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Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 10:40 pm
by Brandon87
I always go for the dark mahogany look. Sweet with heat sauce. It has been my experience that a hint of fruit sometimes works well with ribs but hasn't ever helped me with chicken.

Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 10:47 pm
by jtilk
Cannonball Express wrote:Is it just the higher cooking temps that get those beautiful colors on those chickens, or is there a secret? like butter or olive oil?!?!


You can alter color a few different ways. Spraying it with pam or brushing with oil with brown the chicken...sauce or a glaze will give it the "glistening" effect and make it orange or brown obviously... But the type of wood you choose can have a huge effect on it as well. Oak and pecan will give it more of the traditional medium brown, while apple makes it lighter than usual... if you want the mahogany look use cherry. Regardless of what you do with the above, always cook it a chicken at atleast 275, preferrable 325-350.
L-n-S is usually chose because in theory the meat has a higher fat cotent that needs a lil time to break down during the cook, not the case with chicken. Fat isn't marbled throughout and the only thing you're rendering out is what is on the skin, so essentially unlike a brisket or rib it doesnt need time to render out throughout the entire cut. You're just trying to get it up to temp and the less time it's exposed to the heat the less time it has to dry out. Hopefully this paints as better picture of reasoning for you...

Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2014 6:55 am
by Big Ed
+1 on cherry wood, gives it a great color!!


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Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2014 9:45 am
by Cannonball Express
jtilk wrote:
Cannonball Express wrote:Is it just the higher cooking temps that get those beautiful colors on those chickens, or is there a secret? like butter or olive oil?!?!


You can alter color a few different ways. Spraying it with pam or brushing with oil with brown the chicken...sauce or a glaze will give it the "glistening" effect and make it orange or brown obviously... But the type of wood you choose can have a huge effect on it as well. Oak and pecan will give it more of the traditional medium brown, while apple makes it lighter than usual... if you want the mahogany look use cherry. Regardless of what you do with the above, always cook it a chicken at atleast 275, preferrable 325-350.
L-n-S is usually chose because in theory the meat has a higher fat cotent that needs a lil time to break down during the cook, not the case with chicken. Fat isn't marbled throughout and the only thing you're rendering out is what is on the skin, so essentially unlike a brisket or rib it doesnt need time to render out throughout the entire cut. You're just trying to get it up to temp and the less time it's exposed to the heat the less time it has to dry out. Hopefully this paints as better picture of reasoning for you...



Absolutely! Thank you sir!!!!

Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:37 pm
by Mr. Orange
What kind of skin texture are you looking for?

Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 9:32 am
by bruno994
Mr. Orange wrote:What kind of skin texture are you looking for?

Easily cut through with a plastic knife, but I really don't worry too much about the skin, it's rendered useless after the first judge or 2 anyway.,

Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:30 pm
by txluke
I cook whole organic chickens. I split them and brine. I cook over mesquite lump. I just started to lightly sauce near the end. Haven't tried in comps yet.

Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2014 10:49 pm
by MaxBobcat
IS there any benefit to cooking a spatchcocked chicken (intact) insteaf of cooking two separated halves?

Also, When I spatchcock my bird then split it, I notice little ribs underneath the bird close to the breast. Do you guys just leave those or try to cut them off?

Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 1:18 pm
by JMoney7269
Nobody is gonna eat them rib bones on the bottom side of the chicken, that's just extra work you don't have to do. We don't even season the bottom of the chicken.

Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 9:41 pm
by jtilk
I cut my chicken in halves, I personally dont see a benefit to leaving the bird spatchcocked vs a full split. In fact I cut into halves so I dont worry about the skin pulling after it's cooked. As for the rib bones, the only reason I may remove them is because I'm brining in a bag and dont want them to puncture it.

Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2014 4:49 pm
by B&K Smokers
My chicken stays light brown. Seems to always hit. Brine, season, light glaze. 165 pull, tray, listen for my number

Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 7:32 am
by atcNick
Any of you guys using butcher's or copycat'?

Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 9:14 am
by All_Grilla_No_Filla
atcNick wrote:Any of you guys using butcher's or copycat'?


Butchers seems to be a better option for me than the Kosmo's I tried, but the Kosmo's was a fine product and I'm sure there are an ample number of people experiencing success with it. Butchers seems to mix easier for me.

Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 9:24 pm
by JMoney7269
Tried the bird booster, pocketed too much with weird yellow color mixed half strength. That forced me to make my own brine injection and we been on a roll ever since then in chicken. Also , just FYI, everyone that tried the bird booster at our tasting got the S***s! The flavor you can get into your bird by making your own injection can be mind blowing.

Re: Competition Chicken Roundtable...

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 9:52 pm
by jtilk
JMoney7269 wrote: Also , just FYI, everyone that tried the bird booster at our tasting got the S***s!


You sure that wasnt from an under cooked bird ??? :laughing7: :laughing7: ... I kid, I kid

As with most commercial injections their "directions" are usually to strong. More you use= more you buy = more $$ in their pocket. So it tends to be logical they would do that.

I cant speak for their both chicken injections but Kosmo's seems to be too salty for my taste.