Boneless chicken thighs - at the ring or felt?

Powak

Grillin up some boneless thighs tonight. Been forever since I’ve egged em. Usually I do them in the kettle with the vortex. I’m thinkin 425-450°. Should I cook em at the fire ring level or up at the felt? I like them crispy. 

Langner91

They are pretty forgiving.  I do them raised direct 375-450, depending on my mood and the sugar content in my rub / glaze.

Photo Egg

I prefer to cook everything at felt level compared to fire ring level just because it’s easier to flip and handle. I like to finish them with dome open and lower vent closed to crisp and char them a little. Closing the lower vent helps stop the temps from going nuclear.

Mattman3969

Felt level with lump filled high so you’re closer to the heat. Like @Photo Egg said easier to flip 

Powak

Langner91 said:

They are pretty forgiving.  I do them raised direct 375-450, depending on my mood and the sugar content in my rub / glaze.

Right on. They certainly are. 

Powak

Mattman3969 said:

Felt level with lump filled high so you’re closer to the heat. Like @Photo Egg said easier to flip 

That’s actually what I wound up doing. I love the felt height. 

Powak

Photo Egg said:

I prefer to cook everything at felt level compared to fire ring level just because it’s easier to flip and handle. I like to finish them with dome open and lower vent closed to crisp and char them a little. Closing the lower vent helps stop the temps from going nuclear.

I’m new to this closing the lower vent concept to get the top bed of coals glowing red but I believe I’ve seen Malcom Reed do this too. Works real good.

Powak

loco_engr

speaking of Malcolm Reed . . . I tried this with his rub & sauce and even wifie liked it and she doesn't like dark meat chicken
https://howtobbqright.com/2015/11/12/bacon-wrapped-jalapeno-chicken-thighs/

Langner91

Powak said:

I can almost taste those!  Looks like you nailed it!

Botch

Powak said:

Photo Egg said:

I prefer to cook everything at felt level compared to fire ring level just because it’s easier to flip and handle. I like to finish them with dome open and lower vent closed to crisp and char them a little. Closing the lower vent helps stop the temps from going nuclear.

I’m new to this closing the lower vent concept to get the top bed of coals glowing red but I believe I’ve seen Malcom Reed do this too. Works real good.

I'm pretty new to it also, and used it today to do Greek Chicken.  At the market, they had chicken "fingers" on sale, and 2 packages were $3 LESS than one package of breasts, essentially the same weight, so I went that route.  
 
Easy prep, and much more surface area for the marinade, but I got schooled on how to flip 10 pieces of meat quickly, and basting them amid multiple flairups (Fire! Crackle! Burning armhair!  Neighbors screaming in terror!  Hoo Hoo Hoo!)  That was fun.
 
The last time I temped them (three), 155º apiece!  Went back into the kitchen, diced half a cucumber, then went out and pulled the cheekun.  After resting, cooked perfectly.  
 
I'll cook at the fire ring level when I want to sear, and only have one or two pieces of protein; but the felt level is so much easier.     

Powak

Langner91 said:

Powak said:

I can almost taste those!  Looks like you nailed it!

Thanks! I sure did. The fats got that bacony flavor goin on. So good.

Powak

Botch said:

Powak said:

Photo Egg said:

I prefer to cook everything at felt level compared to fire ring level just because it’s easier to flip and handle. I like to finish them with dome open and lower vent closed to crisp and char them a little. Closing the lower vent helps stop the temps from going nuclear.

I’m new to this closing the lower vent concept to get the top bed of coals glowing red but I believe I’ve seen Malcom Reed do this too. Works real good.

I'm pretty new to it also, and used it today to do Greek Chicken.  At the market, they had chicken "fingers" on sale, and 2 packages were $3 LESS than one package of breasts, essentially the same weight, so I went that route.  
 
Easy prep, and much more surface area for the marinade, but I got schooled on how to flip 10 pieces of meat quickly, and basting them amid multiple flairups (Fire! Crackle! Burning armhair!  Neighbors screaming in terror!  Hoo Hoo Hoo!)  That was fun.
 
The last time I temped them (three), 155º apiece!  Went back into the kitchen, diced half a cucumber, then went out and pulled the cheekun.  After resting, cooked perfectly.  
 
I'll cook at the fire ring level when I want to sear, and only have one or two pieces of protein; but the felt level is so much easier.     

Dang that sounds good! Did you do Sam The Cooking Guy’s Greek chicken recipe? I want to find a good Greek chicken recipe for the grill. We do one in the crock pot but haven’t modded it for grilling yet.

Botch

Powak said:
Did you do Sam The Cooking Guy’s Greek chicken recipe? I want to find a good Greek chicken recipe for the grill. We do one in the crock pot but haven’t modded it for grilling yet.

Yes.  Sam uses soy sauce and fish sauce in a greek recipe, but umami is umami.  

YukonRon

Great thread, really enjoying it. Thank you for posting.