Our Meadow creek PR 36 is more than a pig roaster. Even though it cooks delicious pigs up to 40 lbs, it is a very versatile backyard cooker. Cook any of the meats you would consider cooking on a conventional gas or charcoal grill and see the difference. This unit can roast, smoke, and grill. Its large 14″ x 35″ stainless steel grate will easily accommodate briskets, ribs, pork butts, chops, loins, turkeys, sausage, dogs, burgers etc.
This article will illustrate cooking whole chickens on this great cooker.
The PR 36 stands at a comfortable 46″. Even though it is designed for the backyard pro, it is no light weight. With a 13 gauge steel firebox, this unit weighs in at 175 lbs. It is easily moved around on its 13″ tires. It comes fully assembled.
We loaded this PR 36 with approximately 20 lbs of charcoal. It is best to start the fire with a torch or chimneys. Avoid lighter fluid.
We allowed the temperature to get up to 275 or 300 degrees before putting the chickens on. Since we had quite a bit of space after placing 4 chickens on the cooker, we added quarters and pieces. These hens were brined when we bought them and were approximately 3.5 lb each. A cajun spice is on the “red” ones and Hudson Bay Beef Spice from Savory Spice Shop in Westfield, NJ on the lighter ones. The Hudson Bay Spice was awesome, and preferred by our guests. If you look closely, you will see an aluminum tray under the grate. The PR 36 comes standard with a grilling pan for grilling things like dogs, burgers, and wings. We keep the pan in when doing an indirect cook and place an aluminum pan on the grilling pan with about 1″ of water. It helps to add some moisture to the cook.
The PR 36 comes with a commercial grade thermometer. One of the best features on the PR 36 is the ease of adjusting the temperature for the cut of meat. Vents on the firebox and the hood make this a simple process. Once set, it requires minimum fire maintenance. For this cook, we wanted to maintain about 250.
We are close to the 2 hour mark, and as can be seen, some of the chicken pieces have already come off the grill. We continued cooking about another 30 minutes until the internal temperature was 170 degrees in the thigh joint. Cooking will always vary depending on the size of the bird, atmospheric conditions, and the amount of fire.
And the finish product. Delicious, moist and tasty BBQ chicken complimented with a nice savignon blanc or chardonnay makes a meal that your guest will not forget. The GrillBillies’ way of cooking. LARD HAVE MERCY!!
