Barbecuing poultry

• Ideal cuts
• Barbecue cooking basics
• Internal temperature of cooked poultry
  

Ideal cuts

• Whole bird
• Breasts with bone in or out
• Scallopini
• Drumsticks
• Wings

Ground chicken burgers and even mini roasts are also excellent barbecued! For best results, do not cook the meat over direct heat.

All varieties of poultry are delicious marinated, but they can also simply be basted with balsamic vinegar or other aromatic sauce while they are grilling. They are so easy to flavour, it would be a shame not to try different combinations! 

• The more delicate cuts like scallopini, and the smaller cuts like chicken wings are best cooked over a double layer of slightly-oiled aluminum foil.
• Scallopini require no more than 5 minutes to cook on each side; chicken wings take about 20 minutes.
• A boneless breast of chicken will take about 4 to 6 minutes on each side; the bone-in chicken breast will take about 20 minutes in all and it should be turned frequently.
• Turkey is generally grilled in a foil packet, en papillotte, for one hour…and the best way to check that poultry is done is to use a meat thermometer. The meat thermometer should register 82° C (180° F) for whole birds and 77° C (170° F) for chicken and turkey pieces 74° C (165° F) for ground chicken or turkey patties.
• Brochettte cubes will take approximately 12 minutes to cook.
• Whole birds can be cooked on the grill over indirect heat. Cooking time will vary according to size.
• When you have a large, un-stuffed bird to roast or grill, it should be secured with two large metal skewers, one passing from one wing, through the neck, through to the other wing; the second passing from the drumstick, though the Parson’s nose, through to the other drumstick. This way, the bird will keep its original shape during the cooking process.
• Never interrupt the cooking process to continue later on. This will considerably increase the risk of food contamination.

Barbecue cooking basics

• Always cook meats as far away from the heat source as possible.
• When using a gas barbecue, this can be done by lighting the burner on one side to maximum heat and cooking the meat on the unlit side, with the cover down.
• When using a charcoal barbecue, arrange the charcoal around the sides and grill the meat in the center of the grill, with the cover down.
• For beautiful markings on your grills, rotate the meat one quarter turn clockwise midway through cooking on each side.
• Before serving, always check the degree of doneness with a meat thermometer, especially hamburger and tenderized meats.
• Once the meat is cooked, it should be wrapped loosely in foil and left standing for 5 minutes or so. This allows the fibres to relax and the juices to circulate through the flesh for maximum taste and tenderness.

Internal temperature of cooked poultry
82° C (180° F) - Whole poultry
77° C (170° F) – poultry cuts
74° C (165° F) – Ground poultry

For more culinary tips and advice, click on the METRO butcher’s Poultry and Specialty Poultry section on metro.ca

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