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Wife has a problem with the taste

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stevesails
stevesails Posts: 990
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I cooked some Bone in Chicken Breasts last night Direct at around 350. I also had some yellow squash and zuccini in a wok type pan with holes with EVOO and Garlic powder at the end.

The problem I am having is I seem to be getting that burnt chicken fat taste in all of the food probably from the chicken drippings fall into the fire and burning up.

I am using Royal Oak Lump, and I let it burn about 30 minutes before putting on food.

Could I avoid the taste I am getting by going indirect and a drip pan so the drippings from the chicken don't go on the fire? I think I just answered my own question, but what do you think or know about this?
XL   Walled Lake, MI

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Comments

  • WooDoggies
    WooDoggies Posts: 2,390
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    Yes, definitely go indirect if you don't want the flavor from fat dripping on the coals.
    It's important to keep the better half happy.... good luck!


    john
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  • Capt Frank
    Capt Frank Posts: 2,578
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    As I see it you have three options:
    1. As you said, indirect with a drip pan [probably the best]

    2. Direct, but w/raised grid [getting the meat up higher from the fire may help]

    3. Only if all else fails, Divorce :evil:

    Capt Frank
    Homosassa, FL
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  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
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    DSC03857a.jpg

    I cook a lot of chicken and it's actually harder to cook than a lot of things. .... The normal grate cooking position is great for a steak cook or for burgers and such, it's not that great for chicken, it's easy to burn it or to get the fat flavors into the coals like you mentioned. Indirect set-up will work, or go raised direct. Lastly you can eliminate the skin all together.

    DSC04790b.jpg

    Make sure you watch both the skin color and the internal temp so you don't over cook the breasts.

    DSC04796b.jpg

    If you are not skin eaters try buying a full breast, remove the skin and bones and stuff it. These are great.

    DSC05698JPGa.jpg

    You might even have to brush on a little oil to get them to brown up nicely.

    DSC05705JPGa.jpg

    Marinating some skinless breasts is yet another option
    I cook these raised direct too.

    DSC05735JPGCHICKENTHROWDOWN3.jpg

    DSC05758CHICKENTHROWDOWN2.jpg

    DSC05772CHICKENTHROWDOWN1.jpg
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
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  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    My wife has the same issue...she dislikes the smokey taste from burning fat...mostly chicken..so my set up is:

    Platesetter legs up
    copper t's on platesetter
    drip pan or HDAF on top of the t's
    grate
    chicken on the grate

    This way you get little or no smoke from burning fat....

    to get crispy skin I take them off and go direct raised grid for about 5-10 minutes with the chicken skin side down...
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  • Weekend Warrior
    Weekend Warrior Posts: 1,702
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    One last suggestion and then I think you'll be covered for all possible causes. Try cooking chicken/turkey only on lump that has already been cooked with once or twice. This will eliminate the possibility that it's actually acrid lump smoke she's tasting. I'm using some lump now that has lots of uncarbonized pieces mixed in, i.e. the "bad smoke" never goes entirely away during cooking and it's causing me real problems with foods that really pick up smoke flavor easily.
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  • ledmond
    ledmond Posts: 88
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    Might have to trade in and get a new wife.........

    Seriously, I have had the same exact results but only about 1 out of every 10 tries turns out this way, 9 out of 10 are great and all done the same way. No rhyme or reason for me.
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  • tach18k
    tach18k Posts: 1,607
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    I give my wife salmon instead, she cant complain about the chicken. But it sounds like the heat is too low. I did some chicken a while ago, 250 dome for about 3-4 hours, indirect, real slow, real tender. Nice and juicy.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Ledmond, are you talking wives or Chicken?
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    That's some good looking chicken cooks there.

    GG
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    I wanted something different with chicken and thirdeye gave me some suggestions.

    I decided to try an extreme raised grid and found a great new flavor and texture with chicken.

    I achieved 16.5 inches from lump to cooking grate. This was cooked to 165°
    chicken1.jpg

    Something else I really enjoy is cooking the chicken to +/- 190°. The chicken is has a different texture and moisture level with a very deep flavorful bbq/smoked taste.

    Always fun trying new things with chicken.

    GG
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  • stevesails
    stevesails Posts: 990
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    Thank you for all the answers, I haven't tried boneless breasts yet as I never liked them on the gasser as they always seemed dried out.
    will try bone in and boneless and skinless indirect and see how it comes out.

    I may pick up the Half moon raised grid if all comes ot good.
    XL   Walled Lake, MI

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  • shubydoobydo
    shubydoobydo Posts: 115
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    Good thing all eggers think alike.... get a new wife ;) Only kiddddding! Why do I feel like one of these day we will tell that to the wrong person???
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  • ledmond
    ledmond Posts: 88
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    DrNo >>>>>> both. You never want to hear your wife say "I don't like the taste".
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  • ledmond
    ledmond Posts: 88
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    DrNo >>>>>> both. You never want to hear your wife say "I don't like the taste".
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  • Jai-Bo
    Jai-Bo Posts: 584
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    Doesn't everything taste like chicken??? :lol: :silly:

    I haven't had that issue but then when I cook chicken, I cook a bit of it and don't have a chance to mix flavors. The only drippings I like is when I put a post of baked beans under my ribs so the rib fat can go into the beans!!!!! MMMMMMMMMM ;)
    Hunting-Fishing-Cookin' on my EGG! Nothing else compares!
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