When someone says the word “brick” what is the first thing that comes to your mind? If you said a 4th quarter LeBron James jump shot you are close, but not quite right. Instead when I say “brick” I now think of BBQ chicken. That’s right, a dirty old brick equals some damn tasty chicken.
A few weekends back I was introduced to barbecuing with a brick. After a quick learn and a practice cook at the house I took the grill and brick to my recent Phillies tailgate. The result was a chicken cooked to perfection and a lot of curious eyes and comments from my fellow tailgaters.
Below is the recipe and instructions that I followed…
- One 3 pound chicken. Make sure that the backbone of the chicken is removed.
- 1/2 a lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
The evening before your tailgate (or BBQ) you have to prep the chicken. Combine / mix all of the ingredients (minus the chicken). Place the chicken breast side up on a cookie sheet. Flatten the chicken by folding the wing tips under and arranging the thighs next to the breasts of the chicken. Lastly, slash the breast twice and leg and thighs once about 1/2-inch deep. Rub your ingredients over the chicken. Cover the chicken and refrigerate over night (about 6-8 hours).
Now time to grab your brick. But because bricks are obviously dirty, you have to cover it in aluminum foil.
Place your chicken on the grill with the breast side facing up. Place the covered brick on top of the chicken. Keep the brick on the chicken for about 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is browned. Remove the brick and flip the chicken over and cook for an additional 20-25 minutes. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it stand for about 10 minutes before carving and serving.
Sure you could pretty much use anything that is heavy for this cooking method (i.e., like the more conventional cast-iron skillet) but it is so, so much cooler to BBQ with a brick. Ain’t nobody going be messing with your tailgate if you cook with a brick! But again, you have to cover the brick… don’t just go dumpster diving!