Cook on Charcoal Grate?

[Tommy B]

I am a big stuffed pepper fan and am considering ways to increase capacity on one kettle. I know people have rigged up a second grate above the standard grate but has anyone cooked on the charcoal grate? Started an indirect fire on one side and used the charcoal grate?

A three tiered cook if you will.

Would it be too close to the fire? obviously you would need to protect the food from a dusty charcoal grate with foil or a pan.

If it could be done I am sure it has been already but I have never seen anyone do it!

[austin87]

Melted onions usually get cooked on the charcoal grate in their husks. I always do vertical roasted chicken (AKA beer can chicken) on the charcoal grate (usually without a cooking grate in place) because of height limitations.

Potatoes, corn, and all kind of things can be cooked "in the basement"

[TheDude]

I always do baked potatoes and melted onions in the basement. Stuffed peppers in a foil pan sounds like an excellent idea.

[SmokenJoe]

And, of course, the perennial favorite  ...  drip pan beans w/ all the extras.                 SJ

[TheDude]

And, of course, the perennial favorite  ...  drip pan beans w/ all the extras.                 SJ

There is that.

[MacEggs]

BCC …




… and, a three layered kettle …

[Hell Fire Grill]

Cooking caveman!

[Tommy B]

thanks for all the responses. I am going to cook something on the charcoal grate ASAP

[jcnaz]

Turkey in the basement.

[TheDude]

@jcnaz about how long did that turkey take?

[jcnaz]

@jcnaz about how long did that turkey take?

2.5 - 3hrs. 350°ish.

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/index.php?topic=8954.0

[Filibuster]

   My first smoke using the smokenator was just that, a three tiered smoke,duck sitting in the roast holder in the basement, spatchcocked chicken on the food grate and turkey parts on the hoover grill. Everything turned out great but boy was I nervous because I didn't do a test cook and that would have been a lot of meat wasted. My version of smoked turducken.

[MikeRocksTheRed]

Got inspired by this thread, so I did a chicken in the basement last night.  It turned out awesome.   I made a melted butter mix with some seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion poweder, lemon pepper, cumin, and cayenne that I poured underneath the skin.  Rubbed the out side with the same mixture.  Drip pan was filled with some chicken stock and a little bit of goya ham seasoning as well as the chicken parts.  Kettle lid showed between 325-350 most of the cook, probe on the cookie rack that I cooked the chicken on stayed between 250-280.  Used cherry wood for the first time.  Added the foil walls after about 45 mintues of cooking once I saw how cooked the skin was getting.  Pulled when probe in thigh area hit 165, other parts of the chicken were a good bit hotter than that but still came out awesome.  I did rest it in my oven for a good 45 minutes...heated the oven to 170 and then turned it off a few minutes before putting the chicken in to rest.  The end result was some amazing juicy chicken with crispy skin.  I am definitely doing this cook again and again.  I didn't really pay attention to when I started the cook or pulled the chicken off of the performer, so I don't have a total cook time to report.

How it all started (no foil barriers for the 1st 45 minutes:


Skin getting crispy...added some foil barriers:


All done!


It looks a little dry in the pic, but I can assure you it was not!

[MacEggs]

That looks excellent, @MikeRocksTheRed !  Looks like a decent sized bird, too …. 4-6 lbs??

Good call on the foil barriers.

[MikeRocksTheRed]

That looks excellent, @MikeRocksTheRed !  Looks like a decent sized bird, too …. 4-6 lbs??

Good call on the foil barriers.

I think it was around 5lbs.  And as far as the foil barriers goes, (I just ate a leg and thigh and both were amazing!) I think it needs to be left out the first 30-45 minutes so the dark meat gets some extra heat from being so close to the coal baskets, then place the barrier in.  My parents have always put the dark meat back in the oven for extra cooking when doing a turkey...I think the hot heat from the coal baskets is kind of a reverse way of doing my parents trick for giving dark meat some extra heat!