Parboil chicken technique

T PIT · 08-11-2009, 12:48 PM

I'm sure this topic has been beat to death, but I'm new to the site. I would like to know how it is done on the grill. I have heard a lot of talk about it, but never seen it done or told how to do it. I tried a couple of methods without much luck. So far my best attempt came by covering the bottom of a round deep dish pie pan in butter. I put the pan of chicken on my Smokie Mountain bottom grill. I then cooked it twenty minutes per side. Next, I sauced the chicken and grilled it ten minutes per side. The chicken looked perfect and was cooked perfect but tasted plain. I had plenty of smoke but it did not penetrate the meat.

Philly-QueMaster · 08-11-2009, 12:55 PM

Parboiling anything should be illegal....and you shouldn't mention it on this site unless you want to get flamed. Next time try butterflying the chicken and then doing an indirect cook low and slow.

Patrick

KC_Bobby · 08-11-2009, 01:09 PM

Many of the successful comp chicken cooks/teams use this method. We tried it, just didn't work for us. (yet, I'm sure we'll try again at some point in the future) Thus, I'll be reading along rather then advising.

The Pickled Pig · 08-11-2009, 01:58 PM

It sounds like what you are doing is braising (to cook slowly in fat and little moisture) the chicken, not parboiling (to boil briefly as a preliminary or incomplete cooking procedure) it. Braising is done to tenderize, add flavor, and keep meat moist whereas parboiling is done to speed cooking times and tenderize. When you parboil food some of the flavor is lost in the boiling water...not so for braising.

It sounds like you have the process down. Add butter/margerine to a foil pan, add chicken, cook, remove chicken, grill for color until done. Alternatively, you can grill for color, and then add butter/margerine and chicken to a pan and cook until done. Some will even grill braise and then grill again.

early mornin' smokin' · 08-11-2009, 02:30 PM

i have tried this method, as ive seen a number of comp teams "say" they do this at a comp. We melted down a tub of margarine, put the thigh in so they were barely covered, about 45 minutes at 275, out of the margarine bath, onto the smoker until finished, prob another 45 minutes- 1hr to set the glaze. I hated it, completely, but everyone that ate it said they were the best chicken they had ever eaten.

CaptainJimmy · 08-11-2009, 03:06 PM

boy oh boy i was pretty sure this post was coming from someone on the east coast..

thank god he's from MO... our "BBQing" gets a bad enough name as it is.

to the original poster: Parboiling should be illegal. Its like making chicken soup, without all the delicious noodles and veggies.

1FUNVET · 08-11-2009, 04:12 PM

Save the parboiling for ribs not chicken

jswordy · 08-11-2009, 04:21 PM

Maybe try this: Smoke the chicken from the get-go, pull it off just shy of 160 and finish on the grill. You should get your smoky flavor and a crispy flesh with this method. Rest it a bit before chowing down.

I also know a guy who oven-cooks his chicken and then grills it. It tastes pretty danged good, but I would prefer to smoke it rather than oven cook it.

landarc · 08-11-2009, 04:38 PM

Sounds more like poaching in fat, it has become all the rage here for chicken and white fish. Butter poaching is the most common form I have heard of. For me, the best way to get a flavorful chicken is to brine or marinade it for a couple of hours to several hours. Then spatchcock or beer can ( I do not use a beer can though ) the whole bird.

jgh1204 · 08-11-2009, 05:00 PM

brine

Philly-QueMaster · 08-11-2009, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainJimmy

boy oh boy i was pretty sure this post was coming from someone on the east coast..

thank god he's from MO... our "BBQing" gets a bad enough name as it is.

to the original poster: Parboiling should be illegal. Its like making chicken soup, without all the delicious noodles and veggies.

I'm glad someone feels the same way I do. I'm from the East cost...but I would never boil any meat to cook...unless maybe I was making chicken salad.

Patrick

08-11-2009, 12:48 PM	#1
T PIT Wandering around with a bag of matchlight, looking for a match. Join Date: 08-10-09 Location: Holt Summit, MO Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Parboil chicken technique I'm sure this topic has been beat to death, but I'm new to the site. I would like to know how it is done on the grill. I have heard a lot of talk about it, but never seen it done or told how to do it. I tried a couple of methods without much luck. So far my best attempt came by covering the bottom of a round deep dish pie pan in butter. I put the pan of chicken on my Smokie Mountain bottom grill. I then cooked it twenty minutes per side. Next, I sauced the chicken and grilled it ten minutes per side. The chicken looked perfect and was cooked perfect but tasted plain. I had plenty of smoke but it did not penetrate the meat.

