Where did I go wrong?

S

Soulman1282

Knows what a fatty is.
Joined
Nov 15, 2011
Location
Springfi...
Tried to do my first competition style chicken yesterday. Followed the Pickled Pig method. De-boned, trimmed, scraped the skin, margarine braise, onto the pit seam side down, then flipped to presentation side down, flipped back to seam side down, and finally sauced.

When I went in for that "bite through" that I was hoping so strongly for...the top skin was not only not bite through, but COULDN'T bite through. The bottom skin bit right through, almost like it wasn't even there. Which is what I've heard is the point of all this PITA. But the top skin was tough, leathery, and literally inedible!

Help me Brethren. Where did I go wrong?!?
 
Cooking: Offset
Temp: around 250*
Time: in the butter around an hour, out of the butter around half an hour to 45 minutes.
 
even though you scraped the skin it still has to render a bit. i have found that bringinf the thigh to 175 internal for deboned and 185 internal for bone in to start saucing. in order to do that you need to brine them so they wont dry out. the extra time to go to those temps should do the trick.
 
The skin was completely rendered. It was like dry, tough, leather. I also don't really see what correlation the internal temp has to the texture of the skin... Any other tips/pointers out there?
 
I agree with Michael. Higher heat less time. I have good luck with grilling over coals after butter bath.
jlm
 
Soulman1282 said:
The skin was completely rendered. It was like dry, tough, leather. I also don't really see what correlation the internal temp has to the texture of the skin... Any other tips/pointers out there?
Click to expand...

why don't you see that correlation?

listen and learn and you'll cook better. :thumb:

the other tips are very good as well.

i personally cook comp chicken over 400*. no butter.
 
So what is the correlation? cause I think I could burn some chicken and still be raw in the middle....help me learn cause I don't see the IT needing to be one place for the skin to be in a certain state of doneness. Not trying to be a smart ass here, just that my chicken wasn't overcooked inside and the temp in the pit was so low I don't see how the skin got so dry/inedible.
 
southern was suggesting that in order to render the skin properly one must cook the chicken to higher IT than expected. thus, brining is necessary to not dry out the meat.

and for comp chicken the IT absolutly DOES need to be at a certain place and at the SAME TIME as the perfect doneness of the skin.

that is where the skill lie. not in being able to do one or the other, but both.

essentially give it another shot. higher heat, or brined, and go from there. enjoy the journey.
 
To me, the Pickled Pig method works for a few different reasons, I don't do the whole thing, but I do scrape the skin and I allow it to stretch, it makes the skins a little thinner and easier to pin back in. The skin does need to render and it happens at either a low or high temperature, I prefer the 350F neighborhood, it has been more reliable to me. I also like to separate and allow the skins to dry a bit on paper towels in the cooler before replacing.

I tend to run the cook offset, 350F, skins pinned and almost no sugar in the rub. It will cook longer than I normally do and the temperature IT does go more like 175F bone in. To avoid drying, a light brine for a couple of hours max. can aid in moisture retention. It takes a lot of test runs to really get consistent.
 
Totally agree boogie, we have done well with our comp chicken. Don't debone anymore and scored better. If I can get the dome temp to 425+ on my Weber the total cook time is 45 minutes tops going indirect.
 
Soulman1282 said:
So what is the correlation? cause I think I could burn some chicken and still be raw in the middle....help me learn cause I don't see the IT needing to be one place for the skin to be in a certain state of doneness. Not trying to be a smart ass here, just that my chicken wasn't overcooked inside and the temp in the pit was so low I don't see how the skin got so dry/inedible.
Click to expand...

i may have been harsh. :icon_blush:

my first shot at PP's comp chicken wasn't successful either.

most likely your pit wasn't at 250*, thus rendering the skin rubbery. low and slow will do that to skin.

check your pit temps and ramp them up a bit. see what happens. then try some butter bath, see if you like that better. it's a long journey, enjoy the road.
 
I have never seen a chicken thigh with skin on the top AND on the bottom in my 55 years on this planet.

Am I missing something?
 
Soulman1282 said:
So what is the correlation? cause I think I could burn some chicken and still be raw in the middle....help me learn cause I don't see the IT needing to be one place for the skin to be in a certain state of doneness. Not trying to be a smart ass here, just that my chicken wasn't overcooked inside and the temp in the pit was so low I don't see how the skin got so dry/inedible.[/QUOTE

with scraped skin and cooking at 250 a internal of 160 will have a certain skin, but to let it go to 180-185 means more time to render fat. but without brineing you might end up with jerky
Click to expand...
 
Meat Burner said:
Totally agree boogie, we have done well with our comp chicken. Don't debone anymore and scored better. If I can get the dome temp to 425+ on my Weber the total cook time is 45 minutes tops going indirect.
Click to expand...

yup, that's where it's at. :thumb:

i try to pin my weber lid therm. 20 minute cook. indirect as well. can't trim a bone in thigh to save my life though.
 
sandiegobbq said:
I have never seen a chicken thigh with skin on the top AND on the bottom in my 55 years on this planet.

Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

next time i run a chicken practice i'll post a pic of the bottom.

but a natural unaltered thigh, has no skin on the bottom i believe.
 
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