Competition Ribs and Chicken

To me chicken is the most difficult to master. We don't put the chicken in the smoker anymore. It comes out too mushy. We burn wood in our grill and grill it. We cook the chicken then turn it over and crisp the skin on the grill last. We then set the glaze. We also don't use the 3-2-1 method for ribs. We simply lift the rack off the smoker and if they bend to about a 45* angle they are done. If they are still stiff they need more time.

Steve, I am starting to try 1 hour in foil instead of 2, but I think I had the same problem worrying about the ribs being too done, then not getting them done enough.

I have used the 3-2-1- method MANY times, but have recently went to just smoking my BB for 6 hours at 250. This works MUCH better and the ribs a re perfect. Like already said, takes a little practice to pick them and see them bend with about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of bone sticking out.
Smoke On!!!!!!

Steve,
Try this with your practice CK and see if it works for you. Cook your thighs on a webber grill for 1 hour using cherry chips - fairly heavy smoke. Put in a pan with sauce on the bottom and then in your smoker for 1 hour. Brush with the sauce and back in the smoker for about 30 minutes. After we take our CK out of the marinade we rub it with EVOO and then sprinkle the rub on it. This method works well for us.

You are from OK so I would go with a heavy tomato based sauce - in your neck of the woods you should try Head Country.

Try this and let me know what you think!:wink: :wink:

Maybe this sounds stupid,but what is the 1,2 ,3 method

I would add to what Wayne said and touch on the appearance end of things: I put a toothpick through the thigh before I put them on the grill. This helps shape them to turn out more even when done and helps hold the skin in place so it doesn't pull back as it cooks. After going through Wayne's process, select six thighs that look most alike and put in your turn in box. The most important thing here: DON'T FORGET TO REMOVE ALL TOOTHPICKS FIRST!!! Oh and be sure to trim off all the scraggly pieces of skin and meat that might be sticking out from the thigh.

When you see everyone talking about something and using a term that you don't understand but they don't seem to understand, you can look in the roadmap at the top of the forum.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9030

Jeff_in_KC said:

I would add to what Wayne said and touch on the appearance end of things: I put a toothpick through the thigh before I put them on the grill. This helps shape them to turn out more even when done and helps hold the skin in place so it doesn't pull back as it cooks. After going through Wayne's process, select six thighs that look most alike and put in your turn in box. The most important thing here: DON'T FORGET TO REMOVE ALL TOOTHPICKS FIRST!!! Oh and be sure to trim off all the scraggly pieces of skin and meat that might be sticking out from the thigh.

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Jeff is correct on the toothpick Mod!! We gave up a Grand Champ because we left a tooth pick in our turn in.

IMO-- Chicken: The skin has to be the most critical factor of the turn in. It requires a hotter heat and more attention than the other 3 meats. Griiling is the weapon of choice unless you want to gamble with Breasts and then you still have the skin problem.

Ribs: We used to always live by the 3 -2 - 1 method on BB's but we have found that we have better scores with Spares , trimed ,not foiled , and spritzed every half hour for the last 3 hours. Still tender, more flavor and a nice ruby glaze finish.

Using the 3-2-1 method is not fool proof. In your practicing this method you will need to adjust it for your preference. I personally use 3-1-1 in mine. I use a 2 1/4 and down St. Louis table trim from John Morrell.

3-2-1 seems to get me fall off the bone ribs. I usually go 2.5-1.5-1 on BBs.

Yes too long in the foil and you got Applebees Ribs YUCK

I know whis is somewhat of a hijack, but........

3-2-1 - 8-9-10 ??? Why? Thats stuff started here as a guidleine for those just starting out, and it stuck. It was also for spares, not BB, which reduced the ime by up to 2 hours. I know it works and alot of you are sucessful with it. I personally never used it. Let me present something for anyone who wants to try a different concept. DISCLAIMER: THESE ARE BACKYARD TECHNIQUES. I may or may not use them in competition this year as they dont leave as much room for error or recovery, and I need more practice with them.

Forget 3-2-1. The Meat and temperature make the determination, not time. YOU determine how long(about) you want to cook for.

When the ribs pull back from the tip of the bones, they are telling u something.. they are getting there. On Spares, it may be 3 hours at 250, but it could be 2 hours at 300-325 or 6 hours at 210.

Either way, if your going to foil, do it then when they pull back.(NOT necessarilly after 3 hours) If your not foiling, I flip them to bone up(thats up to you). Then as they cook, lift the racks from an end. If they start to bend easily(this is similar to the handshake test for a bird) they are tender. I go by feel. Time is irrelevant. Temperature determines when you eat and (about) when the meat is ready.

If they are foiled after the handshake passes, I like to take them out of the foil and return them to the heat to finish and set the glaze. If they are not foiled, I start to brush them an raise the heat a little. The family likes them wet right out of the foil, so I let them finish in the cooler for 30 minutes or so if needed.

Point is.. your dont NEED "3-2-1 at 225-250". Kickass ribs can be done at 275-300 and even 350.. In much less time. Or 200-225 in 8-10 hours. After years, i started using my pit to suit my needs or mood, not be set in stone with times and temps. The best chicken breasts i ever made were done at 600 degrees to start and cook at 400-500. They are done in about 20-25 minutes and the skin is crispy. The kids called them disgustingly good becase they squirt all over when you bite them, they are that juicy.

Ribs can be done foiled or not, foil is an accelerator to tenderness, thats all. I've done BB ribs at 300 and was done in 3 hours and they were great.

I'm not meaning to rant, but what I'm trying to say, our beginners, stay with our guidelines, or with what your comfortable with, but as you progress, try different techniques, higher heat means you eat sooner, or sleep longer. Before we found low and slow much cooking was done in our ovens at 350-400. That steel is just a big oven. I have been finding mush less attention is paid to 225 or 280 or 250 and 325.

Dont mean to rant, just injecting a different perspective.

AMEN Phil, well done!

One comment--foiling also stops the application of smoke. Handy if you want to do that.
It also helps hold a color. If I foil when golden brown, things do not get so crusty black looking and tasting.

Thanks,

TIM

Thanks for the "rant" Phil. I learned a lot. It sort of pulled together a lot of the loose ends I have had that were pileing up in the back of my brain. What it all comes down to is being able to think on your feet and not get caught up in any particular set technique. They all need to be changed on the fly to suit conditions and the only way you can learn that is to do it and read what others have done.

Sawdustguy said:

To me chicken is the most difficult to master. We don't put the chicken in the smoker anymore. It comes out too mushy. We burn wood in our grill and grill it. We cook the chicken then turn it over and crisp the skin on the grill last. We then set the glaze. We also don't use the 3-2-1 method for ribs. We simply lift the rack off the smoker and if they bend to about a 45* angle they are done. If they are still stiff they need more time.

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I'm with you Guy. Forget all the fancy thermos and 3-2-1 stuff, just cook them till they look done and bend to a 45. Love it man. Simplicity rules.:-D

Bigdog said:

I'm with you Guy. Forget all the fancy thermos and 3-2-1 stuff, just cook them till they look done and bend to a 45. Love it man. Simplicity rules.:-D

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Foil-free and proud

Great thread guys. Im doing some baby backs this Sunday. This thread really helps.

RichardF said:

Foil-free and proud

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Don't let Tommy Kendall here that.