I got some thighs to try out the Vortex, because I really want to know, is this something I’m going to use a couple times, or is it going to be a regular use thing?
Verdict: for full on chicken, with skin and bone, it is pretty awesome. For boneless skinless, there is a slight learning curve.
I did four thighs, and six boneless skinless thighs (because that’s how they were packaged). The regular thighs I put in a bag with some vegetable oil and some Owens BBQ wing rub that came in the shipment; the boneless skinless I did with bbq sauce and Italian dressing. With a Performer Platinum I lit a fully loaded Vortex with the gas assist, and when the fire was roaring I arranged the pieces around the outside. I left both vents fully open, and put a chunk of wood over the fire. The instructions for wings say they take an hour, and to rotate the lid every 15 minutes, but I rotated it about every 5 minutes, figuring what difference does it make.
At about 25 minutes I checked the bird parts, and man, they were DONE. The regulars were just starting to blacken, in fact, and the b/s were blackened at the edges. And I hadn’t even put the vegetables on! (I was cutting the watermelon.) I shut the vents put the veggies on, and tonged the chicken into bowls.
The regular, I did two pieces with wing sauce and two pieces with white sauce. The b/s I left alone, Mrs Mosca likes them just like that.
Verdict: the regular pieces were AWESOME. The skin was crispy, the meat was juicy. For me, chicken is about 50%-60% as satisfying as beef or pork; this was as satisfying as beef and pork. The other ones, I didn’t try. But Mrs proclaimed them tender and juicy.
Will the Vortex be used as a regular part of my repertoire? If this is any indication, I say, yes. For b/s, I don’t think it is better or worse than my usual method of raised direct on the BGE. But for getting that crisp skin/juicy meat sweet spot on regular chicken, first time, I hand it all to the tool.
Either put more wood chunks on, or don’t put any on. I couldn’t taste any smoke at all.
Verdict: for full on chicken, with skin and bone, it is pretty awesome. For boneless skinless, there is a slight learning curve.
I did four thighs, and six boneless skinless thighs (because that’s how they were packaged). The regular thighs I put in a bag with some vegetable oil and some Owens BBQ wing rub that came in the shipment; the boneless skinless I did with bbq sauce and Italian dressing. With a Performer Platinum I lit a fully loaded Vortex with the gas assist, and when the fire was roaring I arranged the pieces around the outside. I left both vents fully open, and put a chunk of wood over the fire. The instructions for wings say they take an hour, and to rotate the lid every 15 minutes, but I rotated it about every 5 minutes, figuring what difference does it make.
At about 25 minutes I checked the bird parts, and man, they were DONE. The regulars were just starting to blacken, in fact, and the b/s were blackened at the edges. And I hadn’t even put the vegetables on! (I was cutting the watermelon.) I shut the vents put the veggies on, and tonged the chicken into bowls.
The regular, I did two pieces with wing sauce and two pieces with white sauce. The b/s I left alone, Mrs Mosca likes them just like that.
Verdict: the regular pieces were AWESOME. The skin was crispy, the meat was juicy. For me, chicken is about 50%-60% as satisfying as beef or pork; this was as satisfying as beef and pork. The other ones, I didn’t try. But Mrs proclaimed them tender and juicy.
Will the Vortex be used as a regular part of my repertoire? If this is any indication, I say, yes. For b/s, I don’t think it is better or worse than my usual method of raised direct on the BGE. But for getting that crisp skin/juicy meat sweet spot on regular chicken, first time, I hand it all to the tool.
Either put more wood chunks on, or don’t put any on. I couldn’t taste any smoke at all.
I didn't usually use a full load on the 22", but I do on the 26. The Vortex is king for chicken. Oh, and that plate looks awesome!
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