Pollo ala Brassa, aka 'Peruvian Chicken'

[edhead35]

There seems to be several recipe families. Acidity and salt version , mint and yellow pepper version , or acidity and red pepper sauce version .

[mike.stavlund]

The true Peruvian restaurants that I've been to have revolving roti racks that bring the birds in close proximity with the coals at regular intervals.  So I try to approximate that by putting the coals *right next* to the birds to get a nice sear on the skin.  I generally do this by using a beater top grate on the grill, and stacking old-school wire-style coal baskets on top of that, right next to the chicken(s).  FWIW.

[DoppelBock]

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[mike.stavlund]

Don't forget a good drip pan (!), and you might consider covering part of the bottom grate with aluminum foil to direct the air flow over the coals a bit more than usual. 

[DoppelBock]

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[glrasmussen]

Looks awesome! Like the lower/upper combo for the fuel.

[DoppelBock]

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[mike.stavlund]

Your chicken looks great, Chad!  That setup is really intriguing-- I should try it myself. 

I love the plywood windbreak, too.  Super slick setup.

[Brickout]

http://bbq.about.com/od/chickenrecipes/r/bl70730a.htm

So I tried this version out for my first roti cook on my Genesis gasser (sorry, dont have a roto ring for the kettle...yet!).

I have to say I was very pleased, and the wife was too! The marinade reminded me of the Oaxacan grilling paste that Williams Sonoma use to sell. I don't think I'd change a thing.

[mike.stavlund]

Nice work, Brickout! 

That recipe does look like a good one.  Two things especially stand out to me as helping this preparation quite a lot: 

1.  The lemon-water wash.  Something about that extra acidity seems to clean the chicken, and make it a bit more tacky for the addition of the flavor paste/marinade. 

2.  The overnight marinate.  Getting those flavors in contact with the chicken-- and especially under the skin-- for a good long time makes a big difference. 

[mike.stavlund]

So I dropped in on a real hole-in-the-wall Peruvian Chicken place this week (it was literally *behind* a strip mall, in the basement) and it was incredible.  (It was 'Wild Chicken' in Fairfax, VA for all you locals.  Though I still think El Pollo Rico in Arlington is the best.)   The reason it stood out to me was that it was definitely from the soy sauce family of these recipes.  And though I've scoffed at the soy flavors in Pollo ala Brassa in the past, I'm a true believer now.  In the right proportion, it really gives a nice and interesting flavor.  Overall I found the chicken to be a bit too salty, but it was really juicy and full of flavor.  The place is small enough that they take the time to put the seasonings under the skin, and to marinate them sufficiently, etc..  The guy at the pit told me they cook for 70 minutes in total. 

They use lump, too.  It was in a big brown bag marked 'for professional use only-- not for resale', so of course I was sorely tempted to try to buy a bag from the pitmaster.  ;-)

[mike.stavlund]

Hey, I was just revisiting this thread to find something for @Chasing_smoke

I can't remember if I mentioned this earlier, but one game-raising aspect of this cooking method is the smoke created by the chicken fat/juices.  In the pro restaurants, this is achieved by the rotating rotisseries which take turns putting the chicken in close proximity with the lump charcoal.  When I cook at home, I've started putting a sacrificial charcoal fire directly under the chicken(s).  Nothing huge, and nothing that will create a tremendous amount of heat, but just enough to keep going for the first 45-60 minutes to create some smoke before it goes out. 

[addicted-to-smoke]

Hey Mike, you did mention that right above, scroll up. From your earlier description is sounds like it's temporary and occasional, so you're adding and then removing and then adding, etc, those charcoal baskets to have high direct heat (broiling) for awhile.

[mike.stavlund]

Thanks! 

I think I'm even confusing myself... the only place I use a charcoal baskets is right *next* to the chicken, with the baskets sitting on an old beater food grate.  I also make a small pile of charcoal on the *charcoal* grate below the chicken (and below the beater food grate).  I leave the baskets in place until the chicken is done, and the sacrificial pile of charcoal usually burns out before then. 

[addicted-to-smoke]

So, heat directly down low, so that the drippins waft back up onto rotating food + more and hotter heat up near the food?

I may need a visual, I've started to lose the scent so to speak.

I just unearthed my rotisserie and am wanting to use it.