How much charcoal?

[Swampcrawler]

Webber 22.5 kettle.

I'm sitting here watching my new Thermoworks Smoke, doing my first official dry run sense getting the thermo for Christmas. I dumped a full to the brim chimney of fully lit coals on one side, set up the air temp probe in the middle of the indirect side, and started monitoring. With the vents wide open I got up to 470 and climbing before I decided to start throttling it down to keep from risking damage to my probe. Now, about 30-40 minutes in, with the intake baaaaarely open and exhaust half closed, I'm at 375 and falling slowly.

Does this sound about right or do I need to go lighter on the coal charge?




(I'll be trying spatchcocked Huli Huli chicken later!)

[MacEggs]

Sounds good .... why waste all that heat ?? ... Get that bird on now. 

[Swampcrawler]

The wife will skin me if she gets home from work and dinner is cold because I put it on to early!

I'm going to burn these coals with no food just to start to get a feel for them control, then light it back up and start cooking.

[MacEggs]

The wife will skin me if she gets home from work and dinner is cold because I put it on to early!

I'm going to burn these coals with no food just to start to get a feel for them control, then light it back up and start cooking.

I understand, but the cooker will behave a little different once you slap a cold hunk of meat on there.
So much good heat there .... I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.  Sausages, patties, etc would be a nice lunch, eh?!   

[Swampcrawler]

The wife will skin me if she gets home from work and dinner is cold because I put it on to early!

I'm going to burn these coals with no food just to start to get a feel for them control, then light it back up and start cooking.

I understand, but the cooker will behave a little different once you slap a cold hunk of meat on there.
So much good heat there .... I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.  Sausages, patties, etc would be a nice lunch, eh?!   

Good point. I just threw some pineapple on... may have to go dig around for something a little meatier!

[Jules V.]

Can't wait for the huli huli chicken, especially the recipe.

[Swampcrawler]

Can't wait for the huli huli chicken, especially the recipe.

Here ya go. I have a 2nd one going now because I may or may not have eaten the first one before the wife got home.  very good. Kind of sweet and tangy!



And a link to the recipe. I highly recommend Meathead's book as well. Very educational and full of extremely good looking recipes!

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/chicken-recipes/hawaiian-huli-huli-chicken-teriyaki-sauce

[Jules V.]

So what's the marinade you used?  I grew up eating huli huli chicken and i can't seem to replicate the flavor profile. It has a basic ingredients consisting of soy sauce, brown sugar, pineapple juice, garlic, ginger and mirin. Maybe it's the coal that they typically use which is the kiawe wood.

[Swampcrawler]

So what's the marinade you used?  I grew up eating huli huli chicken and i can't seem to replicate the flavor profile. It has a basic ingredients consisting of soy sauce, brown sugar, pineapple juice, garlic, ginger and mirin. Maybe it's the coal that they typically use which is the kiawe wood.

Here's a screenshot of the ingredients list. I've never had the real deal, so I have no idea how close this is. But it sure is tasty!

[Jules V.]

Here's my version of huli huli chicken. Cut chicken in half and used the roti. The other half is just sant n pepper for my picky daughter. Used a combination of oak and mesquite lump along with apple split  and kept it without the lid. Not quite the flavor profile of a kiawe but it was very close.   Almost tempted to have family members ship me some kiawe wood but shipping is just too prohibitive.