Jumpin' Jim's Chicken Thighs


 

Kevin Taylor

TVWBB All-Star
Posted by Jumpin' Jim on January 31, 2001 at 21:04:41:

Jim's Chicken

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 Smoke box I use hickory pellets.

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.

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.


The BBQ Forum Copyright ? 2002
 
Thanks for the post. I'm going to enter my first contest in September. This answers most of the questions I had but was afraid to ask.

Thanks again.......
MikeZ
 
Scott.....

Jim smoked his thighs at around 225-250º. I now use a grill to prepare and can get them done in about 45 minutes. No idea what the temp is but I use indirect heat so most likely around 375-400º.

I then place in sauce and simmer and then back over direct heat to crisp.

I have also made on my gasser, seared over high direct heat, then lower heat to low(still direct) and then into the sauce to simmer.

You can bring the temp to about 170º as well and the final hour in the sauce bath will get that temp to 180º.

When catering, I now use skinless boneless thighs as they cook much quicker but still keep the moisture. I decided to do this after seeing 3/4 of the skins being taken off and discarded by my customers. I sear over direct heat using lump in my kettle, then into the bath where they hold very well until served.

This also works great with S/B breasts where you are serving many folks. The sauce bath keeps them very moist and you can hold them for a long time.

I use Sweety Baby Ray's cut with pineapple juice....TREMENDOUS comments on this combo. Of course never tell anyone! It is YOUR secret competition sauce!

Lots of variations!
 
Wesley,

Stogie has not posted here in a long time. Don't hold your breath for a reply.
icon_smile.gif


Regards,
Chris
 
Doug..

Thanks for bumping!

I use 3 small cans of pineapple juice(6 oz. each) to one large bottle of Sauce(40 oz.).

Pour your sauce into a container and then pour 1 can juice into the empty sauce bottle. Shake, shake, shake and pour into the container with your sauce. Add the other 2 cans juice.

Be careful to not add too much juice...it has a strong pineapple flavor that can overpower. I suggest tasting after adding 2 cans of juice.
 
I gave this a shot over the weekend. Marinated about 6 hours in the Paul Newman's (EVOO & Vinegar). Indirect about 60 minutes, in the pan for about 30 then over the coals for a few to crisp up the exterior.

Man this was good. So tender and juicy. Oh and I used split breasts. Probably the juiciest chicken breat I've ever had.

Thanks for the recipe. Definitely a keeper.
 
I guess I have read this technique 50 times or more. Tonight, something stood out and made me ask myself a coulpe of questions. One question for the everyday cooks, one for the competition cooks among us.

"At the three hour mark I test each thigh with a toothpick for tenderness."

1. How is this done? I do not know if anyone has elaborated on this technique.

And,

2. If the toothpick makes a hole in the skin/meat, from a competition standpoint, would that be considered a type of marking?

I cooked some thighs tonight using a combination of this recipe and another I found on the forum. They came out pretty good.

Go Smoke Something,
Ole Smokey
 
If you go in from the bottom (underside) of the thigh or from near the bone ends you need not pierce the skin at all.

I cannot answer the marking question as I don't compete. Ask that one in the Competition section and you'll likely get a quicker response.
 
Thanks for the visual. I'm starting to catch on. Exactly what am I looking (or feeling) for?

I love learning new stuff!!
 
We use the bath method for our chicken turn ins. However we haven't ventured into the chicken thighs yet. We've been cooking legs instead. We don't marinated them. Shockingly, especially to us, we've finished 1st and 15th out of 30 and 91. Don't know if we'll change for competition until we get smoked - no pun intended.
 
How long and how hot of a fire are you cooking directly after "wollerin" in the sauce? Seems like the sauces would burn, especially with sweet baby rays or other sugary sauces. Im not doubting the technigue, just want a little more detail cause I got some thighs sitting in some Paul Newman's in the fridge waiting for me to get off work and try this method.
 
Indirect, over a cool fire, then serve--or direct, hot fire (careful!), back into sauce; serve.
 
ok, so by that point the chicken should be technically done... this is just to crisp the skin and glaze?
 
They're technically done before they go into the sauce. They can handle this for a while because sitting in sauce prevents overcooking for some time. What happens is a braising effect.
 
We take them off about 5 degrees before they are done. Put them in a aluminum pan with sauce and foil them for an hour. Next, we remove the water pan and cook them with direct heat at about 275 for a few minutes on each side.
 

 

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