Cupcake Chicken - Skin Up or Down?

thirdeye

thirdeye

somebody shut me the fark up.

Batch Image
Batch Image
Joined
Jan 14, 2006
Messages
12,737
Reaction score
1...
Points
113
Location
At home...
How are you doing yours? I've seen several posts with pictures of the skin up in the pan, then today saw that another guy did his skin down. Two videos of Myron show him placing it skin down.

Has anyone tried both ways?
 
Haven't tried both ways, but skin down to 150* then out of pan and skin up in smoker till done gave me some might-e-fine bite through skin. A couple were left over and when re-heated the bite through was gone. Skin came off in one piece. Will be doing some more on Friday and will try a few skin up in pan. I'm thinking though, skin down will be better.
 
I think it would depend on the smoker. If it's a bottom burner, like your BGEs, then I think I'd want the skin side down. If it is an offset, then I think I'd want it on top.
 
As I'm still working on my chicken recipe (trying to get skin un-rubbery), I surely
looked at Myrons muffin pan chicken. Then, I thought: Myron is whole hog GOD,
and on helluva pulled pork cook. I would watch what he does in chicken and
try it this way or that way to see if something works for you, but honestly, I wouldn't
put a lot of stock into this approach until someone consistently places top 5 in
chicken for a few years... JMHO. Now, find any whole hog secrets from Myron
and you have something!

If he's above 300 (I think he is) with skin down, yes, it could be basically frying
the skin in butter....

Something to consider is how much smoke flavor is going to be imparted upon the
chicken if it's been in a pan (and how deep the chicken should be in the pan). For
some with too much smoke flavor, maybe this is good. For us, we like and need some
of that smoked flavor to come through.
 
{Midnight ☼ Smoke};1186018 said:
My next try is going to be Skinless. :shock:
Click to expand...

I do boneless skinless thighs with EVOO; tasty! I do the italian bread crumb mod!
 
He isn't frying it in butter he is braising it. The butter adds moisture and flavor. He removes it from the butter and smokes it to render fat out of the skin and put some smoke flavor in it and some color. I'm pretty sure he cooks it skin side down in the muffin pan. All the muffin pan does is help set the shape of the chicken. You could just braise it in a regular pan.
 
DSC08873a.jpg

I guess at Myron's temps, he may be higher than a braise or poaching. One problem I had with poaching in a flat pan was keeping the Parkay level (because my deck is not). I had to use a wooden shim on one corner of the pan. The cupcake pans would help me there.

I'm fond of scraping the fat off the skin, which means less to render out, so that is another plus. I use many of the thigh tips from the Pickled Pig article, and so listening to all the ideas surfacing with the cupcake pans might just help me with a crossover method.

DSC08882a.jpg
 
DSC09935a.jpg


Well, I did my own experiment tonight ..... two skin up, and two skin down. I did scrape the skin, and removed the chicken from the pan once it firmed up. It was finished using a raised direct set-up.​


DSC09938a.jpg


DSC09939a.jpg


DSC09944aaacopy.jpg


DSC09962a.jpg


DSC09973a.jpg


The verdict - Taste and moisture wise, it was hard to tell the difference between the two. Both had nice bite through skin. The shape of the skin-up ones was more consistent and very round. I did notice some skin slippage on the skin-down thighs. I can see this as being a very handy method for prepping a dozen thighs ahead of time and have them waiting in the fridge. I also think the eye appeal and the easy slicing (since I de-boned them) might appeal to some guests. The downside is, these things are too easy to eat...​
 
Hey thirdeye. Spoke with T a few weeks back. He misses you man. haha. Anyway that looks dang good but do you have to braise it in margin or butter?

thanx dude
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Equipment switcharoo (warning, stupidly long and likely boring!)
Replies
10
Views
401
DBBQ
D
snadamo
Chicken and Steak Fajitas (PICS)
Replies
16
Views
1K
Big George's BBQ
Big George's BBQ
R
Chicken Skin - To Braise or not to Braise
2
Replies
24
Views
1K
jasonjax
jasonjax
cayenne
FIRST COOK on the new Offset Smoker!!! Pictures and comments...
2
Replies
22
Views
893
Bury Me In Smoke
B
J
Farewell Old Friend...........
Replies
8
Views
716
jzadski
J
Back
Top