Sometimes we need to qualify why folks cook some way,not just jump at "the correct way".
Chicken doesn't have the fat and tough collagen, to break down, that lends itself to slow/low cooking.
There are many comp cooks that cook low,as they want "bite through" skin.
The discussions about high temps,can give a little more firm skin,which many folks discard,anyway.
The high temps are like cooking in your home oven,so you aren't smoking,which is ok for some folks.
Some comp cooks cook their chicken on small weber grills,hot and fast,and don't smoke them.
Others cook them low and slow on their smokers.
Jumpin Jim,who cooks on many Cookshack products,dominated the chicken category for years and most of us ue some variation of his technique.
He was gracious enough to share it with the forums,a few years .
Tom Posted October 15, 2004 09:30 AM
Posted by Jumpin' Jim on January 31, 2001 at 21:04:41:
For contests I only cook thighs and I cook 16 of them. I marinade them in Paul Newman's Own (Olive Oil and Vinegar) 4-8 at a time in a heavy zip lock bag depending on the size of the thighs. I start them marinating at approx. 4 pm on Friday.
I have used various rubs but what I really like these days is Head Country (Ponca City, OK) tweaked for heat which I get by adding a small amount of Cayenne Pepper. The thighs come out of the marinade at 7:30 sat morning and I lightly and evenly dust them with the rub.
I put them on the smoker and cook them to 180 degrees internal temp in exactly three hours. If I am using the Ole Hickory I use pecan and if I am cooking on Traeger or a Fast Eddy Smokebox I use hickory pellets.
Usually about 200º
At the three hour mark I test each thigh with a toothpick for tenderness. I put my best 8 in one half size alum pan from Sams Club with one bottle of Head Country Original Sauce. I put the second best 8 in the other pan. I loosely tent the pans with foil and let them woller in the sauce for approx. one hour.
Usually around 180º
Half hour before turn-in I take 8-10 best thighs and put them on Weber Kettle or Cajun Grill indirect with a reasonably cool fire so I won't burn the sauce. I taste one of the worst thighs and make an assessment of how it tastes and if I think that taste can do well. If I need to make adjustments, especially with salt, I do it at this time and then set the seasoning with a light brushing of sauce.
For turn-in I pick my best six thighs and put them in the box. No special arrangement because the thighs usually take up most of the room. Just try to have a decent looking box.
This process doesn't always work but it has been very good to me.
If any of you want more specifics please email me directly. I assume most of you are very good cooks and will be able to take this brief process and make it work for you. By the way Paul Newman's is a very good marinade for other meats, especially lamb when combined with Head Country Rub and Head Country Sauce
Posts: 7184 | Location: Satellite Beach,fl,usa | Registered: March 02, 2001
There are plenty of threads around the forums,some broken,where we have discussed the method at length.
What I'm saying is ,don't get too hung up on a cooker,just to do chicken skin-especially if your diners don't eat a lot of skin.
Funny how that keeps happening to them.
