Whipping Post / First Chicken Trim

[Balls Casten]

Ok guys, our team has never trimmed chicken pre cook. We would just purchase several packs then pick the 6 that looked similar in size.

Here is my first attempt …. Whip away! Honest and constructive criticism please.

[MilitantSquatter]

I think that's a great first attempt...

[Professor Salt]

The shape looks pretty to me. Looks like you did a nice job squaring off the meat.

Did you shave off the fat under the skin? The ends of the skin look a little chubby, especially on that bottom left one. Those folded over ends will stay flabby and tough because the skin's doubled over along the edges. Shaving the fat will keep reduce that effect.

[Pig Headed]

Looks pretty good to me.

[Butt-A-Bing!]

Looks good! Now let see it cooked!

Chris

[Mike - CSBBBQ]

Excellent! Should cook nice

[Balls Casten]

Originally Posted by Professor Salt

The shape looks pretty to me. Looks like you did a nice job squaring off the meat.

Did you shave off the fat under the skin? The ends of the skin look a little chubby, especially on that bottom left one. Those folded over ends will stay flabby and tough because the skin's doubled over along the edges. Shaving the fat will keep reduce that effect.

thank you, that looks worse than it is. How much will the skin shrink when cooked? I tried to leave as much skin as I could without large hunks of skin overlaping.

Yes I did try to scrape the fat off th skin as much as possible.

One piece, the skin fell 90% off when I washed it. Will the skin adhear to the meat or is that a piece I should not us for comps?

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

If you pin the skin to the bottom with toothpicks the skin will shrink by becoming thinner vs. smaller and thicker. Be sure to count the number of toothpicks you put in and account for all of them when you remove them. Don't use colored ones or they will dye the meat.

[Alexa RnQ]

Originally Posted by Balls Casten

We would just purchase several packs then pick the 6 that looked similar in size.

This jumped out at me. Only six?
We tend to find that you never really know how each piece is going to trim out or cook up, so poor VQ goes ahead and trims everything we've got (except for the ones that are obviously too tiny, or whatever). From those I select the best-matching to cook, then another round of elimination comes after cooking.

[Balls Casten]

Originally Posted by DivaHerself

This jumped out at me. Only six?
We tend to find that you never really know how each piece is going to trim out or cook up, so poor VQ goes ahead and trims everything we've got (except for the ones that are obviously too tiny, or whatever). From those I select the best-matching to cook, then another round of elimination comes after cooking.

Excuse me, yes we will cook 12 or 18, sometimes more then chose 6. But we did not trim anything. But thats changing this year. Well at least until we start drinking and say screw it.

[Big George's BBQ]

They look pretty good. Would like to see the finished product

[Jacked UP BBQ]

Are those stuffed? Look good!

[Balls Casten]

Originally Posted by Big George's BBQ

They look pretty good. Would like to see the finished product

Cooking them tonight, will post pics AFTER I'm done eating.

They are not stuffed, I pulled some of the skin back and trimed fat and some meat so that all were of equal size. Some I could get tooth picks in and some the skin would not streach that far.

[ssbbqguy]

One option I've used is skewers, usually two metal ones will do three to four pieces. No worry about leaving them and a added bonus is the skin likes the heat transfer. Now I just trim longer skin and cook at higher temps. Nice trim for starting out. Steve.

[VGuilford]

Originally Posted by Balls Casten

Yes I did try to scrape the fat off th skin as much as possible.

Just ask Jeff in kc about the shaving technique. He's a master with the lady Schick.