The Bird In The Backyard

In his never-ending quest to get Americans to grill right, chef Bobby Flay has decided to tackle the one grill meat that continues to baffle even the best of the backyard grill masters.

Next to burgers and hot dogs, chicken is likely the most popular meat to call a grill home. The unfortunate thing is, far too few folks know how to cook grilled chicken right.

Flay hopes to provide The Early Show viewers a fool-proof checklist to ensure the next round of grilled chicken comes out right. Flay also shares his recipe for a tangy Mango-Dijon glaze to top things off.

How many times have you grilled chicken yourself, or gone to an outdoor summer party, and found the grilled burned on the outside, under done in the inside, devoid of all flavor, charred with barbecue sauce or completely overcooked and tough?

Flay will take the guesswork out of preparing chicken.

He says perfectly grilled chicken every time is easy as pie if the following rules are observed.

RULE 1:
Don't boil the chicken first then put on the grill. This will leach out most of the flavor and leave you with bland- tasting chicken.

Too often, chicken is boiled first to reduce the risk of salmonella poisoning. But in the process of killing the bacteria, the chicken loses much of its flavor.

RULE 2:
Don't grill the chicken on high heat. This will burn the outside and leave the chicken raw.

A great grill master knows which meat needs to be cooked slow over low heat and which can stand high heat and lots of flames. Chicken, because it must be cooked straight through, needs to cook on the coolest part of the grill so it heats steadily, cooking the inside without burning the outer layer of the meat.

RULE 3:
Don't put sauces on the chicken until the last few minutes of grilling. Most sauces contain a lot of sugar that will burn if cooked too long on the grill.

RULE 4:
Do grill the chicken on the coolest part of the grill with the cover closed. This will take longer but will yield perfect results.

RULE 5:
Do take the chicken off when it reaches an internal temperature of about 150-degrees Fahrenheit.

If a thermometer is not on hand, clear-running juices and meat that presents without any pink areas are good indicators of the perfectly done chicken.

RULE 7:
Do let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving, and the carry-over cooking will raise the heat to 160 degrees which is the perfect internal temperature and will insure that any bacteria will be killed.

White and dark meat will cook differently so one must still take care in checking for any undercooked meat portions. It also goes without saying one should have plenty of sauce around to provide the additional flavor.

Flay suggests pre-heating the grill to medium-low heat. This can be done very easily with a gas grill; for charcoal, a trained eye knows the grill is ready when the briquettes have turned to grey. Season the meat with salt and pepper and dredge it in your favorite spice rub before placing it on the coolest part of the grill. Keeping the lid closed while the chicken cooks creates a convection effect that helps the meat to cook both inside and out. The process is slow but it's well worth the wait.

Our chef says if the Mango-Dijon Glaze below is not your style, apply a flavor or your own choice. ust remember the rule, it's best to apply all glaze or sauce during the last five minutes or so of cooking. This way, the glaze or sauce adheres without running the risk of burning.

THE RECIPE

Perfect Grilled Chicken
Serves: 4

Assorted skin-on chicken pieces, bone-in breast, bone-in thigh, bone-in leg
Salt and pepper
Favorite BBQ Sauce
Favorite Spice Rub
Maple-Dijon Glaze (recipe below)

Preheat grill to medium-low heat. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper (and dredge in your favorite spice rub if using a rub.) Place the chicken on the coolest outside part of the grill, close the lid and cook until skin is golden brown and cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of grilling, brush the chicken with your favorite barbcue sauce or the Maple-Dijon glaze.

Maple-Dijon Glaze

1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder (optional)
Salt and pepper

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.