Grill for the Thrill

Grilling outdoors is not only my favorite means of cooking…it’s my passion. If I could, I would probably grill every, single day. The weather here, in Southern California, allows me to do so, pretty much all year 'round (though I’ve also grilled in snowy and rainy conditions, in the past).

But since I’m a charcoal kind of a guy, it’s not really ideal to grill every day, for a couple of reasons. First, I don’t want to waste charcoal just to grill a small meal for one or two people, unless I’m preparing additional food for later consumption, which I often do – cook and freeze. Second, I live in a condensed neighborhood, and if I charcoal grill every day (often using wood chips/chunks), my neighbors would probably start to complain with all that smoke and stuff. I’ve encountered hints from my neighbors, a number of times, expressed by the sounds of windows sliding shut. Kachunk! That’s a big enough of a hint for me, let me tell you. Besides, I like my neighbors.

Gas grills would be a wise choice, here, but I just don’t like dealing with propane, for some reason. I suppose I like charcoal because it gives me that primal, caveman-like experience, and the incomparable challenge you have, each time, in dealing with live fire. Besides, in my opinion, the food just tastes so much better! So, as often as I can, I make contact with my old pal, the dome-shaped, black grill named Weber.

Speaking of that dome-shaped grill, it’s been around for decades, and has been a common sight at backyard barbeque parties across the nation, since the Wonder Years. Do you know how it all got started? In the early ‘50s, a determined backyard griller, from Illinois, got tired of using his open brazier (that exposed his food to wind and ashes) and decided to make his own grill. At the time, Mr. Backyard griller worked for a sheet metal shop, welding metal spheres together to make buoys for Lake Michigan. All the elements necessary, to come up with a perfect grill, were in place. With 3 legs and a lid, he transformed the buoy into a revolutionary, lean, mean, grilling machine. His name? George Stephen, founder of Weber-Stephen Products Company.

Well, I’m no George Stephen but I have my own, little invention or indoor grilling method, if you will. Although I use the term grilling, some may argue that it’s actually baking or broiling because I use the stove oven. When I charcoal grill chicken, on my Weber, I put the lid on and have the temperature at medium heat (around 350 to 450F), to ensure thorough/even cooking. I basically use the same principle, by artificially creating a similar condition with the stove oven. It still gives you the benefit of grilling, in terms of fat dripping off the meat, and it’s easier than dealing with the greasy aftermath of cooking with a frying pan. Although I wouldn't use this indoor grilling method to cook a steak, some dishes turn out really well and I'd like to share one with you.

Before you start cooking, you need to assemble what I call the AJ2000. It stands for Aluminum Joe and it originated 8 years ago. Yes, I have a name for it in case I want to patent it someday. Yeah, right! Well, actually, I started this method by using a tray, with a rack on it, that is typically used for dripping off excess oil prior to serving fried foods such as Tempura (batter-fried veggies/seafood) and Tonkatsu (pork cutlet). As you can see in the photo, the gadget I'd been using got abused and beaten up pretty bad over
the years and I was looking for a replacement, when I
realized a simple alternative.

Basically, you need a cookie cooling rack and an aluminum container. Usually, you’ll find the two in the same section or aisle, of any large supermarket. Place the rack onto the top, inner edge of the aluminum container and check the fit. If it’s a firm, stable fit, the two were meant for each other. The last thing you want is to have your rack slide off, when taking the unit out of the oven, drop your food on the floor and burn yourself in the process. Also, a single aluminum container can become deformed (bent/twisted), when weight or pressure is applied, so it would be wiser to purchase 2 containers and stack them for added sturdiness.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings
Snap the joints of the raw wings so they’ll cook a little more evenly; it also makes it easier to eat later. Ladies, you don’t want Teriyaki sauce all over your face looking like a man with a five o’clock shadow, now do you. By snapping or breaking the joint, you're bending the bone backwards, giving the wing less of an angle. You don't have to be a blackbelt in martial arts and the chicken won't tap and give up either. After all, it's already dead. So don't worry about hurting the chicken and give it a nice twist and snap.

Although I cook mine as is, some people poke the thick portion of the meat with a thin, bamboo skewer or cut into it with a knife, for better heat penetration. After handling the chicken, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water, before you touch anything else. Don’t become THE CONTAMINATOR.

