I picked up a few trays of chicken thighs with my CSRs today.
I've always been impressed with the the thighs I've seen put before BBQ competition judges, and I'm starting to think that they're the true litmus test of a Pitmaster.
Thankfully the only person I'm competing with is myself, so I'm not going overboard looking for perfection, nor getting crazy with shapes, butter braising or any of the other tricks and shenanigans.
Them competition guys have to present that perfectly tender and juicy hunk of fowl, with the ideal bite through skin, every piece almost identical in every aspect of appearance.
I'll be trying to just meet the tender, juicy and bite through skin.
So here we go... Competition Chicken
Picked out trays with the biggest, nicest thighs and closest to uniform size.
Also payed attention to skin color and complexion.
Inspect them for the best sized skins to work with, as free of imperfections as possible.
Remove the skin and trim skins to as large a rectangular shape as possible, scrape the fat off the skins.
Take the meat and trim off both heads of the bone off, the same with both fatty ends, and any large sinews or deposits of fat.
Trim them all into as roughly uniform rectangles as possible.
Lightly dust both sides of the skin with rub.
Lay the meat back onto the skins and roll them together, carefully tucking the edges of the skins under.
Lay in a pan, cover with foil and allow them to dry overnight.
Cooking for Sunday Lunch
Preheat the smoker to 275°, smoke with your preferred wood, I'll use cherry.
Before placing in the smoker I secure the skins with toothpicks, plain wood or stainless, no colored wooden.
Smoke these for one (1) hour, at the half hour mark spritz lightly with butter and again just before foiling.
Competition cooks seem to prefer Parkay butter.
Then cover the pan with foil, cook for another forty five (45) minutes.
By covering the pan we're getting the collagen in the skin to render and give us that perfect bite through consistency.
Now it is time to glaze with BBQ sauce and to taste test one piece for bite through consistency, I'm also checking IT, my goal is 170°-175°.
I'll let them go another another fifteen (15) minutes uncovered for the sauce to set up and then pull for presentation to the family.
Talk about brutal, nobody can judge you like your family judges you... LOL!
Pics of the finished chcicken and presentation are below.
I've always been impressed with the the thighs I've seen put before BBQ competition judges, and I'm starting to think that they're the true litmus test of a Pitmaster.
Thankfully the only person I'm competing with is myself, so I'm not going overboard looking for perfection, nor getting crazy with shapes, butter braising or any of the other tricks and shenanigans.
Them competition guys have to present that perfectly tender and juicy hunk of fowl, with the ideal bite through skin, every piece almost identical in every aspect of appearance.
I'll be trying to just meet the tender, juicy and bite through skin.
So here we go... Competition Chicken
Picked out trays with the biggest, nicest thighs and closest to uniform size.
Also payed attention to skin color and complexion.
Inspect them for the best sized skins to work with, as free of imperfections as possible.
Remove the skin and trim skins to as large a rectangular shape as possible, scrape the fat off the skins.
Take the meat and trim off both heads of the bone off, the same with both fatty ends, and any large sinews or deposits of fat.
Trim them all into as roughly uniform rectangles as possible.
Lightly dust both sides of the skin with rub.
Lay the meat back onto the skins and roll them together, carefully tucking the edges of the skins under.
Lay in a pan, cover with foil and allow them to dry overnight.
Cooking for Sunday Lunch
Preheat the smoker to 275°, smoke with your preferred wood, I'll use cherry.
Before placing in the smoker I secure the skins with toothpicks, plain wood or stainless, no colored wooden.
Smoke these for one (1) hour, at the half hour mark spritz lightly with butter and again just before foiling.
Competition cooks seem to prefer Parkay butter.
Then cover the pan with foil, cook for another forty five (45) minutes.
By covering the pan we're getting the collagen in the skin to render and give us that perfect bite through consistency.
Now it is time to glaze with BBQ sauce and to taste test one piece for bite through consistency, I'm also checking IT, my goal is 170°-175°.
I'll let them go another another fifteen (15) minutes uncovered for the sauce to set up and then pull for presentation to the family.
Talk about brutal, nobody can judge you like your family judges you... LOL!
Pics of the finished chcicken and presentation are below.
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