Chicken experiment

[LGHT]

Go For it Neil, better yet why not try it at Stagecoach next year

hahaaha that and the raspberry rib rub right?

 

[INmitch]

Of course, but it's difficult to get a leg tender is my point. I'm sure it may be just as good if not better then some thighs, and you might be able to get it just as tender of a thigh, but the bottom line is your going in trying to pull of something that is going to be harder than cooking a thigh. The skin will be harder to perfect and the meat is not as tender from the get go.

I disagree about the leg skin. My thighs are wrapped 2/3 of the way around with leg skin. It's very thin with little to no fat. I score the remainder. Bite thru everytime. 9 calls out of last 10 contests. By the way I start out with leg quarters then trim & cuss & p!ss & moan & trim till they're done.

 

[LGHT]

I disagree about the leg skin. My thighs are wrapped 2/3 of the way around with leg skin. It's very thin with little to no fat. I score the remainder. Bite thru everytime. 9 calls out of last 10 contests. By the way I start out with leg quarters then trim & cuss & p!ss & moan & trim till they're done.

Wow that's a great idea why don't you start cooking legs and see if you get that many calls? I'm dying to know how the judges score those legs :becky:

 

[bigdogphin]

I switched to legs this year with great success! I buy the cheapest ones I can find that have extra skin. Scrape or trim the little bit of tough fat on the end of the skin or anything that doesn't look good. I never have been scored down for the skin not covering the whole leg. Keep spraying the chicken during cooking to get bite thru and its all gravy. The ease of trimming is a bonus and personally I like legs over thighs.

 

[Meat Burner]

Got a 1st in chicken with legs at a KCBS comp last year. Thinking about doing them again.

 

[Funtimebbq]

Neil,

I would try the legs. I received 13th (of 53) at Viejas with my first try. I did trim (frenched) the meat off the legs and made them look like popsicles. This allows the skin to be pulled over the the meat end (insert jokes here). The leg bone was hidden under the parsley so the judges could only see the meat. I received very good scores from 5 of the 6 judges. The 6th judge gave me a 9 for appearance and then two 6s for taste and tenderness. I think I was punished once that particular judged discovered the meat was legs. The other scores varied from 7 to 9.

Good luck, Benny

 

[jbrink01]

I've been thinking drummies, hmmm...I dont like legs, but dont like thighs either and I just trimmed 12 of them tonight......

 

[Captain P.J.]

I have also been trying out the legs. I agree with you on the skin issue. I even fired up the smokey joe and let my 3.5 year old son take a crack at a few legs... he did a pretty good job! Maybe in a few years I can turn that category over to him....probably have a better chance at getting a call. :-D

 

[INmitch]

Wow that's a great idea why don't you start cooking legs and see if you get that many calls? I'm dying to know how the judges score those legs :becky:

I was just being honest in what I've been doing & you've got to be a smarta$$. Did I do something wrong? Ive worked long & hard to get where I've gotten with chicken & I was just sharing my secrets (as some would call it). Sorry it won't happen again.:thumb:

 

[INmitch]

LGHT I've got to appoligize. After reading some of your other replies on other threads I realize that you aint got the picture yet. Hang in there you'll catch up. Just takes time & determination.:icon_blush:

 

[LGHT]

Apologize? I was serious when I said cook legs. I mean if your that good at chicken you should do just as good if not better right? My only point is I think cooking legs is harder then thighs and the main reason why everyone probably cooks thighs, but for someone who gets 9 out of 10 calls you probably won't have any issues get 1rst with legs.

 

[INmitch]

And tell me why I should change something that is working? I wasn't bragging about 9 outta 10. The people on here that know me know I'm pretty humble & not that good. Your obviously a judge and have never pulled the skin off a leg qtr. If you had you would have never replied the way you did! I"m headin to bed now so I can get up & spend 2-3 hrs triming chicken for the last time this year (thank God), Then off to Degaque to have a riot with my bbq freinds!!!:clap2::thumb:

 

[Smokedelic]

In all honesty I think it would be a mistake. Even the best leg will fail in comparrison to an average thigh. Bottom line is the meat just isn't the same tenderness or texture. Legs are good eating don't get me wrong, but I never really cared for them much when comparred to a thigh. Because a leg is somewhat of a tough lean piece of meat, if put side by side cooked to the same level of tenderness and they both have the same flaovor the thigh will always win in my book.

I'm glad you don't judge in my area. Your preconceived, prejudicial notions have no place at a judging table. With an attitude of "Legs are good eating don't get me wrong, but I never really cared for them much when comparred to a thigh", you are a detriment to every team that you judge.

 

[LGHT]

I'm glad you don't judge in my area. Your preconceived, prejudicial notions have no place at a judging table. With an attitude of "Legs are good eating don't get me wrong, but I never really cared for them much when comparred to a thigh", you are a detriment to every team that you judge.

Your right I should prefer to eat legs that in my opinion are a lesser quality cut of meat and appreciate that cut of meat as long as it cooked as best as it possibly can be and not worry about how much more tender a juicy all the other cuts of meat at the table are. It's just odd that I have never once seen a leg turned in a box at all??? I wonder why that is? I mean I would be really impressed to see a team turn in legs. Do you turn in legs or ever have or do you use thighs? If you don't use legs why not?

 

[Boshizzle]

I have judged some beautiful drum sticks in competitions, in fact they received 9's from many judges at my table. However, the flavor in most of them was lacking. So, the skin problem can be overcome. Just don't overcome it at the expense of flavor.

 

[Bentley]

In all honesty I think it would be a mistake. Even the best leg will fail in comparrison to an average thigh.

A a CBJ I could not disagree more, alas as a CBJ I must try and not make my personal choice a factor...my favorite piece is the drumstick, and to be frank, it would be refreshing to eat insted of a candied thigh...

They look very good to me, please have some avaiable this Sunday at Atwater Villege FM and I will be happy to give you my CBJ score, 7-10 legs should be enough...

 

[Bentley]

It's just odd that I have never once seen a leg turned in a box at all??? I wonder why that is?

Not to bang on you to hard, but I think the reason you don't is your initial comment...As a competition cook, the comment makes me think, why turn it in if some CBJ's have a predisposition to say the thigh is better before they have taken a bite.

As a side note, I have overheard many CBJ's in the past in CA say that they judge down for baby back ribs because they think it is cheating and that only spares should be turned...They sure never seem to make that comment when I am turning in a select brisket and 5 other teams are turning in $150 Waygue brisket, wonder why that is...

Sorry for the side track Neil...

 

[bigdogphin]

Here is a chicken leg box I turned in and did fairly well with.

 

[Alexa RnQ]

Drums were recently turned in at a California contest and did well. Just sayin.

 

[boogiesnap]

if you think your drum BBQ is better than your thigh BBQ than 100% turn em in!
for my first KCBS comp i did wings. at the time(and still today) they are better than my thighs.
was ribbed pretty hard by the other competitors...
they were great Brethren so it was all in good fun.
despite a poor cook on my part, we still got a call.
to put it another way, same as it's the cook not the cooker, it's the cook not the choice of meat.