Sriracha Thighs........question


 
dwayne e

dwayne e

TVWBB Super Fan
Over the weekend, I attempted to follow Larry's recipe for sriracha wings, only using thighs on the WSM.....btw, many thanks to Larry for the orange marmilade recipe; the sauce is VERY good.

I rubbed and marinated them accordingly to plan, cooking them on the WSM at high heat (lid temp around 300) for about an hour.

I used moderate smoke and the chicken "looked" great.

I was hoping to have what equated to BBQ chicken; however, the skin was inedible. It was hard and tough, although, if you ate it like beef jerky, it was quite tasty!
icon_smile.gif


The chicken itself was wonderful. It was done perfectly, moist and flavorful and everyone enjoyed it. We dipped it in the remaining orange sauce and it was great.

Is it possible to BBQ chicken in the WSM and end up with good skin.......or am I better off using the grill for this application?
 
Dwayne,

If the skin was that hard and tough, I'd say you cooked the chicken too long. A high heat will crisp the chicken skin but 300 is lower than I usually cook chicken. My preference is about 375 indirect. Did you happen to get an internal temp of the chicken right before you pulled it? 170 -180 is sufficient for thighs.

Paul
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Paul K:
Dwayne,

If the skin was that hard and tough, I'd say you cooked the chicken too long. A high heat will crisp the chicken skin but 300 is lower than I usually cook chicken. My preference is about 375 indirect. Did you happen to get an internal temp of the chicken right before you pulled it? 170 -180 is sufficient for thighs.

Paul </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's the rub (lol), the chicken meat imho was done perfectly; I didn't check the temp; however, it was cooked thoroughly to the bone and was still quite moist.........the meat was not overcooked, but I guess the skin was.

I wasn't sure if the process of smoking in the WSM does something to the skin that cannot be avoided.
 
The smoking process is generally done at lower temps in the WSM. You had mentioned that you had expected "BBQ chicken". To me, bbq is a low and slow (low temps, longer cook times) process. Personally I don't find a benefit using that process with chicken. Chicken, unlike brisket or a pork butt, doesn't need long cooks to render the meat tender. Thus a shorter cook is fine. However, what many people find is that the skin is somewhat rubbery when cooked at too low a temp. That's where the higher temps come in; the high temps render the fat in the skin and produce a crisper finished product. Adding a sauce to chicken skin will usually soften up the skin since you would be adding moisture to it. If I add a sauce or glaze to my chicken, I do it just minutes before it's done. I only leave the glazed chicken on long enough to firm up the glaze. Try the recipe again, but cook the meat around 350-375 indirect (use an empty water pan lined with foil) and compare the results. I frequently use the wsm at higher temps and keep the water pan in as a buffer.

On edit, I quickly read Larry's original recipe and he did cook his at 350.

Paul
 
I do thighs this way quite a bit, and I also cook them higher heat. I usually for at least 335-350, and higher is fine with me. I enjoy "bite-through" skin, not rubber, but also not super crispy. With the glaze, the skin is softenen, so the crispy skin is gone, but it still very soft and able to bitten right through. Thighs with this glaze are so great!
 
I go even higher with chicken (on the kettle), I usually aim for 425. Gives me nice crispy skin, a smaller done window though. Works for me anyways!

Clark
 
Thanks for all of the advice........definitely going to have to work on it.

I'm just afraid that if I jack up the temp and the skin gets crispy, the meat will not cook through.....going to practice and get it right........I love chicken thighs if they're done correctly.

Just trying to determine if 350 on the WSM is basically the same environment as 350 indirect on a conventional grill.......I was hoping it was since the WSM is so easy to use.
 
Dwayne,

350 is 350 since you'll be cooking indirect. That's why on my previous post I mentioned using an empty water pan. This buffers the meat from the direct heat of the coals (creating an indirect cook environment). The foil lining is merely to help with your clean up. A water pan with water, sand, clay saucer, etc. in it acts as a heat sink and makes it more difficult to reach the higher temps. You don't want that in this case. Those thighs will come out fine.
 
I used an empty pan; however, it was cold and there was a little wind.

I may have to prop the door a bit next time to get the heat up a little.
 
The cold I have found to not be as much of an enemy as the wind. That wind will suck the heat right out of the cooker. I built a nice windbreak last winter and it has earned it's keep. Instead of propping the door, I'm a fan of cracking the lid a bit. That way, the heat all comes to the top, instead of escaping out the door. Plus, My door is not pretty much permanently fixed in place since I had a bit of an incident with some pork butt grease and 8' flames...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top