08-11-2009, 01:09 PM	#3
KC_Bobby Babbling Farker Join Date: 05-03-07 Location: Gardner KS Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Many of the successful comp chicken cooks/teams use this method. We tried it, just didn't work for us. (yet, I'm sure we'll try again at some point in the future) Thus, I'll be reading along rather then advising. __________________ Boondoggle BBQ Country Smokers 450 Weber Smokey Mountain 18" Proud KCBS Member & Certified Judge Last edited by KC_Bobby; 08-11-2009 at 02:05 PM.. Reason: incorrect definition of term

08-11-2009, 01:58 PM	#4
The Pickled Pig is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 06-21-07 Location: Overland Park, KS Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	It sounds like what you are doing is braising (to cook slowly in fat and little moisture) the chicken, not parboiling (to boil briefly as a preliminary or incomplete cooking procedure) it. Braising is done to tenderize, add flavor, and keep meat moist whereas parboiling is done to speed cooking times and tenderize. When you parboil food some of the flavor is lost in the boiling water...not so for braising. It sounds like you have the process down. Add butter/margerine to a foil pan, add chicken, cook, remove chicken, grill for color until done. Alternatively, you can grill for color, and then add butter/margerine and chicken to a pan and cook until done. Some will even grill braise and then grill again. __________________ Paul Ostrom The Pickled Pig Twitter - @ThePickledPig CBJ, WSM, UDS Cookers, Weber Gasser, Weber One Touch Gold Kettle,

08-11-2009, 02:30 PM	#5
early mornin' smokin' is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-06-08 Location: wading river, ny Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	i have tried this method, as ive seen a number of comp teams "say" they do this at a comp. We melted down a tub of margarine, put the thigh in so they were barely covered, about 45 minutes at 275, out of the margarine bath, onto the smoker until finished, prob another 45 minutes- 1hr to set the glaze. I hated it, completely, but everyone that ate it said they were the best chicken they had ever eaten. __________________ I'm an EGGHEAD, L BGE, dueling weber 26.75's, heineken 22 1/2, and a neglected pro-q 20

08-11-2009, 03:06 PM	#6
CaptainJimmy Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 06-04-09 Location: Howell, NJ Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	boy oh boy i was pretty sure this post was coming from someone on the east coast.. thank god he's from MO... our "BBQing" gets a bad enough name as it is. to the original poster: Parboiling should be illegal. Its like making chicken soup, without all the delicious noodles and veggies. __________________ BGE Large&Weber OTS 22.5" Craigslist rescues

08-11-2009, 12:55 PM	#2
Philly-QueMaster is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 06-09-09 Location: Willow Grove, PA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Parboiling anything should be illegal....and you shouldn't mention it on this site unless you want to get flamed. Next time try butterflying the chicken and then doing an indirect cook low and slow. Patrick

08-11-2009, 04:12 PM	#7
1FUNVET Babbling Farker Join Date: 04-16-09 Location: Lake Charles La Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Save the parboiling for ribs not chicken

08-11-2009, 04:21 PM	#8
jswordy is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 05-13-09 Location: Fayetteville, TN Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Maybe try this: Smoke the chicken from the get-go, pull it off just shy of 160 and finish on the grill. You should get your smoky flavor and a crispy flesh with this method. Rest it a bit before chowing down. I also know a guy who oven-cooks his chicken and then grills it. It tastes pretty danged good, but I would prefer to smoke it rather than oven cook it. __________________ Double-Barrel Smoker (DBS); Ugly Drum Smoker (UDS)

08-11-2009, 04:38 PM	#9
landarc somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-26-09 Location: San Leandro, CA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Sounds more like poaching in fat, it has become all the rage here for chicken and white fish. Butter poaching is the most common form I have heard of. For me, the best way to get a flavorful chicken is to brine or marinade it for a couple of hours to several hours. Then spatchcock or beer can ( I do not use a beer can though ) the whole bird. __________________ "perhaps...but then again...maybe not..." careful there son, those ribs are boiling hot... \_\|_/ (='.'=) Here there be bunnies... (")_(")ooo Pacific Rim BBQ Bob's Brew and Que

08-11-2009, 05:00 PM	#10
jgh1204 Babbling Farker Join Date: 12-26-04 Location: Selma, TX(You better slow down when you hit town) Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	brine __________________ Wannabe BBQ Illuminati

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