Chicken appearance ?

Big D BBQ · 05-13-2018, 12:57 PM

Could I please get some advice on building a better looking box? This is from Minnesota in May (Backyard) so no garnish is allowed. I did wrap the bones well with aluminum foil, but they still got darker than I liked. Any help or advice would be helpful. Finished 5th of 25 with these lolly's but want to improve.

Thanks,

Hard Water Barbecue

Contracted Cookers · 05-13-2018, 06:01 PM

box looks pretty decent . are sure they didn't knock you down on taste and tenderness

GrillBillie_D · 05-13-2018, 06:30 PM

My quick thoughts....try taking a wet rag or paper towl and cleaning up the bones. Can't tell you if sauced them but think about a quick dunk in a thin sauce and maybe back on to just set it and then in the box. I like the arrangement myself.

didisea · 05-13-2018, 07:57 PM

It is a pretty good looking box to begin with, but you could take some small, sharp scissors, I have a small pair of Friskars pointed scissors I use for boxing, and trim off some of the dark spots. Like the 2nd piece from the left has a line of dark skin. What your trying to get is even color, so make sure you apply your rub very evenly. As the gentleman said above, you might hit it with some sauce.

Ron_L · 05-13-2018, 09:58 PM

No garnish is harder that it sounds. I would have taken meat from some extra legs and pulled it, lightly sauced and use it as a bed. The legs themselves need a light sauce or glaze to make them look more appetizing. They look dry as it is, even it they weren’t.

ynotfehc · 05-13-2018, 10:03 PM

Looks like it needs sauce. Fill the box more, and I wouldn't box at an angle like that. Here's a box I did a few years ago, but with a lettuce garnish.
Picture got rotated when attached to post.i did not wrap the bones, but always trimmed the exposed joint.

ModelMaker · 05-14-2018, 07:18 AM

You don't need to sauce, I would be eager to get at those just as they are. You do need to remove the little nodules and dark spots.
Taste and tenderness are you goals here, appearance is the smallest score.
Your doing well.
Ed

enasnidx · 05-14-2018, 09:12 AM

Great job this weekend! Hope ya'll had fun on the backyard side. As others mentioned, a thinned down sauce will help. Great thing about lollipops is that the bone 'handle' makes it very easy for you to dunk each piece in a large cup/bowl/pan of sauce instead of brushing it on. That will help your appearance a lot. You only need to set the sauce on the smoker for about 10 min. Looks like your's got a little dark. Keep at it, looks great!

jasonjax · 05-14-2018, 03:54 PM

Yup .. little sauce and fill the box more. Judges like to see a full box.

Big D BBQ · 05-18-2018, 12:33 PM

Sorry, just getting back to this. Average of the 6 judges was 7.66 App 8 Taste 8.33 Tenderness

Thanks for the comments, so the advice I received:

Thinner sauce, don't let it set up so long. Check
Fill up the box. Check
Clean up the bones / dark spots. Check
Remove the nodules... I'm not quite sure how to do that, do you cut them off with a hacksaw, or what?

Thanks again.

enasnidx · 05-18-2018, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big D BBQ

Sorry, just getting back to this. Average of the 6 judges was 7.66 App 8 Taste 8.33 Tenderness

Thanks for the comments, so the advice I received:

Thinner sauce, don't let it set up so long. Check
Fill up the box. Check
Clean up the bones / dark spots. Check
Remove the nodules... I'm not quite sure how to do that, do you cut them off with a hacksaw, or what?

Thanks again.

Get a poultry shears. I have a pair of cuisinart that I really like.

Contracted Cookers · 05-18-2018, 09:35 PM

celebrity judges never have saw them before

didisea · 05-19-2018, 06:20 PM

No hacksaw - here are the tiny scissors I use.
https://www.joann.com/heritage-5-in-...r/2399962.html

Big D BBQ · 05-21-2018, 08:49 AM

Ok, I do have a Henckel Poultry shear, and small sharp scissor like that, I will give it a try. Thanks.

