Glorious Grilled Chicken

Memorial Day is coming up and that means one thing  grilled food!!! There's something about the smoky flavor and the crunchy texture. Despite being home, there's something special about a cookout featuring chicken pieces. Another good aspect? Anyone from novice chef to master griller can create a tasty backyard chicken dinner.

Clare de Boer, the famed British chef and co-owner of the Italian restaurant, King wrote about this summer must eat for today's New York Times Food section. She also offers tips about creating an evenly cooked piece. Grilling chicken is a tough tightwalk. It's entirely different in an oven or a stove top. Add some butter or spices along with some lemon juice. It renders the meat tender and juicy which  equals delicious. A grill is not as forgiving. You can't just add a little more heat and liquid to change dry meat into something mouthwatering tender. There is no temperature control when you cook over coals. Home chefs have to be more agile and attentive. Keep in mind that it starts with basic butchery as Chef de Boer states.Even out the bird's thickness with something as simple as a rolling pin. Boneless breasts are best when leveled with it . For whole chickens with breast and bone then spatchcock, flatten and slash. Slashing provides peepholes that allows you to see if the piece is completely cooked.

Seasoning in advance is also a good thing. Chef de Boer gives a spatchcocked  chicken recipe that's zinged up with oregano and Calabrian chili flakes. You could also just salt them but only with bigger cuts. Smaller ones will turn into chicken jerky. Also temper the meat before cooking. In other words keep it out so it becomes rooms temperature. A room temperature one will cook faster than a cold one.Match the cut of the bird to the grill's temperature. This is the most important bit of info. Thin cuts like breasts prefer it hot which they can char quickly, while thicker cuts prefer it low and slow, meaning there should be a cool spot on the griil. Also don't fiddle with it. Wait until there's a crust then you can flip to your heart's content. How do you know when it's done? Chef de Boer recommends poking (!) it . It should feel like a ripe peach. Then it's just resting the chicken on a plate to cool the interior temp and save the juices. If it doesn't work out , then use barbecue sauces. Try some Greek yogurt out of the fridge, mixed with olive oil along with citrus and sauce as Chef de Boer does.

Go wild with grilling this weekend. Buy that chicken and grill it to crunchy, charred perfection. It's definitely a treat worth cooking and eating.

Griling in December

The temps should be frosty with Jack Frost nipping at our noses and chestnuts roasting on an open fire.Thanks to global warming however, we can still grill two weeks before  Christmas. Take advantage of these warm days and make use of the grill. T'is the season - to get the dogs and burgers out and roast them on an open fire.

Before you star grilling, take time to get everything ready. Utensils and charcoal may be have been put away around Labor Day or at the very last early October. Make sure you have enough briquettes for cooking, because it's the rare grocery store that sells them now, If you don't have any, don;t despair. Use twigs,preferably from fruit woods such as apple, cherry or plum. You can also use oak or chestnut twigs too. Avoid silver maple and birch, because the twigs flame up in a second and become too hot too fast.Even though it's probably been only two months since you last used your grill, check all lines and tanks. Make sure everything is working properly or you could wind up with a disaster on your hands. Thoroughly scrub the grill  to make sure the last of the summer meats is gone. Also make sure you you have  all your utensils, from roasting prongs to tongs ready. Word of warning, if it's too windy, think about holding off barbecuing, The gusts could cause an up draft  that will spell danger (and possibly singed eyebrows to say the least) You can grill on a slightly breezy day, Just keep a safe distance from the  house.

Winter meats can work on any grill. Think about roasting duck sausage for cassoulet.It'll give it a nice woodsy smoky flavor that will add to the stew..You can also cook other sausages too, such as beef and  pork, These would be a nice side dish with spaghetti or angel hair pasta, giving the dish an earthier taste.Chicken is usually considered a summer dish but you can still grill one, using the spatchcock method for thorough roasting. Turkey, the bird of the moment , can be grilled, even without using the butterfly or spatchcock method. It's just letting the bird sit for an hour to thaw out and then tie the cavity closed , evenly spread out the coals before roasting. It'll make for even cooking. Use a roasting pan and center it on the grate. Remember to keep adding briquettes as  the bord cooks. Have a meat thermometer at the ready. The bird's temperature should be cooked at 165 degrees Farenheit.. The entire process should take two to three hours or each pound takes ten minutes for cooking. Try the winter meats - pork and beef. Take advantage of this warm weather, to roast up a pork loin.It's an easy prep . Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper, and then placed on a lightly oiled grill. Cook over indirect heat for only thirty minutes. The internal temperature should read 145 degrees Farenheit. This is also the perfect time to grill a London Broil.It's is a quick grill with the meat cooking up only seven to ten minutes on each side.

Take advantage of the warm weather and grill.It's a nice way of cooking summer faves and satisfying those cravings. Roast up your favorite meat and enjoy!