your thermo is off?

My wife will eat nothing but boneless, skinless chicken breast. I always cook direct at around 300 deg. and take them off at around 165. They have never been dry much to my suprise. You will find that the Egg is usually very friendly when it comes to making moist food.

js

Grandpas Grub · August 2008

I need to go over there and take a look.

I just picked up some strap today. I am going to make a some 'U' brackets to the size of the raised grid. If that doesn't work then I will pick up something over there.

Kent

Grandpas Grub · August 2008

Do you turn the breasts? Raised grid?

GG

JLOCKHART29 · August 2008

Please don't get agrivated yet. The platesetter should come standard with an Egg. A breast is a dry chunk of meat anyway. Without a raised grid to lift the bird up away from the direct lump heat or a platesetter to form a barrior between them they are real easy to dry out. Your meat temps are good. If you have to cook it like this before you can get a platesetter or a way to raise the grill try lowering your temp to 275. It will not dry out the outside layer as fast as the higher temps do that close to the flame. I cook my breast at 275-300 even indirect or raised grill. Just a simple way to raise a grill.

stike · August 2008

can't really cook by 'time' in the egg.

i'd go direct at 400/450, flip after maybe 3 minutes and check the temp. sear that side 3 minutes and check again.

only reason for chicken to dry out is simply being over cooked. cook times do not really carry over from a recipe on one cooker to the egg. for example, cooking turkey in an oven usually calls for 350 degrees allowing 20 minutes a pound. we all find it ends up more like 15 minutes a pound in the egg. it is far more efficient than a metal cooker like the weber (gas or charcoal). most of the heat in a metal grill is radiated outward from the lid, and the searing cooks from below. in the egg, you are picking up some heat from the heavy mass of the ceramic dome.

cooking times are almost always less.

don't use a platesetter unless you want baked chicken. if you like sear and grill marks, try shortening the cook times you are used to, or make a raised grid.

First Cook, chicken breasts dry. . .

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