My first BGE Chicken... Need Help!

RICHIRICH

I am a BGE salesman. The owner told me, "Sell 25 eggs and I'll give you your own large egg"... Well I did it! (Not going to disclose how long it took...lol) In any case now that I have my egg, I'm been practicing regulating the temperature, and cooking several small things just until I get a little more comfortable with spending more money on more expensive meals. This weekend I would like to cook two whole chickens. I have looked online and I see the "sitt'n chicken receipts", and the "spatchcock chicken" receipts, but I'm looking for something a little more solid/simple. As a beginner, all I am looking to do is get my egg at a certain temp, season it in and out with a good rub, and cook the chickens slowly with the plate setter and drip pan. Can anyone recommend a simple recipe that tastes great? All I'm looking for is a moist chicken. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

-Wes

GrannyX4

Spatched is the easiest and best in my opinion. Raised grate, direct, at 400. Do not flip. 160 breast ;;)

Mickey

Do you have away to cook at minimum of gasket level or higher? For simple just salt and pepper the damn thing. It's all good. Where do you sell Eggs?

RAC

Spatched was my first and turned out great.

Ragtop99

You can roast a chicken just like you would in the oven.  Put it in a pan sitting on a v-rack if you don't have the platesetter.  Sprinkle a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder in the skin.  bring the egg to 350* and add a couple chunks of wood.  Apple, peach, cherry - whatever you like.   It will roughly take 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending upon the size of the bird.  Remove when 160 - 165* in the breast and 180* in the thigh. 

Spatched is very easy.  Its a fancy word for cutting out the backbone.  It's just like cutting a chicken in half.  I actually do cut it in half after the backbone is out.  I can put the thigh over the hotter part of the grill if needed and move stuff around.

Little Steven

I'm really partial to a stand with the bird inverted...legs up

Little Steven

Yes exactly. I get dark meat at 185* and 160 breast consistently. Plus the fat from the dark end bastes the breast throughout the cook.

RICHIRICH

Thanks to everyone for their help and suggestions. I had a customer come in today (Veteran Egg Head as I call him) and he suggested keeping it simple for the first run. Maintaining temp at 350, indirect heat, season the bird in and out, lay the bird directly on the grill flipping it once after 40 min, using a small amount of apple chips when I first put it on, cook it for 1 ½ - 2 hrs (depending on the size of the bird) and he assures me the thing will be good and ready to eat. He told me that I may want to use a drip pan with some sort of fluid inside to keep it moist but that is optional. Also something I was told from another customer… “It doesn’t matter what type of beer you use on a beer chicken. From the cheapest to the most expensive, you can’t taste it in the meat”. I’m not sure I would but a Milwaukee’s best on my egg, but was kind of surprised about this. Has anyone heard this? Thanks again for all the help. I’ll make sure to post my results.

-RichiRich

PS- Mickey, I sell Eggs at Reliable Home Appliance Center in Gastonia, NC. I'm trying to get a nice “Egg Head” group going to promote the grill in our area. Like us on face book if you get a chance. Search for “Gaston Egg Heads” (Three words)

nolaegghead

Little Steven know's his chicken.  The ass-in-the-air is much better than the beer-can-in-the-ass method. 

This is pretty good reading:

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/debunking_beer_can_chicken.html