Chicken thighs tendons not rendering

Mauricio · 10-05-2012, 04:23 PM

Hey guys, I have one question:

I cook the chicken thighs and leg quarters on the UDS at 300F degrees until they are around 160F internal and they came out very moist, but at this temp all the tendons and ligaments have not melted yet.
Should I start pulling out the tendons that will not render down? I end up pulling out the chicken from the bones because I don't want someone to think that the chicken is undercooked because the tendons are still there, any hints?

Cheers to all!
have a great weekend

Dave Russell · 10-05-2012, 06:56 PM

Simply cook longer. If you're afraid of them drying out, brine or cook in pans. I'm bad about pulling them too soon, myself.

martyleach · 10-05-2012, 07:42 PM

I cook them to 170. They are plenty fatty to keep from drying out.

Jaybo77 · 10-05-2012, 07:47 PM

I cook dark meat to 175. And white meat to 160

El Ropo · 10-05-2012, 08:06 PM

I cook dark meat to 180-185, sometimes higher for leg quarters. There is so much fat in dark meat, it helps to get it all rendered out. You might want to bump up the heat closer to 350 for better skin and fat rendering on the dark stuff.

Mauricio · 10-05-2012, 11:22 PM

Thanks so much for your advises. I'm going to try again tomorrow with a higher temp and until they pass 175F. yes, they have plenty of fat, the last ones came out dripping a lot of it. and yeah I brine them before.
Thanks again, you guys rock

Scubadoo97 · 10-06-2012, 07:17 AM

I'm in the 180 camp for dark meat. Always tender and juicy

El Ropo · 10-06-2012, 07:25 AM

Forgot to mention I like to trim as much outside fat off of the dark meat as I can. Recently, the leg quarters I've been getting have a LOT of fat that can be trimmed off before the brine, or any prep work.

The Halal quarters I recently got were like a packer brisket I had to trim so much off.

Had a huge pile of the stuff. Those chix must have been real happy.

ccarter · 10-06-2012, 08:36 AM

Trimming them up a bit is helpful, am definitely let them go longer. Breast meat gets dried out quickly above 165, but that dark meat can go much longer. If I weren't replying from my cell phone right now I could find the temps for you... Head over to AmazingRibs.com to find the table. Those tendons and ligaments need higher temps and more time to tender. Leg quarters are my favorite thing to cook by far. I take mine to 189, but in willing to pull them at 185. Below that and they just don have that wonderful "pulls easily by hand" characteristic. Being able to take them to a higher temp and having a wider window is a major factor in the reasoning for using thighs in competition.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

columbia1 · 10-06-2012, 10:00 AM

^^^^Same as ccarter^^^^

he nailed it!!

Barbarian BBQ · 10-06-2012, 10:07 AM

You should definitely cook any poultry to 165*F at a minimum, to kill salmonella.

Q-Dat · 10-06-2012, 11:10 AM

I cook dark meat til it almost falls off the bone.......and now I want some leg quarters....

10-05-2012, 04:23 PM	#1
Mauricio Got Wood. Join Date: 04-28-12 Location: San Salvador, El Salvador Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Chicken thighs tendons not rendering Hey guys, I have one question: I cook the chicken thighs and leg quarters on the UDS at 300F degrees until they are around 160F internal and they came out very moist, but at this temp all the tendons and ligaments have not melted yet. Should I start pulling out the tendons that will not render down? I end up pulling out the chicken from the bones because I don't want someone to think that the chicken is undercooked because the tendons are still there, any hints? Cheers to all! have a great weekend

10-05-2012, 06:56 PM	#2
Dave Russell is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 01-06-10 Location: Lebanon, Tennessee Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Simply cook longer. If you're afraid of them drying out, brine or cook in pans. I'm bad about pulling them too soon, myself. __________________ If you're lookin' you ain't cookin', but if you're overcookin' you might start lookin'!

