First up effort mildly disasterous

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arthurbach4
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 10:46 pm

First up effort mildly disasterous

Post by arthurbach4 »

What I'd like to do is tell you what I cooked and how and then get your feedback on how I could improve for next time.

This was my very first attempt at barbecuing on a Weber Q 200 and to be honest in feeling a little flat about the results.

I attempted to cook two pieces of chicken breast and several quarters of sweet potato.

I prepared the chicken by dusting it with plain flour and adding a fair amount of pepper. For the sweet potato I mixed it with olive oil and added some salt and pepper.

I put the Q on high for 10 mins with the lid closed and when the time was up I turned it down by four clicks and added the chicken and potato to a trivet on top of sliced foil. I don't have a digital thermometer yet but I do have an oven thermometer and the temperature stayed at about 175 degrees throughout.

I left it like that (lid closed) for 6 mins and then turned the chicken over for another 6 mins. Finally I put everything on the grill proper for a further 2 mins for each side.

Findings - the chicken wasn't cooked though enough by a fair way. I ended up leaving it in the grill for a further 5 mins or so.

Other issues - when I went to turn the chicken over on both the trivet and grill it stuck like an SOB. Transferring everything from the trivet to the grill was reasonably painful in terms of plates and sticking.

For next time - I was thinking of slicing the chicken horizontally so as to make two less thick pieces. I was also thinking of using olive oil spray on the trivet and grill before commencing.

I'd love some feedback please.

Thanks.
Jars
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Post by Jars »

I think you just needed to give it a little more time, maybe allow up 15 to 20 minutes, that's what I usually allow.
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arthurbach4
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 10:46 pm

Re: First up effort mildly disasterous

Post by arthurbach4 »

Ok I got back on the horse and had a crack at the marmalade glazed lamb rack recipe from the book which comes with the Q.

I didn't have any marmalade so I used some of the kumquat jam my grandma left here on Xmas day.

Followed the recipe to the letter and it turned out fairly well done(76 degrees) but bloody beautiful. I couldn't believe how tender and tasty the meat was.

I am a relieved believer.
talisker63
Posts: 540
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 10:33 am

First up effort mildly disasterous

Post by talisker63 »

Well done! No pictures? You sure it happened?

Also I love kumquat jam, would be an amazing glaze..
arthurbach4
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 10:46 pm

Re: First up effort mildly disasterous

Post by arthurbach4 »

talisker63 wrote:Well done! No pictures? You sure it happened?

Also I love kumquat jam, would be an amazing glaze..
Yeah I was so excited I hadn't stuffed it up that I was half way through wolfing it down before I thought to photograph it.

I might make it again tonight.
titch
Posts: 5868
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:51 pm
Location: Sth East Melbourne

Re: First up effort mildly disasterous

Post by titch »

Don't beat yourself up about the Breasts.
I believe they are the most difficult of cuts to cook.
Glad your second attempt went well.
Trial and error mate, just enjoy the food
Cheers
Titch
Bill44
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Location: Gorokan, Central Coast NSW

Re: First up effort mildly disasterous

Post by Bill44 »

As for the oil to use when BBQing much as I love olive oil it can't stand the heat, I use peanut oil for the BBQ.
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arthurbach4
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 10:46 pm

Re: First up effort mildly disasterous

Post by arthurbach4 »

Bill44 wrote:As for the oil to use when BBQing much as I love olive oil it can't stand the heat, I use peanut oil for the BBQ.
My girlfriend is allergic to peanuts. Did I hear that canola oil has a high burn point?
titch
Posts: 5868
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:51 pm
Location: Sth East Melbourne

Re: First up effort mildly disasterous

Post by titch »

arthurbach4 wrote:
Bill44 wrote:As for the oil to use when BBQing much as I love olive oil it can't stand the heat, I use peanut oil for the BBQ.
My girlfriend is allergic to peanuts. Did I hear that canola oil has a high burn point?
We use it ,since found out its not nice when Burnt , health wise :wink:
Cheers
Titch
Smokey
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Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:47 pm
Location: Terranora- Tweed

Re: First up effort mildly disasterous

Post by Smokey »

Agree with the fellas, Dont beat yourself up and keep going.
Re the Chicken brest. The observation I read was that is was floured and then grilled ?
Breast has no fat and what moisture is in them would have turned the flour to glue.
Better to brine or dry brine with a rub and then oil them over and grill on a medium to mediem low heat.
Its important to cook breast to temp and not time.
There is a perfect sweet spot for breast when the meat comes to just done and no pink. A minute more and they are dry.
That sweet spot is around 67-70C
So a pen probe is a great tool to make doing things like this easy.
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Percel
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Location: Soap Dish

Re: First up effort mildly disasterous

Post by Percel »

I also had issues with Breast the first few times, because of the tenderness of the flesh, its hard to work out how to approach it.

I tended to close my eyes and just go with the flow, my girlfriend was happy anyway.




PS I lalso ike a sprinkle of Zebra and cumin
Gumb

First up effort mildly disasterous

Post by Gumb »

I wouldn't be putting the breast on the grill, especially when you are in the learning phase. Just leave it on the trivet and there's no need to tun it either. The temp sounded about right, although I run it close to 200c. The weber won't dry out the breast unless you really over cook it so take one out and check it after about 15-20 minutes. You can put it back in if it's not done. I agree with Mick about the flour, give that a miss. If you want a bit of zing, get some 'slap ya mama' rub.

You'll be happy with your bbq once you try different methods. It's all a learning curve.


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arthurbach4
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 10:46 pm

First up effort mildly disasterous

Post by arthurbach4 »

I can't decide whether I'm more excited about your great advice or the fact that you sent your response via Tapatalk and I hadn't realized this forum was on there.

Now to do a search for the 'Slapping of Mommas'. This will be interesting.
chrisg
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Location: Perth WA

Re: First up effort mildly disasterous

Post by chrisg »

:)

Chicken breast can be a bit tricky I found and my 220 is still quite new. Never had a problem with them cooked any other way but I can't see much point in turning the heat down, or putting them direct on the grill at all. Likewise turning is not really needed. Sitting on the trivet they get good all around heat, so it's just as noted cooking to temp. That's the difference with a closed bbq to say cooking them in a frypan, can't see what is going on :)

Re oils, olive oil is great but doesn't like heat much, I used to be married to a woman who was allergic to peanuts, makes you very careful, anaphylactic shock is not pretty. Canola oil is seriously not nice stuff, I won't have it in the house.

The best all round cooking oil with no real downsides is Rice Bran, it's the only oil apart from olive that I bother to have in the house.

Cheers
Gumb

First up effort mildly disasterous

Post by Gumb »

I did some nice duck breast in the 220 on Xmas day. Came out spectacular, using the method described above.


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