05-13-2018, 06:30 PM	#3
GrillBillie_D Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 03-08-12 Location: Redding, CA	My quick thoughts....try taking a wet rag or paper towl and cleaning up the bones. Can't tell you if sauced them but think about a quick dunk in a thin sauce and maybe back on to just set it and then in the box. I like the arrangement myself. __________________ [I]Dennis[/I] [B]California Grill Billies[/B] #InsaneCanPosse #GatewayDrums #GMG #GreenMountailGrills

05-13-2018, 09:58 PM	#5
Ron_L Moderator Join Date: 12-09-04 Location: Wandering, but not lost Name/Nickname : Captain Ron	No garnish is harder that it sounds. I would have taken meat from some extra legs and pulled it, lightly sauced and use it as a bed. The legs themselves need a light sauce or glaze to make them look more appetizing. They look dry as it is, even it they weren’t. __________________ "Ron Rico, Boss. You can call me Captain Ron..." Naked Fatties Rock! PKGo X 2/PK360/Weber Q1000/Blackstone Camping Griddle/Pit Boss Pro Series 850

05-14-2018, 07:18 AM	#7
ModelMaker Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 04-21-06 Location: Lake Ponderosa-Montezuma, IA	You don't need to sauce, I would be eager to get at those just as they are. You do need to remove the little nodules and dark spots. Taste and tenderness are you goals here, appearance is the smallest score. Your doing well. Ed __________________ Designer of a custom drum smoker Customized Aussie gas passer Turkey fryer Extremely seasoned hand hammered Wok Pit Boss-HART BURN Competition BBQ Team KCBS certified judge And Your not the boss of me either!!

05-14-2018, 09:12 AM	#8
enasnidx Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 05-23-11 Location: Central MN	Great job this weekend! Hope ya'll had fun on the backyard side. As others mentioned, a thinned down sauce will help. Great thing about lollipops is that the bone 'handle' makes it very easy for you to dunk each piece in a large cup/bowl/pan of sauce instead of brushing it on. That will help your appearance a lot. You only need to set the sauce on the smoker for about 10 min. Looks like your's got a little dark. Keep at it, looks great! __________________ 🔥 🔥 The Docfather BBQ Team 🔥 🔥 www.facebook.com/TheDocfatherBBQ

05-13-2018, 06:01 PM	#2
Contracted Cookers is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 12-11-07 Location: Jefferson City, MO	box looks pretty decent . are sure they didn't knock you down on taste and tenderness

05-13-2018, 07:57 PM	#4
didisea Take a breath! Join Date: 11-09-11 Location: Everett, WA	It is a pretty good looking box to begin with, but you could take some small, sharp scissors, I have a small pair of Friskars pointed scissors I use for boxing, and trim off some of the dark spots. Like the 2nd piece from the left has a line of dark skin. What your trying to get is even color, so make sure you apply your rub very evenly. As the gentleman said above, you might hit it with some sauce.

05-14-2018, 03:54 PM	#9
jasonjax Babbling Farker Join Date: 12-20-07 Location: Ponte Vedra, Florida Name/Nickname : Jason	Yup .. little sauce and fill the box more. Judges like to see a full box.

05-18-2018, 12:33 PM	#10
Big D BBQ On the road to being a farker Join Date: 02-08-11 Location: Waseca, MN	Sorry, just getting back to this. Average of the 6 judges was 7.66 App 8 Taste 8.33 Tenderness Thanks for the comments, so the advice I received: Thinner sauce, don't let it set up so long. Check Fill up the box. Check Clean up the bones / dark spots. Check Remove the nodules... I'm not quite sure how to do that, do you cut them off with a hacksaw, or what? Thanks again.

05-18-2018, 09:35 PM	#12
Contracted Cookers is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 12-11-07 Location: Jefferson City, MO	celebrity judges never have saw them before

05-19-2018, 06:20 PM	#13
didisea Take a breath! Join Date: 11-09-11 Location: Everett, WA	No hacksaw - here are the tiny scissors I use. https://www.joann.com/heritage-5-in-...r/2399962.html

05-21-2018, 08:49 AM	#14
Big D BBQ On the road to being a farker Join Date: 02-08-11 Location: Waseca, MN	Ok, I do have a Henckel Poultry shear, and small sharp scissor like that, I will give it a try. Thanks.