Comp chicken testing...we think we have a winner

[greendrake]

Here's a few pics of the chicken we have agreed on for our upcoming first competition.  Best we have ever tasted, have times and temps perfect, skin lightly crisped, juicy and amazing.  I am thinking we have a good chance with this one.

 

[fftwarren]

wow, that looks amazing. what is it? is it just a deboned chicken spiraled around itself?

 

[fourthwind]

What kind of comp is it?   Sure looks good.

 

[rdknb]

that does look good

 

[Bearcarver]

GREAT !

Whoever carries that up to the judges' table, make sure they have already eaten!

Bearcarver

 

[greendrake]

Did these using chicken thighs.  De-boned and hammered even so we get a nicer roll to them, not a sloppy one or one and a half roll, seasoned both sides and skin, rolled tight, wrapped skin and a little on top of the skin.  Smoked to done and rested them upside down to keep the juices in.  Doing about 16 more today because this batch didn't satisfy the appetite after tasting the four we did in that run.  Practice makes perfect right?

It's the first ever competition for our area, sanctioned and everything.  Here's the site www.smokinidaho.info   My first competition, just a few buddies and I thought "what the heck, let's enter" and we have learned a great deal as we practice every day....yeah the practice, such a burden to have to cook every day.  Keeping log times, temps and woods used on record.  We nailed the chicken after about four runs.  This one is perfect.  So juicy.

 

[smokin leo]

just wander if u meant to say those look like breast to me

 

[fftwarren]

just wander if u meant to say those look like breast to me

thats what Im wondering, those look like really big white meat thighs.

 

[greendrake]

Nope, just jumbo thighs.  Our testing yesterday was fun, we did a couple trays of thighs and mapped them out on a piece of paper with grading scales as we tasted them.  We found that adding one ingredient really really changed the finish flavor and the color of the skin.  After deciding we loved that flavor best but the color was too dark on the outside, we are going to season on the inside and leave that one last ingredient out of the exterior rub.  Worchestire powder, talk about a money maker this stuff is on rubs.

 

[mballi3011]

Now those rolls look really good and they look like a recipe that Geert did awhile back. I really like you thighs too you have them looking like the ones that we used to see on that show Pit Masters by that Myron idiot. But I'm sure that your will taste better then his anyway. Go get um at the competition

 

[fftwarren]

how bout a recipe after the competition?

 

[greendrake]

love to share the recipe after the comp.  I don't plan on this being anything secretive, heck that's why we are here, to share the love of bbq.  We were just a few dudes sitting around drinking a beer at a rib competition locally a few weeks ago when we said "heck with it, let's enter this thing"  Not to stress over it, but to understand what is expected of our turn ins, learn some things, and do what we do without changing a whole lot on the ribs, butt or brisket.  We googled some turn in pics to get an idea for the chicken, so it wasn't all then inventive, and my cousin has been a professional chef and owned a restaurant so we are relying on him for the presentation bit.

 

[pineywoods]

Looks great and I look forward to the recipe when you give it!!!

 

[fftwarren]

well howd the competition go. 

 

[greendrake]

The competition is this coming weekend, Father's Day.  Here's the website and all the teams www.smokinidaho.info   He even posted a declaration from the governor on the page, ha .  Should be a blast, the weather looks amazing, we are ready for this.  Just finished rib testing this weekend, chicken and butt are nailed, and brisket is in the bag.  Again, we are taking this in a lighthearted way, but our competitive spirit is starting to tell us that we may have a chance at placing in something.  Who knows, it's all good.  New Belgium brewing is now sponsoring my team, so free Fat Tire in my VIP tent.

 

[fftwarren]

oh ok, I thought you had forgot to update us

 

[greendrake]

Ok guys, we thought we were in great contention with our butt, brisket and ribs, chicken being our weakest.  the competition was so much fun...what a great time.  We even had a groupie hanging out at our area all night, I won't go into what happened there for the sake of keeping it clean and on topic. 

Chicken we weren't all that happy with but still scored okay, better than we expected actually.  Ribs, man, if that one judge...the scoring went 1-10 with 10 being the best.  We got two triple tens from the first two judges...and the last one gave us triple fives.  Had that one just given us 7's we would have taken first place in ribs.

We ended up with placing for Best in Show, which is a consolation for being the most fun group to hang out with, whatever that means. 

Our scoring stayed in the middle of the pack with lots of ties and very close grading, so we are happy with the outcome for being our first time.  Here's a little video I did of all our team members over the weekend during the comp.  Out team name was Brown Chicken Brown Cow, got a ton of laughs from folks.  Best part was during our prep for turn in, we had at least 30 people around our tables watching us put it in the box, all of them applauding for us as we left to turn in...NO other groups had fans like that.  If there was a public favorite category, I bet we'd have a plaque on the wall right now. What a great time

Check it out 

 

[tn_bbq]

love to share the recipe after the comp.  I don't plan on this being anything secretive, heck that's why we are here, to share the love of bbq. 

I've found that most folks are too proud to take somebody's exact recipe and use it. Sure, they might pick up a pointer here and there, but ain't nobody really going to follow anybody else's recipe. 

  Besides, it takes a lot of practice even with a good gameplan and recipe.  

Imagine:  "We won the competition with Joe's recipe. That's one heck of a recipe and I owe it all to him."

 

[greendrake]

I agree.  Besides, we weren't too thrilled with our chicken, we wanted more smoke in it.  Here's a shot of the turn in box.  We brought up samples for the judges after turn in and the master judge came over to share her thoughts on it, said it was fantastic and that although unorthodox in method, it was a good turn in, nothing to be ashamed of at all.  Granted, we should probably give it more smoke, but our seasoning went on in the morning, not the previous night like it should have.

 

[Bearcarver]

Nice video---Looks like all had fun!

Bearcarver