Kimo1
Full Fledged Farker
Hey all! Today, I decided to do a chicken skin experiment using different methods I have used or heard about, to try and get that bite through skin most of us look for and have nightmares about. I took 14 thighs and used 6 different methods on them. 7 were scraped and 7 were not. The extra six were for dinner :-D Sorry some of the pictures aren't so great but hey, I'm only here for the tasty viddles!
Here is the way I did them:
3 with mayonnaise, 1 scraped and mayo applied under the skin. 1 not scraped and mayo applied under the skin. 1 not scraped and mayo applied to the outside.
2 with baconnaise, 1 scraped and applied to outside of skin and 1 not scraped and applied to outside of skin.
2 with olive oil, 1 scraped and 1 not, oil on the outside of skin.
3 baking powder, 1 scraped powder only on outside of the skin, 1 scraped powder mixed in rub, and 1 not scraped with powder in rub.
2 with vegetable oil, 1 scraped and 1 not. Oil on outside of skin.
2 with butter, 1 scraped and 1 not scraped. Pat of butter on top.
All were cooked on my WSM with the Guru running at 275 until internal temp hit 170.
The Results:
Mayo – The one not scraped with mayo on top of skin, was bite thru and added a slight tangy flavor. You could still see the brush marks from applying mayo with sauce brush but only slightly. The one not scraped with mayo on the inside of the skin was very rubbery and the mayo remained visible and look goopy, almost a ricotta cheese looking. The one scraped and mayo on the outside of skin was bite thru and very tasty with an added tang. The brush marks from applying the mayo were not visible.
Baking Powder- The one scraped with only powder on the skin was not bite through and very stiff. You could taste the powder, and it gave the chicken sort of a moldy type look to it. The scraped one with powder mixed with the rub had very hard skin and tore like a piece of paper when biting into it. The one not scraped with powder in the rub made the skin like butcher paper. And you could not bite it at all. Side note, the baking powder impedes the rub adherence a lot. It seemed to just roll off the skin.
Butter- The scraped one was bite through, but not as easy as the one with mayo. It was not as flavorful as the mayo, but not bad. The one not scraped, the skin tore and had the same type flavor as the other.
Olive Oil- The scraped one was bite through. Not as easy as the mayo, but equal to the butter. The one that was not scraped was rubbery and unable to bite through.
Baconnaise- The scraped one was bite through, equal to the mayo and better than the butter. After the first bite, there may have been an odd aftertaste. But after taking a second bite, that aftertaste was not noticed. The one not scraped was bite through, not quite as easily as the first one, and there was no aftertaste noticed.
Vegetable Oil- The scraped one was easily bite through. Better flavor than the butter, but not as good as the mayo. Also, the bite was easier than the olive oil and the butter. The not scraped one was semi bite through. The skin tore more than it was a bite.
If I had to rate them in order from best to last on bite through skin only, my order would be as follows:
Mayo
Vegetable oil
Baconnaise
Butter
Olive oil
Baking powder (farking gross).
I had a lot more picture but was only allowed 20 in this post.
Here is the way I did them:
3 with mayonnaise, 1 scraped and mayo applied under the skin. 1 not scraped and mayo applied under the skin. 1 not scraped and mayo applied to the outside.
2 with baconnaise, 1 scraped and applied to outside of skin and 1 not scraped and applied to outside of skin.
2 with olive oil, 1 scraped and 1 not, oil on the outside of skin.
3 baking powder, 1 scraped powder only on outside of the skin, 1 scraped powder mixed in rub, and 1 not scraped with powder in rub.
2 with vegetable oil, 1 scraped and 1 not. Oil on outside of skin.
2 with butter, 1 scraped and 1 not scraped. Pat of butter on top.
All were cooked on my WSM with the Guru running at 275 until internal temp hit 170.
The Results:
Mayo – The one not scraped with mayo on top of skin, was bite thru and added a slight tangy flavor. You could still see the brush marks from applying mayo with sauce brush but only slightly. The one not scraped with mayo on the inside of the skin was very rubbery and the mayo remained visible and look goopy, almost a ricotta cheese looking. The one scraped and mayo on the outside of skin was bite thru and very tasty with an added tang. The brush marks from applying the mayo were not visible.
Baking Powder- The one scraped with only powder on the skin was not bite through and very stiff. You could taste the powder, and it gave the chicken sort of a moldy type look to it. The scraped one with powder mixed with the rub had very hard skin and tore like a piece of paper when biting into it. The one not scraped with powder in the rub made the skin like butcher paper. And you could not bite it at all. Side note, the baking powder impedes the rub adherence a lot. It seemed to just roll off the skin.
Butter- The scraped one was bite through, but not as easy as the one with mayo. It was not as flavorful as the mayo, but not bad. The one not scraped, the skin tore and had the same type flavor as the other.
Olive Oil- The scraped one was bite through. Not as easy as the mayo, but equal to the butter. The one that was not scraped was rubbery and unable to bite through.
Baconnaise- The scraped one was bite through, equal to the mayo and better than the butter. After the first bite, there may have been an odd aftertaste. But after taking a second bite, that aftertaste was not noticed. The one not scraped was bite through, not quite as easily as the first one, and there was no aftertaste noticed.
Vegetable Oil- The scraped one was easily bite through. Better flavor than the butter, but not as good as the mayo. Also, the bite was easier than the olive oil and the butter. The not scraped one was semi bite through. The skin tore more than it was a bite.
If I had to rate them in order from best to last on bite through skin only, my order would be as follows:
Mayo
Vegetable oil
Baconnaise
Butter
Olive oil
Baking powder (farking gross).
I had a lot more picture but was only allowed 20 in this post.
