BBQ for 30

[Douzer77]

Have been talked into helping with a bbq for 30+ next week (in the rain in Ireland ). Plan is to keep it simple, burgers and chicken. My question is could I boil the chicken breasts the night before, marinate them when cooled for the night in the fridge and then heat them up on the bbq the following day?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Any advice greatly appreciated

My advice...don't do it!!! Boiled Chicken turns into rubber. Marinate? For What?
Heat them up the following day...Yes if you want to serve warmed up, boiled, (rubber) chicken....Cook/BBQ/grill what ever the day of the event...Depending on the breast..size, bone-in, boneless....1 hour on the grill should put you close if not there....Brine/marinate before cooking if it makes you happy!

 

[buckytom]

i hate to say it douz, but in my experience, irish people tend to like their food very well (over) cooked. i've cringed many times while friends ordered filet mignon or lamb rib chops well done. i'm not sure if you've experienced the same.

i would think that par boiling chicken would be ok, so long as it is still on the bone. you kinda have to grill boneless from a raw state, though, or plan on serving rubber chickens.

my wife likes to par boil chicken legs, then sauce them for me to grill over a very low heat for just a few minutes. since they're mostly cooked, you're looking to just add a little char and cook the sauce a bit. high heat will burn many sauces/marinades, so be sure to raise your grill as much as possible over real coals, or lower the flame the same way on a gas grill.

hth.

 

[Douzer77]

As always, I bow to your knowledge, Uncle Bob! Will let them cook away for an hour on the bbq!

 

[Douzer77]

Oh Buckytom, you have no idea how long its taken me to convince my other half to take his fillet steak medium as opposed to cremated!

 

[Uncle Bob]

As always, I bow to your knowledge, Uncle Bob! Will let them cook away for an hour on the bbq!

No No ...don't cook by the clock...An hour depending on your grill/fire/temperature etc should put you close....Cook with a thermometer to be sure! I like them in the 155*-160* range.....They may be ready in 50 minutes...or it might take 75 minutes...let the thermometer work for you. It's your best friend!

 

[kitchenelf]

The term BBQ always throws me off - I keep thinking someone needs pulled pork help

I wouldn't cook them beforehand unless you want to bake them then just give them a sear on the grill for flavor. OR, if you have to pre-cook them just grill them off the day before and reheat in a covered pan in the oven the day of. Just an FYI in case there is any chicken left over - grilled chicken (especially if it's coated in a bbq sauce) makes GREAT chicken salad!

Otherwise grilling day of is the best. Absolutely marinate or just add bbq sauce towards the end.

For your burgers put an indention right in the middle, almost all the way through but don't go all the way through, about the diameter of your thumb. This will prevent the burgers from shrinking...AND, don't squish the burgers.

 

[buckytom]

i can appreciate uncle bob's reasoning for doing it properly, but the ol' par boil, so long as it only for a few minutes, can help to speed the process before the rubber stage is reached.

nothing can recreate the tenderness as with low and slow, but if you have a good sauce, all is forgiven.

 

[Uncle Bob]

I don't know your crowd, but I'm guessing some folks don't like their chicken sauced...
Dry rub them all....Sauce some...leave some plain...Or leave all of them plain...serve a warm sauce on the side...Maybe three or four different ones....You know what's popular in your area....

Have Fun!!!

 

[love2"Q"]

i have cheated in the past .. but not by boiling ..
i have had to bake chicken in the oven before grilling .
due to amount of people and limited grilling space ..
so all i had to do was heat them and sauce them..
works in a pinch ..