Crispy skin

CivilWarBBQ said:
I'm afraid that's going to have to remain a secret. I spent three years and God knows how many thighs developing a process that took our chicken from our weakest category to first place, and I'm not ready to let it out.

One tip I can share for working up your own technique is that you can do your skin experiments in the oven. Obviously the flavor won't be there but when you are testing for tenderness the oven is very convenient and the temp control more accurate than most smokers. I used the oven to determine what cooking time and temps worked with my prep method by testing with basic S&P seasoning, removing a couple thighs at ten minute intervals until I zeroed in on the right combination. It took a lot of thighs, but none was wasted because I just chopped it all up for chicken salad.

Once you've done the bulk of the testing in the oven, you can move to the smoker for final tweaking.
Click to expand...

I've been following this thread as I've had some chicken issues lately. It's funny, because I just thought about using the oven today. It's kind of a pain to set up the smoker in the dead of winter just to practice chicken, so I think I'm going to take your advice.

By the way, I'm in FL on vacation and I end up eating at an Amish joint, getting smoked bbq chicken. Was pretty damn good and was smoked well. I expected grilled, to be honest, but they had some good chicken.
 
Brew-B-Q said:
I've been following this thread as I've had some chicken issues lately. It's funny, because I just thought about using the oven today. It's kind of a pain to set up the smoker in the dead of winter just to practice chicken, so I think I'm going to take your advice.

By the way, I'm in FL on vacation and I end up eating at an Amish joint, getting smoked bbq chicken. Was pretty damn good and was smoked well. I expected grilled, to be honest, but they had some good chicken.
Click to expand...
Was it crispy? bite through? or both? did you ask him his technique?
 
Sledneck said:
Was it crispy? bite through? or both? did you ask him his technique?
Click to expand...

It was bite through, and a bit crispy. It was a chicken quarter, which I have less trouble with personally. It had faint grill marks, so I think it was put on a grill right before serving. I did not get to speak with the cook.
 
Next contest I am going to bring an Amish guy to cook with me. Think he is going to make disconnect the stoker?
 
I don't know the rules exactly, but they had plenty of electricity in the restaurant. I think they are ok with stokers, since I own one too. Now pellet cookers, they might draw the line there...:lol:
 
Sledneck said:
Next contest I am going to bring an Amish guy to cook with me. Think he is going to make disconnect the stoker?
Click to expand...
Sled,I have several Amish friends who I do some business with.Their rules for our area are as long as you own the tools they can use them.They just cant own them.Now when I was in Pennsylvania for work several years ago the amish there had cell phones and radios in the buggys.When one of them was thinking about moving out here he was asking me a lot of questions and after I talked with my friends here he decided that it was too strict here.
 
Listen to this guy about the oven. I always thought that your first brisket, packer or otherwise, should be roasted in the oven first. This way, you end up getting the texture right. THEN go on to your rub and stuff. With Chix, its crucial.

CivilWarBBQ said:
I'm afraid that's going to have to remain a secret. I spent three years and God knows how many thighs developing a process that took our chicken from our weakest category to first place, and I'm not ready to let it out.

One tip I can share for working up your own technique is that you can do your skin experiments in the oven. Obviously the flavor won't be there but when you are testing for tenderness the oven is very convenient and the temp control more accurate than most smokers. I used the oven to determine what cooking time and temps worked with my prep method by testing with basic S&P seasoning, removing a couple thighs at ten minute intervals until I zeroed in on the right combination. It took a lot of thighs, but none was wasted because I just chopped it all up for chicken salad.

Once you've done the bulk of the testing in the oven, you can move to the smoker for final tweaking.
Click to expand...
 
ique said:
Crispy? Its a BBQ contest. Grilled chicken can be crispy, fried chicken is crispy... BBQ chicken? Not in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Hee Hee Hee. One less guy to worry about then I guess. :p Joke

Big Bobs is Crispy even after being dipped. As long AS its fresh.
 
Soft bite through skin is simple to accomplish, imo. I have been going for crispy. The only time we let it go with soft bite through skin, we got 1st place.
 
OC PIG ASSASSINS said:
I think bite through soft skin is disgusting. I like food with texture, not mush.
Click to expand...

I've never noticed bite thru skin to be disgusting. it's certainly a lot nicer than rubbery skin.:icon_sick My chicken has always tanked with rubbery skin, and when i have bite thru, it scores well. bite thru is easy for me to achieve consistently, so i don't mess with it. Judges seem to like it so I cook for the Judges.. I'd personally love crispy skin. Probably one of my favorite foods !!.. but the margin for error (for me) to produce crispy skin at a contest is too much. So, i stick with bite-thru.
 
I had never thought of doing test runs in the oven!!! Durrrrrrrrrrr.
*thinks back to the three-digit dollarsworth of chicken we tested before the Jack and throws up a little*

The feedback you get from contests is your most valuable resource. I'm not going to throw away or argue with what the judges tell me.
 
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