Rule Question: Deep Frying

[deguerre]

Originally Posted by roksmith

not saying there's anything wrong with creative BBQing.. I've been known to utulize the ole Texas Crutch myself.. but as I understand it, the reason most use the butter bath is to get some of the buttery flavor in their chicken.. it doesn't crisp it up from what 've seen. I believe you would achieve the same result with oil unless you throw it in something hot enough to melt steel.. you'll end up with chicken that tastes like grease.

Just a guess...

..and with my stick burner.. I'd be afraid to heat it up as high as you'd need to with oil inside... one grease fire in the smoker was enough to tell me I don't want to super heat it with a pot of boiling oil inside it.

What if you used...pure BACON grease?

[roksmith]

interesting thought... I've been known to lay a big slab of bacon over top of a lean brisket in a pinch.
The bacon grease would even add a little smokey flavor if the grease flavor soaks in.

How about wrapping the chicken in some little bacon blankets before cooking.... works for everything else :)

[bigabyte]

Originally Posted by deguerre

What if you used...pure BACON grease?

You are a genius. Cupcake chicken will never be the same.

[tonto1117]

Originally Posted by deguerre

What if you used...pure BACON grease?

Originally Posted by bigabyte

You are a genius. Cupcake chicken will never be the same.

CHoink.....it's the new rage.....

[Ford]

Comments in red.

Originally Posted by Lake Dogs

Apparently judges prefer a bite through or slightly crispy skin. I could bring the temps up fast and basically fricassee the chicken, then take the chicken off the heat and set the skin up for about an hour as the temps come down on the stick burner. I'm pretty certain I can get the back side up to 400+- with the front being only 320, then immediately let the temps drop back down to 250 and *voila* crispy skin on BBQ chicken.

Problem - When you put both in cold then they both rise at the same temp so in order to get the liquid up to 350F for frying you'd need to bring the chicken up to 350F. Preheating the liquid means that the liquid may drop when the meat is added and then both will increase at about the same rate. So to get from 320 to 350 only gets the meat from 40 to 70. So then the oil will cook the chicken.

The question is, IF I start with oil/lard at the same temps as the chicken, this is legal?
YES

15 minutes or so on a quick bring-temps-up-to-frying-range, then about an hour
back at normal temps should do it. Season on the "flip".
Even without meat in a pan it will take a lot longer than 15 minutes to get up to temp. Tried to heat stuff in a smoker. At 300F temp I can put in a quart of sauce and leave for an hour and it still isn't boiling. Deep fryer is putting out way more than 300F to get the oil up to temp.

Now if you took a cast iron pan and put it in the firebox for 15 minutes then pulled out and added a cup max of oil and it didn't immediately burn you could add cooked chicken and put in the smoker at any temp and crisp the skin. Or for that matter just leave the pan out. I'll bet it would be nice and crisp and it's sure not deep frying. And no I haven't done it but I know people have done it and don't do it anymore.

Anybody else put liquids in a hot smoker and did they boil?

[Ford]

Originally Posted by roksmith

How about wrapping the chicken in some little bacon blankets before cooking.... works for everything else :)

Why do I think judges would score the chicken down in flavor? Just like turning in lemon chicken.

[Gowan]

The "deep" is the key word in the deep frying rule. As long as you don't submerge meat in fat, it's legal, regardless of temps.

[Brew-B-Q]

Originally Posted by CivilWarBBQ

The "deep" is the key word in the deep frying rule. As long as you don't submerge meat in fat, it's legal, regardless of temps.

So one could pan fry smoked, not fully cooked, chicken in hot oil as long as it isn't fully submerged? I'm not familiar with the rule, as I never considered frying my chicken, but this is an interesting thread.

[Ford]

Originally Posted by Brew-B-Q

So one could pan fry smoked, not fully cooked, chicken in hot oil as long as it isn't fully submerged? I'm not familiar with the rule, as I never considered frying my chicken, but this is an interesting thread.

Based on the current rule I think you could. However on Friday I'd explain to the Reps exactly what you plan to do and get them to say go ahead just in case they come to you Saturday and say DQ. In this case it's better to ask permission.

Now as to my personal thought if I was judging - There's no way this is BBQ and it's being questioned at the table and my score would be 5 or less after I was told it's legal by the Rep.

History lesson - the par boiling them deep frying rule came about because a competitor fired up a big fire under a big pot full of sauce then when boiling added meat to simmer in the sauce. Bottom line don't mess with Juggy the Beerman for those that know him. The parboiling rule took him 3 years but he got it. And he sells beer at Royals/Arrowhead stadium hence the name.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Brew-B-Q

So one could pan fry smoked, not fully cooked, chicken in hot oil as long as it isn't fully submerged? I'm not familiar with the rule, as I never considered frying my chicken, but this is an interesting thread.

Yeah, I think you should do it. Especially every contest that I am at...

Just sayin'...

[Slamdunkpro]

Originally Posted by Ford

Now as to my personal thought if I was judging - There's no way this is BBQ and it's being questioned at the table and my score would be 5 or less after I was told it's legal by the Rep.

{pot stir mode}
Wait, what happened to judging the entry as a representation of the cook's intention? It's either not BBQ - then the rep should DQ it; - or it is - then judge it as a representation of the cook's intentions regardless of your personal feelings
{/pot stir mode}

[CajunSmoker]

It's gonna be a thin line and will depend on who's the rep.

One of the New England teams floured there chicken a couple years back and then cooked it hot to crisp it. Got DQ'd even though they didn't fry it, it gave the impression of fried chicken and that was enough for the DQ.

[Slamdunkpro]

Originally Posted by CajunSmoker

It's gonna be a thin line and will depend on who's the rep.

One of the New England teams floured there chicken a couple years back and then cooked it hot to crisp it. Got DQ'd even though they didn't fry it, it gave the impression of fried chicken and that was enough for the DQ.

I remember this. What struck me about that incident was that the rep didn't bother to go ask the competitor, they just assumed it was fried and DQ'd it at the judge's table.

[Brew-B-Q]

I'm pretty happy with my chicken recipe, and I don't plan on frying it in the future. I was just wondering if that would be legal, given the discussion. Maybe I'll fry my brisket slices and see what that gets me.

[Ford]

Originally Posted by Slamdunkpro

I remember this. What struck me about that incident was that the rep didn't bother to go ask the competitor, they just assumed it was fried and DQ'd it at the judge's table.

Lesson learned from this - if you plan to try anything out of the norm let the reps know on Friday so they have advance notice of what you are doing. I'd even provide pics of their practice for the reps to see.