Forums > Specific Focus > Mexican Kitchen

steve2709564

Jul 17, 2008, 7:41 PM

Post #1 of 5 (2963 views)

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BBQ CHICKEN ON THE STREET.....

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this is going to sound really stupid, but the BBQ chicken that i buy on the street in mexico tastes so different than anything i make in the states. is there a secret marinade or is it fresh chicken or how it's cooked? does anyone know the secrete?

jennifer rose

Jul 17, 2008, 9:04 PM

Post #2 of 5 (2950 views)

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Re: [steve2709564] BBQ CHICKEN ON THE STREET.....

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There are as many reasons as there are chicken vendors. Some of the chickens have been freshly killed and dressed; others were processed just as any other chicken at a chicken-processing factory. Some are cooked over gas, and some over firewood. Some meet up with marinades, and some don't. One of the chicken vendors near me in Morelia bastes the chicken with the liquid from canned, pickled chiles. The Patzcuaro style usually means spatchcocking the chicken before it's grilled, and then tossing a handful of salt and powdered chile over the cooked chicken, dousing it with a squeeze of orange.

steve2709564

Jul 17, 2008, 9:23 PM

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Re: [jennifer rose] BBQ CHICKEN ON THE STREET.....

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thanks jennifer, so many variables! i've never heard of "spatchcocking" ? enlighten me please. i'm sorta guessing the secrete is starting to lie in cooking over wood...... lots of salt, chile and citrus......

Camille

Jul 17, 2008, 10:02 PM

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Re: [steve2709564] BBQ CHICKEN ON THE STREET.....

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Yes please! "Spatchcocking" is a term I've never heard before!
Camille

Anonimo

Jul 18, 2008, 5:22 AM

Post #5 of 5 (2932 views)

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Re: [steve2709564] BBQ CHICKEN ON THE STREET.....

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If I may answer for Jennifer: "Spatchcocking" is splitting the chicken open longitudinally, and splaying it out so it can be broiled or grilled. I'm not entirely certain, but I think that the Pátzcuaro-style chickens cooked on stakes, over a charcoal fire, are known as "Pollos al Pastor."

Pollos can be "adobado", or basted/marinated in a spicy mixture before grilling or roasted.

IMO, the chickens cooked over charcoal or wood are superior to those cooked in a gas-fired rotisserie, although the latter are fine in their own right. On the other hand, the rotisserie chickens are less prone to drying out, as occasionally happens with the chickens grilled over charcoal and then reheated at sale time.

(We've recently been trying ribs cooked on stakes, but we have more locations to discover and test. It's a tough job.)
;-)