Marinade the chicken, in Teriyaki sauce, for at least 30 minutes (at room temperature) or for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator to prevent food-borne illnesses. For best results, let stand at room temperature, for about 30 minutes after removing from the refrigerator. If you have some leftover Teriyaki sauce from a week or two ago, this is the time to use it (check out my previous posting, entitled My Three Musketeers, on homemade Teriyaki sauce).

If you don’t have enough Teriyaki sauce to fully cover the chicken wings, use a plastic bag to ensure all surface areas get coated in the marinade. Massage the sauce in well. The sharp edges of the wings can rip through the plastic so be sure to use a thick plastic bag and/or double the bag for extra protection. Believe me, you don’t want Teriyaki sauce, that’s been in contact with raw chicken, spilling in your refrigerator! If you’re going to refrigerate the plastic bag, place a bowl/container under it.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Once the oven is heated, pour about 1 1/2 cups of water into the AJ2000 and place it in the oven. If you don’t add water to the container, the fat and juice drippings from the meat will leave a black mark that will be hard to scrub off. You’ll not only ruin the container for future usage, but the smell and smoke will not be pleasant, so be sure to add water.

Again, make sure the rack is firmly set onto the container. At this point, I’m just heating up the grill or the cooking grate, so to speak. The rack of the AJ2000 needs to do its warm up before taking on the action. Notice I'm using the broil mode (the upper heating element of the oven) to heat the cooking grate so it warms up faster. If you do the same, just remember to switch back to your original bake mode (lower heating element) of about 400 degrees F. Now, you two-wheeled enthusiasts get it…it’s hard to perform
well on cold tires. That's what a warm-up lap is all about.

Once the AJ2000 has warmed up, take it out of the oven (make sure you have your oven mitts on), spray some oil on the cooking grate and place the chicken wings, with the skin side facing down, onto the heated rack. I usually pour some of the remaining Teriyaki sauce on top of the chicken for one, final dip prior to cooking, but otherwise discard the marinade.

Place the AJ2000 on the lower rack of the oven so that the wings are positioned near the center. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the chicken browns. Take a peak inside the oven and you will actually start to see some of the fat dripping off the chicken. The tips of the wings tend to burn faster than the rest, so keep an eye on them. Once the beach-going chicken wings get a nice, dark tan, it’s time to turn them over.

I now take out the AJ2000, place it on the counter and turn the wings over so the skin side is facing up.
After placing the unit back onto the oven rack, let it continue to cook for a few minutes, but keep your eye on them. Peek inside and listen and watch the sizzling action. If it's getting toasted too quickly, open the oven door slightly and let a little of that heat escape. Sometimes I switch to broil, for a minute or two, just to give the skin some direct heat from above, and then switch back to bake mode.

The point here is to control that heat temperature, accordingly, in an attempt to crisp the skin gradually so it will turn out nice and crispy, and not burnt. At the same time, you need to constantly keep the oven in the medium-heat range so that the chicken has a chance to cook thoroughly. You don't want to under cook your chicken.

Depending on the type of oven you have, where you live (i.e., altitude) and the size of the wings, results may vary, so control the heat temperature and cooking time.

You can also make the chicken wings with just salt and pepper. Soak the wings in Sake and/or Shochu (see my previous post, mentioned above) for about 30 minutes (at room temperature) or for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator. After the soaking action, take the wings out of the liquid and add salt and pepper (less is better in our home). Follow the above cooking/grilling instructions. When done, squeeze some fresh, lemon juice onto the wings and voila!

The wife claims that she could eat this version of chicken wings, every day. If you can't find the type of chicken wings featured above, party wings work just as well. Just follow the same instructions and enjoy the hot, juicy wings in the comfort of your home. Although the AJ2000 is my wing man in artificial grilling, sharing many cooking missions together, it will never replace grilling outdoors with charcoal. Then again, it does come in handy when it's raining cats and dogs outside.

We’re not done with the AJ2000, just yet. We’ll be exploring its partner, the AJ2000X, in an upcoming post. Yep, survival cooking with the AJ2000.