Lonestar Chicken Practice (pron)

[jmoney7269]

So yesterday my BBQ boyfriend as my wife calls him texted me and said "I want to see how your doin your comp chicken, you owe me!" I do. Admittedly my comp chicken has always sucked till I met Jason. He lives 40 miles away and met him at a cookoff years ago. We were at our first sanctioned comp, lonestar, and they got a 29 out of 30 overall with a 1st chicken, 1st ribs, 2nd brisket finish. We got 4th brisket, 6th chicken and 6th ribs. I was super jealous and wanted to know what these guys do! Seen them at local cookoffs spankin that arse left and right. Long story short, we became friends froma mutual friend of my grandpa who taught Jason how to BBQ. He took me under his Wing and now the student has become the teacher. Anyways the past 4 cookoffs I have smoked him in brisket and chicken. Alot of my technique it credited to him, but the flavor profile is strictly me. So we cooked up some good ol fashioned chicken, comp style. I did my special marinade that is a spin off of Jason's, spatchcocked and cooked on the UDS with wicked good and 1 small chunk of pecan at the beginning. Jason was right I do owe him Because alot of my success is due to him so I had no problem showing him my modified version of his prep and marinade. I don't brine the chicken halves Becaise we get them fresh packed on ice 4-4.5 lbs and are super juicy with great flavor compared to frozen store bought young chickens. Cooked em up, had some naturally lits, and tore this stuff up. He was impressed and I got the "nod" and the BBQ handshake from him (elbow bump mid bite). What sucks is that I know that since our team has placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 3rd he is gonna use this on me. Oh well time to pay the dues. We cooked @350 for 1hr and 8min till they both temped 165 deep in the breast and the leg bones would twist. The wifey would not allow us in the house with "chicken juice" so we did all the prep in the Motorhome. Heck we only use it for cookoffs and all my stuff is in there, ok see ya later. When he was leaving I just had to tell him "i can tell you what I do, but you doin it exactly like me is a different story!" and he said "we will see chump! We will see!"
Overall a awesome night. Now to the pron.

 

[JS-TX]

Chicken looks great. Is it me or do the chix in the middle pic look really plump and swollen? Are you sure you're not injecting?:razz:

 

[BigBellyBBQ]

looking good! why bother with the knife...

 

[jmoney7269]

looking good! why bother with the knife...

Well Jason ain't skeered to get medieval on it bu I was showing him how we do bite sized peices for those comps that want some in there. There is a little bone in the breast that you have to use a knife to feel otherwise it will end up in a judges mouth, not so good. Electric knife just trims right through it. The electric is to cut straight through the center no prob

Chicken looks great. Is it me or do the chix in the middle pic look really plump and swollen? Are you sure you're not injecting?:razz:

Nope, they are more plumped up because i dont break that keel bone in the center by pressin it real hard, i like it plumper. It also has alot to do with how I trim and tuck the skin before cooking to accentuate them beautiful breasteses lol. Looks better in the box. it's all in the prep and marinade. Don't ever brine or inject. Tried it, and like this better. I get that flavor deep in the meat through out the whole chicken