BBQ Chicken Pizza??

Unknown

Hello All...[p]I have been hibernating during the winter, but the recent warm weather on the Northcoast has me eating in style again on my BGE.[p]This weekend, I would like to try and make a BBQ Chicken pizza. I will probably use a recipe similar to Spin's but substitute a sweet, tomato-based bbq sauce. My biggest concern, however, is how to prepare the chicken topping so it is neither over cooked nor under cooked when the pizza is done. I expect to chop up pieces of chicken breast for the topping.[p]Any suggestions on how to cook them before using them for toppings?[p]TIA,
Eggcitable One

Spin

Eggcitable One,[p]Smoke early in the cook, and cook them using lower heat, (225-250°F), so you don't overcook and can get a nice smoke penetration. You can either pound the breast into a uniform thickness or not prior to cooking. The pounding helps with keeping the meat tender when made on the pizza and prevents dried out spots as compared to cooking the whole breast. Allow them to cool to room temp before using on the pie. Colder meat cooks slower and meat dipped in sauce barely cooks on the pie.[p]As sweet potato is a very strong taste, you might consider using slices rather than in a sauce. A little red onion slice, some bell pepper for color, etc.[p]Good luck. Sounds good![p]Spin[p]

Unknown

Spin,[p]Thanks so much for your counsel. Once again, you prove this is the GREATEST forum for finding help.[p]I am, however, a little unclear about somethings you wrote. Could you clarify what you meant by "smoke early in the cook and cook them using lower heat (225-250F)"? Does that mean I should cook the chicken pieces before the pizza? If so, do you have an approximate time they should be left on the grill? If not by time, how can I tell whether they are sufficiently cooked? (It seems as if the tiny pieces are not subject to using a thermometer).[p]As to a second issue causing me some confusion, could you clarify what you meant about using sweet potato slices. Are you suggesting a pizza with no sauce? Or are you suggesting I use a regular tomato paste based sauce and add potato slices as an additional topping? Or perhaps you mean something completely different from wither of these options.[p]Thanks again for your help. I am getting soooo hungry!![p]Regards,
E1

Spin

Eggcitable One,[p]My fault for the confusion as I was only one my second cup of java ;-).[p]Precook the meat. I am talking of cooking the whole breast and then slicing it for the pizza. As a pizza cook tends to be short, raw meat will seldom cook to doneness. By smoking early (add your smoking wood and meat when the dome reaches 200°F) in the meat cook, you get a better smoke application and penetration of flavor into the meat. The meat should be cooked to just eatable off the grill. Remove when you check the meat and think you have another 5 minutes before you would eat it.[p]On the pizza, cool meat warms up and browns on the outside, warm meat cooks more and browns more. Thinner pieces brown and cook faster than thicker pieces. Dipping the meat in a sauce slows the cooking process and pieces on top of the pie cook the most. Browning dries the meat.[p]I actually mean all of your understandings of the sauce and was only offering a thought. Pizza can certain be made without a sauce (typically called a "white" pizza) and some very classic styles only use a light brushing of olive oil as the sauce. I understood you to be making a sweet potato sauce for the pie. I am intrigued! My only concern was that the sauce may be overpowering. Boiled sweet potato slices would offer the same taste experience, yet allow it to blend in the mouth rather than be pre-blended.[p]Sauce can be anything, including none at all. A sauce should be the binder that brings all of the different flavors (toppings, including cheeses) of the pie into marriage during the chew. A great pizza is one that you can taste each ingredient and then also enjoy the mix of these ingredients.[p]Spin

Spin

Spin,[p]LOL - I better inject a LOT of java directly into my bloodstream! Read it three times and the better half just informed me that the sweet potato sauce was a sweet Tomato sauce. I have green Egg on my face.[p]If you want to sweeten my sauce, you can use a sweet wine and/or add sugar to taste.[p]Still thinking about a sweet potato sauced pizza....[p]Spin

Unknown

Spin,
Thanks again. Your clarifications leave me more confident about my pizza and sanity ;D[p]Only 4 more days until BBQ Chicken pizza.............[p]E1

Spin

Eggcitable One,[p]I would appreciate hearing of the results.[p]Not sure of my sanity.... [p]Spin

Nature Boy

hey Spin,
Maybe Dr. Chicken would be into some of that sweet potato pizza. maybe he would even use sweet potato in the crust!! You could be onto something here.[p]See you soon
NB

Char-Woody

Nature Boy, I wouldnt'dare pick up on this one...! x:-)[p]