Chicken Prep Question

[Crash]

Your a great chicken cooker. I don't think you need my help. Never know you might come back to Arizona.

Pretty sure we'll manage to stumble through life out here and not move back to AZ. That being said, I've helped you and Paul out PLENTY by drinking your beer.....least you could do is offer some chicken advice. :becky:

 

[Crash]

Most pros smoke the chicken instead of grilling to get the smokey flavor the judges look for.

With all due respect, I don't think that's accurate. It might actually be the opposite...."might" is the key word.

Most comp cooks that I know......well, umm, they.....never mind. I've already said too much.

 

[Greendriver]

This past weekend I scraped chicken skin a day before cooking, normally I do it the morning of. After scraping I placed skins back on on a put in ziploks and back into cooler on ice. When I cooked them, the next day, the skins seemed to shrink right up on me. Has anyone else had this happen? Wondering if they lost moisture? Thinking I might have to go back to doing it morning of but would like to save some of the hassle of rushing through it. Thanks.

I'm guessing they only shrunk up like they did because the thighs were not trimmed down small enough. when mine finish cooking I have plenty of coverage and in fact before they go on the cooker the skin some times overlaps the thigh (meaning I had enough skin to wrap around the thigh and then some). As far a drying out before they are put on - seems like that would be a + in a good final product.

 

[azwildcat]

I agree with Keith. There are methods to cook chicken where scrapping is not required. It takes a little practice, and cooking at the proper temperatures.

I scraped for the first year of competition, never got me anywhere. Stopped scraping, cook them now at 315 in a UDS (in a pan) before taking out and flipping on an open UDS to finish, my bite thru was still good and my scores went way up. Gotta marinade and trim well though.

 

[Disconnect]

For what its worth...when I scrape skins, I dont use a knife...I use a 3 dollar 1 inch red devil paint scraper, job is done in half the time of a knife. I can scrape and trim 18 thighs in 45 minutes

Wow. Tried it yesterday (only found a 2" but same basic idea, plastic paint scraper) and most skins are under 2 minutes this way. (Less if the cutting board is dry enough for them to stick instead of sliding around.)

Just wow. You are AWESOME! Thanks! :clap2:

 

[Greendriver]

paper towel in hand helps me keep that skin from sliding same as it helps pull membrane off ribs.

 

[azmark]

I did half a pack of thighs from Costco and man I can see how prepping chicken can be a drag. We'll see how they taste tonight.

Thanks for the great tips:thumb:

 

[QansasjayhawQ]

I use a BernzOMatic Hand Torch to render the fat off the underside of the skin - no scraping for me!






(just kidding)

 

[Sweet Breathe BBQ]

I think my temps were a bit high. This weekend I scraped/trimmed morning of, reduced initial temps and didn't have a problem. I did trim the thighs down a bit more than usual and I think that helped too. I was pretty happy with the results, scored a 6th place.

 

[Sledneck]

I think my temps were a bit high. This weekend I scraped/trimmed morning of, reduced initial temps and didn't have a problem. I did trim the thighs down a bit more than usual and I think that helped too. I was pretty happy with the results, scored a 6th place.

Congrats on the gc

 

[azmark]

Good grief, did the prep for the first time and scrapping is the sickest thing But it was an amazing piece of chicken doing it that way.

I by the time I was done scraping I wasn't in the mood to form the thighs and trim them so I just placed the skin on top and in they went. It was worth all of the work though.

Thanks for the tips!