Jumpin' Jim's Chicken Thighs
- Thread starter Kevin Taylor
- Start date
This happens with thighs. It's a bit of a nuisance, but try sticking 2 or 3 toothpicks through the skin and into the meat to keep the skin from shrinking and loosening. I snap the toothpicks in half so they don't stick out far. Don't forget to remove them before serving!
Rita
Rita
Ron Bullock
TVWBB Fan
Tried this method last night...Pretty good!!!!
Ron
Ron
But PLEASE don't use colored toothpicks to hold on the skin, Allan - especially not green ones! The color will leach out, and you'll have strange-looking green holes in the meat.
This is a factor of grave concern to a barbecue judge at a competition who can't quite identify that eerie green hole in the thigh she's just bitten into.
The feeling is rather like biting into an apple and finding half a worm (until a fellow judge told me what I was seeing.
)
Keri C
This is a factor of grave concern to a barbecue judge at a competition who can't quite identify that eerie green hole in the thigh she's just bitten into.
Keri C
I made this chicken over the weekend and it came out great! One question though, with all the sauce your using, there is quit a lot left, can this be re-used? It seems to me it would be ok since the chicken is pretty much done and then it simmers over the heat. I saved mine from the weekend, but would like to hear how others feel before using again.
Tom
Tom
Tom
Tom
Dale Perry
TVWBB Guru
Funny thing about the colored toothpicks. When I started to experiment with different rubs to see what would be best for comps, red, green, whatever looks the same after a couple hours in the smoker! Yes they do stain the skin a bit too.
Mike Zarecky
TVWBB Pro
Ok, I'm missing something.
When you put the thighs in the pan with sauce and tent it do you put that pan on the smoker? Won't the heat boil the sauce?
When you put the thighs in the pan with sauce and tent it do you put that pan on the smoker? Won't the heat boil the sauce?
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Eventually, yes, but this depends on how hot your cooker is. If you've low/slowed the chicken to start the temps won't be inordinately high. If you've cooked higher, you can lower temps when you pull the chicken to pan it.
Tenting with foil allows for some evaporation of the condensation that will occur during the pan process. Note that the sauce is thinned before panning, in this case with juice, so any reduction that occurs due to evaporation should not make the sauce finish too thick. That said, it's best, imo, to keep the sauce at a bare simmer at most, which will allow for gentle cooking, rather than a full simmer or higher (a boil) which can dry the meat if it goes on too long. Pulling the meat 5-10 degrees shy of 'done' during the first (smoking) phase offers more leeway as well, as the meat then finishes cooking in the sauce during the pan phase.
Tenting with foil allows for some evaporation of the condensation that will occur during the pan process. Note that the sauce is thinned before panning, in this case with juice, so any reduction that occurs due to evaporation should not make the sauce finish too thick. That said, it's best, imo, to keep the sauce at a bare simmer at most, which will allow for gentle cooking, rather than a full simmer or higher (a boil) which can dry the meat if it goes on too long. Pulling the meat 5-10 degrees shy of 'done' during the first (smoking) phase offers more leeway as well, as the meat then finishes cooking in the sauce during the pan phase.
Kevin,
Something I've been curious about and this may be a silly question. Does letting it simmer in the sauce change the outcome of the meat/flavor any opposed to just basting the sauce on and putting over high heat to "crisp" up a little? Or what advantage do you feel you get by letting it simmer in the sauce?
Something I've been curious about and this may be a silly question. Does letting it simmer in the sauce change the outcome of the meat/flavor any opposed to just basting the sauce on and putting over high heat to "crisp" up a little? Or what advantage do you feel you get by letting it simmer in the sauce?
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
That's a good question, Wesley.
The answer is a qualified 'yes', qualified only because were the sauce especially thick and the time in the sauce especially short one wouldn't expect much difference in the interior sections of the meat.
Braising in the sauce, thinned a bit and for some time, can allow the sauce flavors to more fully permeate the flesh (it can also alter the finished texture somewhat, making the flesh softer). Whether that is 'better' would depend on personal preference, of course, but mostly what one was comparing it to. For instance, were the chicken simply grilled or smoked, basted on the skin side and served, the interior flavor might well be lacking. (I fault numerous commercial joints for this very thing. Rubbery skin, sauce painted on skin side only, the skin rarely cuts well and comes off in one piece, and the meat is non-descript, maybe with some smoke flavor (or not) but not much else.
However, were the chicken pieces marinated, flavor-brined or straight-brined first, and were the sauce applied on both sides, soon and/or often enough for it to tighten, then the result, flavor-wise, would be more similar to the approach this recipe takes, especially if the skin were cooked/crisped before serving.
