GRILLED CHICKEN

AS SOON AS OUR TESTING STARTED, WE REALIZED we needed to develop separate methods for dark and white meat parts. The higher fat content in thighs and legs makes flare-ups a greater problem, while the breasts have a tendency to dry out and need special handling.

We quickly dismissed partially cooking before or after grilling, since poaching or microwaving yielded dry, cottony meat. Finishing grilled parts in a hot oven is cumbersome and the grill flavor is not strong enough.

We tried the method recommended by the manufacturers of many covered grills: searing chicken over a hot fire, then moving it to a medium fire, putting the cover on, and cooking until done. This method works well, but the residue on the inside of the cover imparts an undesirable flavor.

Next, we tried searing the chicken over a medium-hot fire and then moving it to a medium fire to finish cooking. This approach was fine for thinner thighs and legs. However, we found that breasts need to be moved to an area with no coals and covered with a disposable pan (no off flavors here) to cook through.

Marinating the chicken does not add much flavor and causes constant flare-ups during the initial searing period. Rubbing the chicken with a spice rub prior to grilling proved far more satisfactory. Barbecue sauces often contain some sweetener and can burn if brushed on the chicken before cooking. We found it best to brush them on when cooking was almost done As a final test, we tried brining the chicken before grilling it. The brine penetrated the chicken, seasoning it and slightly firming up its texture before grilling.

You can grill dark and white meat parts together, if you like. Set up a three-level fire with most of the coals on one side of the grill, some coals in the middle, and no coals on the opposite side. Sear all the chicken parts over the hottest part of the fire, finish cooking the legs and thighs over the medium fire in the middle, and move the seared breasts to the coolest part of the grill and cover with a disposable pan.