Wednesday, Jun. 03, 2009

Fire up the grill for chicken

Chef Austin Scott, who teaches culinary arts for the Muscogee County School District at Jordan High School, knows his way around a grill.

He regularly competes in grilling competitions and is now gearing up for the Aflac Outdoor Games on June 19-21.

His first tip for summer grillers is to completely clean out the grill.

Once the grill is clean and you’re ready to fire up the coals, make sure the lid is open.

“Always leave the lid open when lighting any grill,” Scott said. “Keep it ventilated.”

Check the temperature gauge, if there is one, and make sure it’s hot enough to cook meat thoroughly.

You can learn how to do it in the instructional video.

GRILLED MARINATED CHICKEN

5 pounds cut-up chicken

18 ounces of your favorite beer

12 ounces balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons Kosher salt

1/2 gallon water

For the chicken rub:

2 tablespoons Zatarain’s Cajun seasoning

2 tablespoons Cavender’s Greek seasoning

1 tablespoon instant hot cocoa mix

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried sweet basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients for the brine and let the meat sit, refrigerated, for at least two hours. For best results, let it sit overnight.

Combine all the rub ingredients thoroughly. (Put the rub in an air-tight container and it will last until you use it all. Always make sure that your hands are clean when putting rub on any meat.)

Generously sprinkle the rub on each piece. Both Zatarain’s Cajun and Cavender’s Greek seasonings are available at most grocery stores, Scott said.

Cook the chicken at 350 degrees for about two hours.

Rotate the chicken every 30 minutes or so. And spray water on the chicken to keep it moist.

The smaller pieces like the wings will obviously cook more quickly than the larger pieces. To make sure the chicken is done, use a meat thermometer. It should be 165 degrees at the thickest part.

Another way to tell if chicken is done is if the meat is separating from the bone.

Scott says to be patient when grilling meat.

“It’s a waiting game,” he said. “You have to tend to it.”

More from Chef's Corner

Look for a new Chef’s Corner instructional video each Wednesday at videos.ledger-enquirer.com.

Today: How to get your grill ready and how to grill Chef Austin Scott’s marinated chicken

June 10: How to grill vegetables.