An advantage to the smoke/braise/grill (either indirect to cook the skin well or direct to crisp it) is that it allows for leeway--important for many in comps, but also, frequently, important for the home cook who is often juggling multiple issues as well.
The braise phase, if the temps are kept low so the sauce is at no more than a simmer, can be milked and extended allowing for more time should one need it. When the chicken is actually done the chicken can be finished in just a few minute on the grill and served, or it can be finished on the grill and returned to the pan (or to a chafer). Though holding for some time will lessen skin crispness, the skin will still be cooked through and should retain good overall texture even if not crisp.
The answer is a qualified 'yes', qualified only because were the sauce especially thick and the time in the sauce especially short one wouldn't expect much difference in the interior sections of the meat.
Braising in the sauce, thinned a bit and for some time, can allow the sauce flavors to more fully permeate the flesh (it can also alter the finished texture somewhat, making the flesh softer). Whether that is 'better' would depend on personal preference, of course, but mostly what one was comparing it to. For instance, were the chicken simply grilled or smoked, basted on the skin side and served, the interior flavor might well be lacking. (I fault numerous commercial joints for this very thing. Rubbery skin, sauce painted on skin side only, the skin rarely cuts well and comes off in one piece, and the meat is non-descript, maybe with some smoke flavor (or not) but not much else.
However, were the chicken pieces marinated, flavor-brined or straight-brined first, and were the sauce applied on both sides, soon and/or often enough for it to tighten, then the result, flavor-wise, would be more similar to the approach this recipe takes, especially if the skin were cooked/crisped before serving.
An advantage to the smoke/braise/grill (either indirect to cook the skin well or direct to crisp it) is that it allows for leeway--important for many in comps, but also, frequently, important for the home cook who is often juggling multiple issues as well.
The braise phase, if the temps are kept low so the sauce is at no more than a simmer, can be milked and extended allowing for more time should one need it. When the chicken is actually done the chicken can be finished in just a few minute on the grill and served, or it can be finished on the grill and returned to the pan (or to a chafer). Though holding for some time will lessen skin crispness, the skin will still be cooked through and should retain good overall texture even if not crisp.
Thanks Kevin,
My wife and I eat BBQ Chicken a good bit and ever since I read this thread I always marinate in the Newmans OO&V and 90% cook indirect. I use my gasser when I'm low on time. It's a winner here. I'm going to try simmering in the sauce once day for longer than I have in the past.
My wife and I eat BBQ Chicken a good bit and ever since I read this thread I always marinate in the Newmans OO&V and 90% cook indirect. I use my gasser when I'm low on time. It's a winner here. I'm going to try simmering in the sauce once day for longer than I have in the past.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Do. And then see what you think. Though it's not my 'standard' method (I either brine or marinate then grill or grill-roast at high temps), it can be the preferred approach depending on cook-flow (do you need to cook and hold? are you needing to serve in sauce?) or time issues/constraints.
I still haven't tried the simmering technique, but we did have some last night that ended up marinating for 2 days in the Paul Newmans. I was leary and thought it was going to have a strong taste of the marinade, but it didn't. We both made a comment of how good it was. I accidently picked up organic fed chicken breasts so I'm not sure if that was part of it. I've never had organic fed chicken before *shrug* Anyway we had planned on grilling Monday but our inlaws made a surprise visit and I didn't have enough for everyone so I waited till yesterday to cook. Man this recipe gets better everytime.
Daniel Shuflin
TVWBB Member
I used this method for the first time this weekend in a competition in Oregon. It took second place and missed first by 1/2 a point. It works great.
Dan
Dan
Just made up this recipe again. Its one of my wife's favorites and all she did was say how great it smelled cooking. She couldent wait till they were on the table. Usually I do them on the kettle but this time I used the WSM. Personally I think the kettle is better for this particular recipe. Here's a few pics.
Dont kill me for using the Famous Dave's rub.
Dont kill me for using the Famous Dave's rub.
I don't want to sound too negative but...this recipe didn't really turn out too well for me. It kinda reminded me of the "barbecued" chicken my mom used to make in the crockpot...chicken swimming in slowly simmering bbq sauce.
I don't get the bbq sauce "bath". Properly cooked chicken don't need no tenderizing by means of braising.
I don't get the bbq sauce "bath". Properly cooked chicken don't need no tenderizing by means of braising.
Phil, I 'm with you Bud. Although I've seen this recipe for many years, I know it's not my cup of tea. Something about chicken swimming in suace that turns me off, YUCK! But see I don't really care for BBQ suace all that much. Guess that's why I never made it. If your into chicken encased in sauce then I'm sure it's good. But.............