New Blackstone Griddle

 My daughter and grandson got me a Blackstone Griddle for Father's Day. I had been kicking around the idea of getting one but kept putting it off. Wasn't sure how much I'd use it.

Well, problem solved. They got me one and it is terrific. I followed directions from YouTube videos as to seasoning it and got a real nice cooking surface on it with about 3 seasonings. Now it's easy to cook on and after each use, I clean it and add a thin layer of oil.

My first attempt was smash burgers. Perfect. Can't do them on a grill but wow, they do great here. I forgot to take pictures but will next time.

My grandson did stir fry last night and I am doing sloppy joes tonight. I'll try to remember pictures.

I love cooking outside and now there are more opportunities.

Grilling Chicken Thighs

 Personally, I prefer chicken breasts. I like the white meat. That carries over to turkey as well.

Having said that, I do like barbecuing chicken thighs from time to time. The fact is they come out juicier.

To me, the skin has to be crispy, more so on chicken thighs than chicken breasts. Don't get me wrong. Crispy skin on chicken breasts is always my goal as well, but the taste of the breasts van overcome skin that's not as crispy as I might prefer.

Here are some thighs I barbecued. You can see the crispiness. The last couple minutes I brush on barbecue sauce, but I wanted you to see them before they get coated.

The secret is to cook them on lower heat until they are close to being done. I use a meat thermometer on chicken and pork because you don't want to undercook these meats. 

Once the meat temperature reaches about 130 degrees, I turn the grill to high so I can crisp the skin. Then, as I mentioned, about 2 minutes before they are finished, I add the barbecue sauce.