Retro chicken

[Oak Smoke]

I was looking for something different to cook up last week. The kids were coming over. That brought back memories of grilling in my parents back yard. Back then things were kept simple it was normally either grilled chicken or burgers. I remember the chicken being grilled to death then coated with sweet bbq sauce. Those old cheap square bbq grills from the hardware store were what we had. I decided to put the kamado in grill mode and make grilled bone in, skin on, chicken thighs. I set up an indirect side with a half of the heat deflector and a hot side open to the coals. It worked out great. I brought them to about 145F internal on the indirect side then moved them to direct to get the skin crispy and take them on up to 175F internal. A couple of minutes before I took each one off I’d baste it with a generous amount of Sweet Baby Rays and let the sauce set. It didn’t take long at all with the heat on the direct side. They were a real blast from the past. That sweet smokey goodness with a helping of mustard potato salad made a great meal. They’re not something I’ll do often but they were so good. I think my next retro cook will be chicken marinated in Italian dressing. I’ll try to remember to get a few pictures next time.

[realdocBBQ]

Absolutely! The blast from the past flavor sometimes just flat out hits the spot, right? lol

I oughtta do some thighs and legs just like this.

[OC Sandy]

It's been a long time since I've made grilled chicken with bbq sauce like you described, but now I want to do it soon. Thanks for the reminder. Also, chicken marinated in Italian dressing is often my go-to. I like to add Worcestershire sauce to the marinade also.

[N227GB]

Ken's Zesty Italian is what I used a few weeks ago. Good stuff!

Posted from my phone

[Mosca]

I do that all the time! 50/50 bottled bbq sauce and bottled Italian dressing, the cheapest one. It’s our go-to secret grilled chicken.

[cruiseplanner1]

I do the Kraft Zesty Italian also when in a hurry. We also like putting the chicken in a gallon ziplock storage bag with a little Canola oil and turmeric. Grill it then slice and put that on a tortilla with some grilled onion and peppers.

[58limited]

Love the Italian dressing chicken cooked over mesquite

[captainlee]

Catalina dressing as the sauce, my childhood.

[Michael_in_TX]

Very similar to what I grew up with....chicken or turkey pieces "grilled to death" as it were with hickory wood chips, lighter fluid, and basted with Kraft Hickory Smoke BBQ sauce.

[Purc]

+1 and I got to use a water bottle to squirt out the flames

[Oak Smoke]

Exactly including the water bottle. Our was on mesquite because we were surrounded by it in every direction. Kbb, Gulf light lighterfluid, and Kraft bbq sauce they have to be good for you, look how we turned out!

[cruiseplanner1]

Michael back in our days our mom's and granny's overcooked every meat they touched so guess we could not expect to grill any different.

[jfmorris]

Growing up that is what I remember too back in the 70's. The old round flat girl with maybe 3 grate positions above the flat bed of charcoal, and either burned to a crisp hamburgers or BBQ chicken pieces.

I was thinking of plain old BBQ chicken yesterday as I made a pack of thighs with the Vortex. I think next cookout will be a mix of breast, legs and thighs, with BBQ sauce brushed on, just to make it more an old school grilling experience.

Based on current meat prices, chicken and burgers may dominate my grilling this summer, along with pork.

[fzxdoc]

Uh, I think you mean "old round flat grill"

Don't you just love autocorrect?

K.

[cruiseplanner1]

Oh I overlooked that. Funny. Bet she was a dancin'

[jfmorris]

fzxdoc Haha. Too funny. I think I'll leave it and see who else notices!

[dpearce]

Doing leg quarters on the Weber rotisserie today! Will definitely paint with sweet baby rays near the end.

[dpearce]

Ah crap. I forgot to do it. Dang. Chicken still was good. Next time!

[jfmorris]

How are you spinning leg quarters? In a basket or something?

[jfmorris]

Never mind - I saw the basket of leg quarters over in SUWYC. Great job!

[fzxdoc]

jfmorris , I hear you about meat prices. It's affecting the restaurants too. Our daughter and son in law went to a fancy Brazilian grilled meat-focused restaurant for SIL's birthday and had a terrible meal. Daughter only eats filet, and she said that 1/3 of her plate was filled with bits of gristle that she couldn't eat after she tried a couple of filet portions.

SIL was not complaining because he was 3 birthday boy cocktails in by the time the meal was over.

Kathryn

[Dewesq55]

We have still had some high quality restaurant meals recently (birthdays and such), but the bills have been enough to curl your hair. We will be eating out a lot less frequently, I'm afraid. A nice meal out with your honey is one of life's little pleasures.

[fzxdoc]

For sure, David, Dewesq55 , dining out is one of life's little pleasures, and we need to keep enjoying them. But golly, having to spend $$$$$ for a special evening out sort of takes the shine off of the night, a bit.

Kathryn

[fzxdoc]

Sweet Baby Rays for BBQ Chicken-- Oak Smoke , you're singing my song. I like other BBQ sauces like Blues Hog products or Dreamland (Dreamland especially for pork), but SBR's on BBQ chicken brings back good memories of summertime cooks back in the day.

Kathryn

[dpearce]

I was this close tonight! Interrupted by the dog, the cat, and my wife coming home a bit later than usual, so I lost track of what I was doing, and by that time, the chicken was done!

[Troutman]

For those Italian dressing aficionados out there, you may remember my blast from the past...H.G. Leggie chicken ....

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/chicken-turkey-and-duck-recipes/609161-the-h-j-leggie-texas-low-slow-chicken

[Oak Smoke]

I do remember and appreciate it. You’re the one who brought it back to mind several years ago. I still refer to several of your recipes. Your elote is so good!

[jfmorris]

Steve! Thanks for resurrecting that method of chicken cooking in my mind. I apparently liked your original post on the subject 8 years ago! . Now to grab some Wishbone next time I go to the store, and a mess of leg quarters... No offset anymore, but I am thinking Vortex or kamado with heat diffuser in place.

[fzxdoc]

I bought that Legends of Texas BBQ book in your link after reading your post back in 2019! It's a great read.

I'm not sure I can find Woody's Cook-In Sauce in my neck of the woods, so I'll take the ingredients and see if I can whip up some of my own.

K.

[Alan Brice]

Had a chance to pickup on one of those cheap square grills. It was brand new, one of Kim's tenets left it upstairs out back on the fire escape, so I took it to Kim's Moms. After a year or two of soft duty, I was told to get rid of it.
Guess what the lid, with the lil vent wheel, fits like a glove on my 36 flattop. Great for steaming stir fry, melting cheese. or just keeping food warm. Score!

[SheilaAnn]

Daddy did the same thing…. But back then it was Open Pit Original.

[Dewesq55]

It was Kraft Original or Hickory on chicken in my house. After I got married to my ex, it stayed Kraft for chicken, but we used Open Pit for pork ribs (boiled and grilled😳) until I found Amazing Ribs and learned the "right" way to cook them, and developed my own signature sauce.