How to trim chicken for a comp?

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NorthernMN

Knows what a fatty is.
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I have been practicing making chicken thighs for comp setting and have tried various ways without getting the result I think could win. I ussually makes breasts for the family but I have been trying out thighs to see how they cook. The first ones were just trimmed at the edges and the skin came out like rubber and really took away from the taste when the skin slaps your chin. So next I tried removing the skin and scraping the fat off, while I was in there I thought I would cut the bone out since you can eat that either. Next I seasoned both the meat and the skin with rub and wraped the skin back around the meat. They turned out ok but still didnt seem exceptional.

So here I ask my fellow brethren how do you prepare and trim chicken for a comp? What type of rub do you use, homemade or commerciall?
 
there are many online guides for comp chicken. google competition chicken and you will be taken both here to the brethren forums and to a few other forums sites. pics abound but truthfully the more you practice trimming the more you will get it. various bite thru skin methods are out there too. both homemade and commercial rubs have helped us achieve 1st place chicken
 
chickenchoker said:
there are many online guides for comp chicken. google competition chicken and you will be taken both here to the brethren forums and to a few other forums sites. pics abound but truthfully the more you practice trimming the more you will get it. various bite thru skin methods are out there too. both homemade and commercial rubs have helped us achieve 1st place chicken
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I agree with Bubba. Keep trying. I used to go boneless, not anymore. Looks more like chicken with the bone. Just my 2 cents.
 
I was about to tell you to go through the Pickled Pig prep pages, but their website doesn't appear to be working anymore........or it could be "pilot error" on my part. Either way, I'm sure you can find an old post with "Pickled Pig Comp Chicken" in it.
 
One of the best instructional web sites on comp chicken trimming - http://thehogblog.com/?p=677

As Chickenchoker said, practice, practice, practice. This is the best way to get good at trimming chicken.

I use a commercial rub that has been altered, and same with sauce. Experiment, and take good notes. Practice on the neighbors and friends with different rubs & sauces until you find a combination that you and they both like.
 
Last edited:
tnjimbob said:
One of the best instructional web sites on comp chicken trimming - http://thehogblog.com/?p=677

As Chickenchoker said, practice, practice, practice. This is the best way to get good at trimming chicken.

I use a commercial rub that has been altered, and same with sauce. Experiment, and take good notes. Practice on the neighbors and friends with different rubs & sauces until you find a combination that you and they both like.
Click to expand...


Very simple but a few things I did not know, thanks for the reply.
 
Full Draw BBQ said:
I was about to tell you to go through the Pickled Pig prep pages, but their website doesn't appear to be working anymore........or it could be "pilot error" on my part. Either way, I'm sure you can find an old post with "Pickled Pig Comp Chicken" in it.
Click to expand...


Its too bad the site doesnt work there are alot of refernces to it
 
Is there a certain size thighs that work better than others? I have seen some rather large thighs at Sams but the local grocery store seems to have small ones?
 
You can make a nice box with either big thighs or small ones, but if the size creeps up too much you'll find that you're having to cram them in the box, and they're going to get smudged by the front of the lid. Watch the labels of what you're buying, and when you get a batch that turns out the way you like them, that's the approximate package weight to shoot for again.

We don't do any crazy trimming, deboning or skin scraping -- just make the thighs squarish and tidy, and uniform.
 
I do bone in skin on and never scrape the skin. Like Alexa said - nothing crazy, make them as uniform as possible so they fit nice in the box. I use a commercial rub but the rub is the least of your worries. Research different competition thigh cooking methods and practice until you are tired of trimming/eating chicken!
 
Like everyone says, practice, practice, practice. I think since January I have cleaned and cooked literally 100 pounds of chicken thighs. We have gotten to the point where we just take one bite of each piece and throw the rest some nights to check texture and skin. I think it's most BBQer's Achilles heel. Funny, because when we first started, that was the category we usually got our calls in. Good luck! Stinkin' yardbirds!

Eggspert
 
My question to add is, what temp is the thigh the best? I have tried everything from 170 to 175. If I get the shin perfect then the meat is a little dry. Then if the meat is perfect then the skin hits your chin. Of do you thank I should turn the heat up on the smoker?
 
DepChief22 said:
My question to add is, what temp is the thigh the best? I have tried everything from 170 to 175. If I get the shin perfect then the meat is a little dry. Then if the meat is perfect then the skin hits your chin. Of do you thank I should turn the heat up on the smoker?
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I don't take my chicken a degree past 165 if I can help it. I like it to sneak up to it slowly then I hold it between 150-165 until it's ready to be finished and boxed. To me, chicken is already an extremely tender meat.. I'm just trying to make it safe and cook the blood clear.
 
For me, there is not one perfect temperature that works best, it seems every piece has it's own special happy zone.
 
roksmith said:
I don't take my chicken a degree past 165 if I can help it. I like it to sneak up to it slowly then I hold it between 150-165 until it's ready to be finished and boxed. To me, chicken is already an extremely tender meat.. I'm just trying to make it safe and cook the blood clear.
Click to expand...

What temp do you set your smoker/grill (witch ever you use) to get the bite through skin. No one likes a chin slapper.
 
so for those who do bone-in thighs and do not scrape, do you trim some of the thigh meat off so more of the skin is able to wrap around the thigh?

If you don't do this, how do you prevent the skin from pulling back while cooking?
 
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