Overcooked chicken

[LowandSlow]

Something that had never occurred (to my knowledge) happen to me this weekend not once, but twice.

I was making drumsticks on my 22" Weber Kettle and had my smokenator in because I was making some spareribs as well. The BBQ temp was 225F consistently thru out so that was good. I had the drumsticks on for at least two hours and when I checked the temp with my Thermapen they were 155-165. I wanted to get them to 175 so I had a little bit to go. I pulled my ribs and wrapped in foil (after 3 hours total, I threw the ribs on ahead of the drumsticks) and when I came back, the chicken dropped to 145-155. I thought this was kind of weird and didn't think too much into and got them to temp where my kids ate these in 5 minutes flat. Note: I'm allergic to chicken and can't ever try my product so I trust my kids, because they will always tell you the truth when they don't like food. When they scarf meat down, I know I did well!

Fast forward 3 hours and I have chicken breast on and my BBQ temp is at 275. I check the breast and they are 150-160, I pull the ribs and leave the lid open. I check the temp of the breast and now I'm at 140-150. Now I'm running out of time and reverse sear to get to 165. This takes some time and my wife who is hungry, comes out and snags a piece. She says, "These are done and overcooked!" They looked done when I first took the temp, but I'm always scared to serve undercooked chicken so I always make sure the breast is at least 165.

So I'm scratching my head trying to figure this out. I boiled some water and the thermapen showed 210, so its off by 2 degrees, but that is minor. I'm thinking its like being in a sauna and as soon as you open the door, you feel cooled off.

Where is the true temp? Right when you open the lid? If so, how do you get a true temp if you want sear in the rear? Also, is this only with chicken? I haven't experienced this in the 18 months that I have had my thermapen.

Any thoughts and/or suggestions would be great.

Thanks!!!

[W.A.]

I believe the safe temps are lower now, revised. May have been 165 in the center, but way higher towards the edge from high temp searing too long.

[l'inferno]

When you tested the meat with the thermapen was it on the grill or off? Not sure what others think but sometimes I pull the meat from the heat to verify temperature reading from my thermapen especially at higher heat on the grill. Probably going overboard but I have always felt there was a difference. Also have you tested your thermpen recently using the Ice Bath test.
I have multiple products by thermoworks and I recommend them often. However during my last long cook I was getting different readings from two different thermapens and thermaQ and I felt the ambient air temp was off too. I wrote Thermoworks yesterday and they responding suggesting testing with the Ice Bath test. I am going to re-test all equipment and write them back.

[LowandSlow]

It was still on, but on the indirect side. Interesting theory on pulling the meat to verify.

[Potkettleblack]

Additionally, time at temp makes safety. It is possible with time to have 140* chicken be completely safe. I've done it (I forget if it was 140 or 145) in sous vide. I wouldn't want to do it on the grill, unless going very low and slow, which is not so great for chicken skin.

[l'inferno]

Theraworks folks sent me the following:

Instructions for Ice Bath test are:
Some key points to remember:
1. Fill the glass with ice before adding any water; all the way to the top.
2. Add water, ensuring it stays below the ice-line. If in doubt, only fill half the glass with water.
3. Ensure the probe is placed under the water, but not resting on an ice cube.

Link can be found at: http://www.thermoworks.com/learning/...ing_an_icebath

Would love to hear what you find out. Also if anyone has an opinion on whether it's necessary to pull meat to get an accurate temp with thermapen i would love to hear it. Thanks.

[LowandSlow]

I'm going to try that, thanks a lot!

[MBMorgan]

White meat should be cooked to 165 (Meathead suggests pulling at 160 and let it carryover to 165). Dark meat should be cooked to 175 (again, it's recommended to pull 5 degrees early).

I don't know your location but remember that the boiling point of water depends on your altitude. 210 would be about right if you are around 1100 ft above sea level.

[LowandSlow]

Great point, my city states that we are at 768'.

[MBMorgan]

You have to take barometric pressure into account, too. If it's low, your water will "think" it's at an even higher altitude. My point is that your thermapen may not be as far off at it appeared.

[Breadhead]

A calibrated Thermapen does not lie! Trust your thermometer. I cook chicken breast to 155 and give it a quick sear to give it some color. Legs and thighs I cook to 180° because they pull off the bone better at that higher temp.👍

[l'inferno]

In your opinion, is it necessary to pull the meat off of the heat source to get 100% accurate temperature reading from the Thermapen? Thanks.

[Breadhead]

No... Just insert your probe into the center of the thickest part of the meat, while its still on the grate. You will be fine.👍

[LowandSlow]

I trust my probe, but how do you explain overcooked chicken and the probe under 160? Maybe it had already got above 165 and cooled as soon as I opened the lid. I don't know.

[l'inferno]

Sounds like you were cooking/doing a lot so a question for you. When you pulled the chicken breast was there a decent amount of time between them being pulled from grill, brought to table, being served, cut and consumed? You stated you finished at high heat sear. Perhaps they carry over cooked to 170 or higher. I've ruined a steak or two trying to rush temp at the end and not accounting for carry over cooking. Chicken breast is even more sensitive. Just a thought.
Lastly, you went low/slow @ 275 even for the breasts right? How long were the breasts on the grill - total time? Given the leaness of chicken breast perhaps not all 165's internal temps are the same. That is achieving 165 over two hours @275 versus achieving 165 over direct heat in ten minutes. Total speculation on my part and probably non-sensical. Just thinking out loud.

[LowandSlow]

My wife ate the chicken straight from the grill, so there was zero delay. I was following Meathead's recipe that I have made before @ 275 and was told that the chicken was amazing: http://amazingribs.com/recipes/chick...n_breasts.html

[Breadhead]

LowandSlow ... My guess is that you inserted your probe past dead center of the breast, into the more done layer of the breast to get that high temp. So your reading showed a higher temp.

Next time insert your probe to where you think dead center is, then pull it out very slowly. If your temp goes down while withdrawing it, that low temp is your dead center point.

Meat does not cool right after it comes off of the grill/smoker. If fact depending how hot you were cooking the meat when you pulled it off it will continue cooking and can gain 2° to 5° degrees while it is resting. That's called carryover cooking.

[LowandSlow]

I have been using this Thermapen for 18 months now and have been dialed in making sure I get to the middle of the meat. I wasn't even drinking! haha

[LowandSlow]

After reading: http://amazingribs.com/recipes/chick...n_breasts.html

I did forget to pound the breast and that probably made for uneven cooking and made the edges over cooked and only making the bulb cooked right, but still doesn't explain why the temps went down.