ICBA Cicken cooking for the first time....any advice you gents can pass down???

I believe you cook it as a half chicken,and that is your turnin.

It may go to the table center and everyone gets a plastic fork.

Smokin' has cooked a couple of the combined contests,so he should be by with exact answers.

I get a LOT of comments from IBCA teams thanking me for brining 101 (seems it helps poultry).

Do some practice and keep it mind, it takes a LONG time to judge IBCA and they use knives and forks. It's judged twice. First just to get to the final table, then at the final table it's compared to all the others.

So do some tests, cook it, let it sit 30 min then just with a plastic knife and fork.

They might be amazed how many KCBS and FBA teams have turned onto your Brining 101.

It even is useful in these all thigh contests.

Thanks guys i will run some tests this weekend , i have never tried to do chicken that way. When the chicken is done soaking do you cut the bird in half at that point or after the cook is done?

I cook the chicken whole, and cut in half after resting and allowing the juice to redistribute. I may be wrong, but to me, the chicken seems more moist than when I cut in half prior to smoking.

Course the best I've ever done in chicken was 8th, so take it for what it's worth.

quote:

Originally posted by smokin yankee:
Thanks guys i will run some tests this weekend , i have never tried to do chicken that way. When the chicken is done soaking do you cut the bird in half at that point or after the cook is done?

You have to be REAL REAL good with your knife skills. If you cook it whole and cut, you don't want to screw up the 1/2 your turning in by bad cutting.

Definitely practice if you're doing that.

Like Smokin' says,the details/points are in the appearance.

A couple of the classic trained chefs,like Byron Chism cook whole and then cut, and point out that chicken is cheap,so practice a lot.

ICBA judging gives only one score from 1 to 10 based on appearance, taste, texture (judged the same way that chili is judged). The turn in is 1/2 chicken and, depending on the contest may require 2 each 1/2 chicken. The judging is done in prelim, 1/4, 1/2 and finals table and can take as much as two hours. Each table of judges, 6 or more, (off the street and no paticular requirements) are give some number of entries (6 or more. Usually more entries than judges) to judge. They are given a knife and fork and told how much they can sample. They must use a new knife and fork for each entry. Scores from the table are tallied and half of the entries move to the next round. A new set of judges (off the street) are seated and it begins again.

The only feed back to the cooks is if you make the finals table and sometimes, if you ask, what numbers were disqualifed.

Good luck.

Chris It looks like the contest you are preparing for should have 20 teams total
So two rounds of Judging
Out here we have a wonderful group of CBJs that help Judge these smaller events also
So you will get good scoring
Cook half chickens and wait 45 min to eat it
You maybe surprized by the results

Look forward to meeting you there