Chicken Help

[Big Hat - ANW]

Cooking in Waco next week @ Lone Star Barbecue Society event. 1/2 Chicken always has me baffled. I do not cook in a lot of comps...last year I was amazed that most of the cookers used a small pit to only cook chicken on. It seemed like they were grilling. Any advise on preparing and cooking a 1/2 Chicken for the event?

[limey]

Brining is a must when high grilling, fruit sauces such as peach have done well also.
Good luck

[jtilk]

You would be correct when saying grilling is more accurate than bbq'ing for most cookers at competitions. Reason being is the high heat crisps the the skin better than cooking at lower temps. That being said I will say it's not impossible to win cooking chicken at lower temps, I usually cook mine at around 275. I personally had alot of issues with chicken about 2 years ago and since discovering the recipes I use now it's prolly been my most successful category.

A) Chicken should taste like chicken. If your brining youre prolly fine with this, however if you're injecting dont over power the chicken with Italian dressing or fruit juices (Not saying a little isn't ok, just don't over do it).

B) Come up with a glaze that compliments your brine/ injection and rub. As mentioned fruit flavors combined w/ bbq sauces do well.

C) Do a few trial runs at home before the comp so you're not shooting in the dark at the comp with your results.

[TXLNGHRN]

I got my first call in chicken grilling it over a hot fire. I used to smoke it @ 250 and I loved it that way, but never got a call or a final table.
Brines are great for chicken, I highly recommend them.

[RWBTEX]

Agree its great both ways but grill just gets more calls, there's just something about that little extra flavor the grease dripping and vaporizing into the cooker air and attaching (of sorts) itself to the chicken, good stuff.

[Pony Express]

guess it just depends on HOW you smoke it. Chicken is my most consistent call and has always been done on the smoker

[FR8 Train]

We've won both ways, Jimmy is right though you need to take care when smoking it. Grilling doesn't require as much baby sitting as it gets done quickly, but pay attention because you can blow past your finish temp in a hurry....

[jtilk]

guess it just depends on HOW you smoke it. Chicken is my most consistent call and has always been done on the smoker

Tis true. It is possibly to "crisp" the skin of chicken without having to grill it... may not be quite a crispy but if you know what to add it can be done. My biggest win to date (as in # of teams, 152) came cooking it @ the temp mentioned above.

[*SL*Celaya]

Take jtilks advise or if you want take Redneck's cooking class. Well worth it in the chicken catagory. Since the class, it has landed me two top ten calls in chicken. darn good recipe and pretty simple and easy as well.

[js-tx]

Do judges really sample the skin? Seems like they would just go after the meat. I agree a brine is a must to get some flavor into that chicken meat.

[Pony Express]

Do judges really sample the skin? Seems like they would just go after the meat. I agree a brine is a must to get some flavor into that chicken meat.

I've helped Zilla judge and watched the judges. Some do and some dont.

[js-tx]

Do judges really sample the skin? Seems like they would just go after the meat. I agree a brine is a must to get some flavor into that chicken meat.

I've helped Zilla judge and watched the judges. Some do and some dont.

So better to play it safe and get that skin right! BTW congrats on your walk a couple days ago. 3rd in ribs? I still got work to do, I got 20th.

[Markw142]

next comp i'm gonna combine...smoke it low-n-slow for flavor then crisp it with a glaze on a grill...banzai!!!!