Each week I get email requests for advice on how to go about cooking for a large party. This is a very common problem. One grill – 20 guests. And I’ve seen many valiant efforts as I’ve wandered through picnic grounds and been at backyard parties where some poor soul is working feverishly over a grill loaded up with chicken, burgers or steaks – flames licking the meat as he attempts to memorize each piece of meat to get it all done at the same time and to order. (‘The steak with the little foot like Italy is for Aunt Suzy, the burger with the face of John Madden is for Uncle Paul, and the chicken thigh with the skin missing is for cousin Jamie.’) Then what happens? A Frisbee hits him in the back or Great Aunt Jessie needs help getting out of her chair and creates a momentary distraction and it’s a disaster. He’s forgotten which steak was which and all the little particulars he’d memorized have disappeared from his brain!

There just may be a solution.

One of the restaurants I worked at as a kid was called Smitty’s Pancake House. On Sunday after church and every holiday the place was jammed with families. The line cooks balanced an avalanche of orders for waffles, pancakes, French toast and eggs of all varieties as well as special requests. I was fascinated by the guys working the griddle – who seemed to move food in a mystical way and knew where every order was at any moment. They could deliver eggs cooked five different ways to one order and get it right nearly every time. I watched and soon figured out they divided the cooking surface into sections. They always placed food at a starting spot on the griddle and as it moved from one section to the next it created a visual reference for what stage of ‘done’ it was. If food was at a specific place on the griddle, it was at a particular stage of being done. During high school I worked at a steak house and the broiler cook did the same thing with his steaks and chops! Genius!

I was describing my method to a friend and realized I’d just about always cooked this way. I started trying to simplify the explanation and thought I had it pretty well in place for either charcoal or gas grills. Then I got the new Char-Broil infrared grills and everything changed. The infrared burner cooks at such a high temperature it took me several attempts (and burnt, overdone burgers) to get it right.

DISCLAIMER: I’m not telling you to do exactly as I do, just offering up a suggestion to inspire you to think about how you prepare food on your grill.

My Grills and My System
I generally grill on a 3-burner infrared gas grill or a CB940X charcoal grill. When I head to the beach or camping I’ll bring along my trusty Grill2Go Advantage. I also generally work from left to right and have organized my grilling system to fit that habit. The warming rack on the series grill or a covered aluminum tray on the CB940X or Grill2Go is an important feature I use when grilling. For the purpose of this posting I’ll use the 3 burner gas grill cooking surface as my example. You can adapt this idea to your particular grill depending upon the size, number of burners or space for charcoal to suit your individual style of grilling as well as to the meat you are grilling.

I set each burner to the temperature I think will work for the recipe I’m preparing, usually hottest on the left and then reducing heat as I move right. I mentally divide each burner in half – front and rear; because I’m cooking on a 3 burner grill I now have 6 cooking areas, 2 on each burner. I also use warming rack covered with a large piece of aluminum foil or upon which is setting an aluminum tray that I can cover. I use the warming rack to hold cooked meat – or to finish off meat that is requested to be a bit more well done than I generally cook.

Here’s a diagram that may help explain.

If you look at the numbers you can see that I’d start at 1 then move the meat to 2 and continue to turn and move meat in groups through 3,4,5 & 6, until placed in the holding tray for finishing. I generally rely upon a thermometer reading at about section 4 to get a sense of what is needed next. If you don’t use one I recommend you get an instant read thermometer – it really comes in handy!

To help illustrate my system below is a pictorial representation using a “Family Pack” of chicken that I purchased at a national grocery store. You’ve probably purchased the same package to cook on at home. In this example I am only cooking one package, however you can extrapolate this information to suit the quantity and number of pieces you’ll be cooking.

CB’s EZ 3 Minute Chicken

I call this 3 Minute Chicken because I turn the chicken and move it to the next section about every 3 minutes. By the time a group has completed the 6 sections on my grill – it has been cooking for approximately 18 minutes. If it needs to finish off – dark meat generally does – then I place it in a pan or on aluminum foil on the warming rack, baste and cover. White meat and chicken wings do not always require the full 18 minutes on the cooking surface. An instant read thermometer is useful to check internal temperatures of thighs and breasts between section 4 and 5, or at about 12 minutes.

Step A: Pre-Heat the Grill

L-Hand Burner is set to Searing temp
Center Burner is set to Med-High
R-Hand Burner is set to Medium.

Step B: Place meat in Section 1

I start with the dark meat, thighs and legs, because they take the longest to cook and because they also hold better – due to higher fat content. I cook the food in small groups to allow plenty of room for heat. I find this actually speeds up the process rather than trying to crowd the grill.

Step C: At 3 minutes, use tongs to turn meat in Section 1 and place in section 2; add meat to Section 1

CB’s EZ TIP for Chicken Breasts
I always place chicken breasts ‘bone side” down on the grill to start the cooking process. I’ve found this heats up the bone and will help to ensure the meat is cooked properly because when I turn to the skin side down the bone remains hot and continues to help cook to completion.

Step D: At 3minutes, use tongs to turn meat and move to the next section – adding to the previous sections as you clear and clean the space.

I always close the grill lid between steps to contain heat and help cooking.

Between section 4 and 5 I use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature on the thighs and breasts to see how much more cooking they will need. Chicken is done when it reaches approximately 165 F degrees internal temperature. Since I will be holding the thighs and legs on the warming rack, I have to mentally calculate as to how much more direct grilling time they need – taking into consideration how much food I will be grilling before service. Taking the internal temperature at this point helps me make that decision.)

Step E: Baste the meat between sections 4 & 5

Basting the meat at this stages helps to form a glaze – and the ingredients of the sauce will meld with any “overcooked” sections of the skin to help create a great taste. I continue to baste until service, even while the meat is in the holding tray.

Holding Tray

Service

I hope this posting helps you devise a method for improving your grilling process. If you have ideas or suggestions – please share them in the comment section below. I can always learn new things from you!

Happy Grilling!