10-05-2012, 07:42 PM	#3
martyleach Babbling Farker Join Date: 12-17-10 Location: Pleasanton, Ca Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I cook them to 170. They are plenty fatty to keep from drying out. __________________ Large Big Green Egg, Cold smokehouse, UDS with hinged lid, Santa Maria pit 26.75" Weber OTG, Weber Performer, WGA MAK One Star General Pellet Pooper Hasty Bake Gourmet Custom wooden handles for BBQ's made by Marty Leach (oh, that's me) www.amlwoodart.com

10-05-2012, 08:06 PM	#5
El Ropo Babbling Farker Join Date: 10-06-10 Location: Austin, TX Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	I cook dark meat to 180-185, sometimes higher for leg quarters. There is so much fat in dark meat, it helps to get it all rendered out. You might want to bump up the heat closer to 350 for better skin and fat rendering on the dark stuff. __________________ Modded Brinkmann Gourmet. Basic UDS. Rescued 22.5" OTS. Weber SJS. Stubbs. B&B Oak Lump. Cannondale 2009 F8 (for burning off all the great BBQ)

10-06-2012, 07:17 AM	#7
Scubadoo97 On the road to being a farker Join Date: 02-19-12 Location: Dunedin, Florida Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I'm in the 180 camp for dark meat. Always tender and juicy __________________ You can't lay on the beach and drink rum all day unless you start in the morning

10-05-2012, 07:47 PM	#4
Jaybo77 Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 02-08-12 Location: Citronell al Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I cook dark meat to 175. And white meat to 160

10-05-2012, 11:22 PM	#6
Mauricio Got Wood. Join Date: 04-28-12 Location: San Salvador, El Salvador Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Thanks so much for your advises. I'm going to try again tomorrow with a higher temp and until they pass 175F. yes, they have plenty of fat, the last ones came out dripping a lot of it. and yeah I brine them before. Thanks again, you guys rock

10-06-2012, 07:25 AM	#8
El Ropo Babbling Farker Join Date: 10-06-10 Location: Austin, TX Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Forgot to mention I like to trim as much outside fat off of the dark meat as I can. Recently, the leg quarters I've been getting have a LOT of fat that can be trimmed off before the brine, or any prep work. The Halal quarters I recently got were like a packer brisket I had to trim so much off. Had a huge pile of the stuff. Those chix must have been real happy. __________________ Modded Brinkmann Gourmet. Basic UDS. Rescued 22.5" OTS. Weber SJS. Stubbs. B&B Oak Lump. Cannondale 2009 F8 (for burning off all the great BBQ)

10-06-2012, 08:36 AM	#9
ccarter Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 07-05-12 Location: Acworth, GA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Trimming them up a bit is helpful, am definitely let them go longer. Breast meat gets dried out quickly above 165, but that dark meat can go much longer. If I weren't replying from my cell phone right now I could find the temps for you... Head over to AmazingRibs.com to find the table. Those tendons and ligaments need higher temps and more time to tender. Leg quarters are my favorite thing to cook by far. I take mine to 189, but in willing to pull them at 185. Below that and they just don have that wonderful "pulls easily by hand" characteristic. Being able to take them to a higher temp and having a wider window is a major factor in the reasoning for using thighs in competition. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ 18.5" WSM, Large BGE, Backwoods Party Blue BBQGuru DigiQ DX2

10-06-2012, 10:00 AM	#10
columbia1 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-15-12 Location: Kalama Wa. Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	^^^^Same as ccarter^^^^ he nailed it!! __________________ "Tombstone BBQ"-PNWBA-KCBS-Custom 72" reverse flow offset-WSM-Weber Elite-ECB

10-06-2012, 10:07 AM	#11
Barbarian BBQ On the road to being a farker Join Date: 06-03-12 Location: Mesa, AZ Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	You should definitely cook any poultry to 165*F at a minimum, to kill salmonella. __________________ Grass Green Performer, 1970's Avocado Green Bar-B-Q Kettle, 22.5 WSM ...

10-06-2012, 11:10 AM	#12
Q-Dat Babbling Farker Join Date: 12-03-08 Location: Pearl River LA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I cook dark meat til it almost falls off the bone.......and now I want some leg quarters....