Chicken Hind-Quarters for KCBS Competitions

Leatherheadiowa

Leatherheadiowa

Full Fledged Farker
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Oct 12, 2011
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Grimes...
I was recently told that a few prominent teams are turning in 1/4s for their chicken entries.
Knowing the size of the box inside and out, how would you get 6 seperate portions in a box? Game hens? Could someone offer some input?
Thanks for the insight on the front side!:p
 
Here's one way to do it:

2011-06-04115606.jpg
 
The quarters I buy are always very large in size and I can't see getting 6 in a box. If you are comfortable saying, do you buy whole fryers and spilt them yourself, or do find small packages of 1/4's? Thanks again!
 
In the DFW area, Whole Foods (WHOLE Paycheck) and Central Market,carry free range chickens which tend to be smaller, have less fat, thinner skin and a different flavor. Get friendly with the butcher and he will pickout the smallest hind quarters from the case for you by weight and appearance. That is one way that comes to mind.
 
Smoke'n Ice said:
In the DFW area, Whole Foods (WHOLE Paycheck) and Central Market,carry free range chickens which tend to be smaller, have less fat, thinner skin and a different flavor. Get friendly with the butcher and he will pickout the smallest hind quarters from the case for you by weight and appearance. That is one way that comes to mind.
Click to expand...

I like the way you think.
 
I recently judged a contest where we had leg quarters turned in. They looked great and I couldn't wait to try one. But as I picked it up I wasn't really sure where to bite it for the "One best bite". This instantly told me that as a cook I wouldn't do this. As a judge I typically take two big bites of everything, but I know a lot of judges don't and I'd be concerned about where they took their one small bite. With a thigh OR leg I feel like I am in control of this.

BTW I bit into the leg and the thing was so overcooked that it fell apart on the judging plate.
 
Cagle's and Marshall Durbin leg quarters tend to be smaller and much more uniform than Sanderson Farms in my opinion.

Recently I cooked a whole bag of Cagle's. I removed the piece of the backbone left from where the sawed the bird down the middle but left the skin. I wasn't really practicing for a comp, but I did pick out 6 uniform quarters to see if I could.


ad60afcc-4ebc-89bf.jpg


They are noticably smaller without the backbone piece.
 
drbbq said:
I recently judged a contest where we had leg quarters turned in. They looked great and I couldn't wait to try one. But as I picked it up I wasn't really sure where to bite it for the "One best bite". This instantly told me that as a cook I wouldn't do this. As a judge I typically take two big bites of everything, but I know a lot of judges don't and I'd be concerned about where they took their one small bite. With a thigh OR leg I feel like I am in control of this.

BTW I bit into the leg and the thing was so overcooked that it fell apart on the judging plate.
Click to expand...

I did the turn in once, but because of what the good doctor said, I did not repeat. My taste test piece, while properly cooked, was difficult to figure out where to bite. Took a bite from the leg and got mostly skin because I was at the knuckle joint with the thigh. Figured this would happen to judges as well.

Oh well, it was a full box at least. :rolleyes:
 
Jeez- Thanks for convincing me not to turn in quarters! - I'd be breaking down whole chickens to get the skin "just so", as it is I'm doing that with breasts.

IMG_2369.jpg
 
swamprb said:
Jeez- Thanks for convincing me not to turn in quarters! - I'd be breaking down whole chickens to get the skin "just so", as it is I'm doing that with breasts.

IMG_2369.jpg
Click to expand...

429d151e-0135-9fbe.jpg


Not necessarily. This was one 10 lb bag of quarters that is usually about $7.00 As you can see these are pretty small and uniform. Only three or four of these had any issues with the skin.
 
Yesterday I had the honor of judging at the Smokin in the Junction contest in West Des Moines, Iowa. My major goal was to see hindquarters presented, secondary to seeing what everyone else is currently presenting to the judges.
Unfortunately, our table didn't get a hindquarter entry, fortunately the table next to us did. We were first to get boxes and they were nearly last, so we were done when they were starting. As I cleaned my hands I saw the table capt. start to share the boxes at the table next to us and there it was, a box on hindquarters! Six shiny pieces on a bed of parsley. A moment later the table capt. opened another box, ANOTHER BOX OF HINDQUARTERS! Two boxes at one table?
After the judges were completely finished I polled a couple about the hindquarters and none of them were thrilled. Maybe it is geographical but the hindquarters weren't popular in West Des Moines. Lesson learned, hindquarters are turned in, they didn't score well in West Des Moines, & two boxes showed up at the same table.
 
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