Chicken Tenders...FAIL

[Mitch01]

I really wanted to fix these tenders perfectly for the wife, but failed miserably! Not that they weren't tender and juicy, but because they weren't browned to her liking. Does anyone feel my pain? LOL Here's what happened; I wanted to smoke my chicken thighs, so I started out at 225* and let them ride till they hit 130*. Took them off the grill and covered, then I jumped the temp to 335*. Thinking the grill grates would be about 100* hotter, they would brown nicely. Once the grill hit 335* I put the thighs on and let them get to 155* before adding the tenders to the upside down GG's.

Closed the lid for 5 min, then looked. Barely any browning on the bottoms and temp at 161 rising fast. I pull them off the grill, put the thighs skin side down on the GG's and close the lid. In panic mode now. I put those white little pieces of meat on my Weber grill and get out the blow torch. They turned out more singed than brown. To top off the disappointment for the wife, my thighs turned out gorgeously brown.

I think in the future i will try 425* on the up right GG's, and place one of the GG's on top of them getting both sides at once. Any thoughts are welcomed!

 

[Buckeye smoker]

I've only made chicken once so far since I got my RT 700... And like you the chicken was tasting great but the skin was jacked up, almost rubbery... I believe that it was the attempt to do it at 225° that does this. It's just the way the grill works, chicken has to be done at a higher temps on this setup, I'm not sure if your top and bottom GG would work...let us know , goodluck!

 

[ifican]

I dont only feel your pain i live it. So get yourself a little sear grill or if you have another fire it up not to long before you need it. I recently purchased a cast iron sear grate that i use on another grill. No matter what i tried the Mrs was never happy with the coloring, the only way to make it how she wants it, is to have it kissed by flame or on super hot skillet on the stove. Though she prefers fire kissed, so to make my life easier thats what she gets. I have tried everything with the bull but it simply doesnt get hot enough, put er on full steam ahead, got to about 550 and hit it on flat side of grill grates. It got close and she mentioned that but it didnt look how she wanted so that means it doesnt taste how she wants. No arguing with that logic . Anyways save yourself the headache and just sear it somewhere else. Youll thank me later.

 

[Uncle Bob]

……………….. so to make my life easier thats what she gets. ...….......

Mucho wisdom there...........

 

[Mitch01]

I would think that the GG, if I got the bull up to 500 or better, ought to give a good seer.

 

[Buckeye smoker]

I would think that the GG, if I got the bull up to 500 or better, ought to give a good seer.

Yes,I thought the paper work said the sear kit raised the temp 200°. ..so you'd think 700° would do it*

 

[ifican]

Marketing is just that, marketing. The gg work great they just dont work well enough for how someone i know likes it. I am quite particular myself and have no issue how they turn out, but as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I will do much more playing and testing but i need to wait till shes out of town or risk the wrath of sauron.

 

[Mitch01]

Something tells me your wife and my wife hung out at the same school of thought. ?

 

[Mike Quattrini]

I put my grill grates over the sear burner on my old gas grill the last couple of times I used them. Getting the Bull to terminal temperature takes time and you can watch the hopper level go down, so I tried the grates over the sear burner and liked the results.

I’m careful about not turning it up too much to prevent warping. I seared a couple of reverse sear rib-eyes Saturday and my IR thermometer read about 750 degrees. I was able to go straight from the Bull and finished them off in about 6 minutes.

At that temperature, the internal temp responds pretty quickly and next time I probably won’t exceed 115 or so while on the Bull.

I also used some auxiliary smoke from pellets in a tube and really liked the results. I’ve cooked more steak on the Bull in the last month than I did in the two years I had a ceramic grill.

 

[Mitch01]

I love the fact that you used the term "Jacked up"! My favorite expression for a real mess. I first started using it in the USAF as a Security Policeman "77-81". If we had to stop someone, "hand up and spread-um", then they just got jacked-up!

 

[RollinSmoke]

I haven't done as much chicken as other meats but I have never liked the results of smoking or low cooking. It seems like when I cook them at a med-high I get better results. I'm new to the grill grates but have noticed they sear a little better if you really let them soak up the temp, can take a little longer but seems to get better browning.

 

[BretM]

I only do skin on thighs and drumsticks on my Bull. I put mine on low (180) for an hour to get good smoke flavor, then I turn it up to 400 to finish it off and get them to 170 internal...dark meat can take it.

 

[Mitch01]

Do you find that when you put it on 180 you get a much better smoke taste in your meat? More so than at 225?

 

[ifican]

You cant set 180 persay what you do is set it to LO, its the last tick and lowest possible temp. Your dial goes 200 then LO, some have reported a temp of aprx 180. I have not personally tested, am curious now so will.

Edit: i had not read back doing so disregard if this comment is irrelevant.

 

[BretM]

Do you find that when you put it on 180 you get a much better smoke taste in your meat? More so than at 225?

I've just always done it on Lo and then turn it up to 375-400. There is definitely more smoke in the chamber on Lo than at 225.

Turning it up higher to fish helps render the fat and crisp the skin more.

Takes about 1hr 30min to 1hr 45min start to finish.

 

[Buckeye smoker]

Definitely more smoke on lower temps.

 

[SafetyDan]

Yes,I thought the paper work said the sear kit raised the temp 200°. ..so you'd think 700° would do it*

I am interested in how they say the heat increases 200° by placing a non powered metal grill grate which uses radiant heat to warm up.

 

[Uncle Bob]

I am interested in how they say the heat increases 200° by placing a non powered metal grill grate which uses radiant heat to warm up.

Magic!

 

[Buckeye smoker]

I am interested in how they say the heat increases 200° by placing a non powered metal grill grate which uses radiant heat to warm up.

Haha yeah, I don't remember it was something about "radiating infrared heat"....???

 

[SafetyDan]

Haha yeah, I don't remember it was something about "radiating infrared heat"....???

The claim is that they eliminate hot / cold spots, and the ribbed side concentrates the heat for the grill marks. There is no way for them to increase the heat and they have no way to introduce additional heat.

https://www.grillgrate.com - GrillGrates turn pellet smokers into pellet grills. They trap and concentrate heat and conduct it up the rails for great searing while the valleys sizzle juices for added flavor...that’s why we call pellet grill sets “Sear Stations.”