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BBQ Related Topics => BBQ Recipes => Chicken Recipes => Topic started by: dunaticphx on May 09, 2010, 07:34:53 pm

Title: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: dunaticphx on May 09, 2010, 07:34:53 pm
Nope I can't tell!!!! :D :D :D :D
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: jmcrig on May 09, 2010, 07:41:43 pm
Nope I can't tell!!!! :D :D :D :D
Maybe you can get someone to donate to your class fund. ;D ;D
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: hillbille on May 09, 2010, 08:33:13 pm
 How hard can it be to get chicken skin crispy?  Must be a matter of strict temperature control near the end of the cook...
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: Crash on May 09, 2010, 08:36:20 pm
Maybe there's a difference between bite-through and crispy.  Who knows?  ;D
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: AZSmoke on May 09, 2010, 08:37:33 pm
Nope, it's a very complicated process, requires lots of technique, special equipment, and years of experience... :laugh: :angel: >:D
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: Mrs. McFrankenboo on May 10, 2010, 09:05:45 am
Just because you boys have been taught the ways of the BBQ, don't be giving away all the secrets that people have worked long and hard to figure out...not to mention the amount of money they paid.  I realize we're all about helping each other out on this site, but there comes a point when certain secrets will make or change a game.  Just saying...
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: AzJohnnyC on May 10, 2010, 12:42:16 pm
I thought everyone knew about the red Kool-Aid trick.
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: barknchickens on May 10, 2010, 12:51:11 pm
Erin, sounds like you and Jim may have worked out that puzzle. Good for you. :)
As for me, I don't get to do the chicken so thats when I draw me up a beer.
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: KidCurry on May 10, 2010, 02:05:23 pm
I thought everyone knew about the red Kool-Aid trick.

And here I always thought the secret was a spritz or two of fantastic!
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: birdie64 on May 10, 2010, 03:21:33 pm
Does anyone know how to make bite thru chicken skin?
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: Crash on May 10, 2010, 03:29:31 pm
Does anyone know how to make bite thru chicken skin?
Yes.
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: jmcrig on May 10, 2010, 04:31:48 pm
Does anyone know how to make bite thru chicken skin?
If you paid $199.00 and went to the class, you would know how also. ;D
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: smitty250 on May 10, 2010, 04:35:16 pm
Does anyone know how to make bite thru chicken skin?

Yes - do a little research on the topic and you will find loads of info.
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: birdie64 on May 10, 2010, 04:44:03 pm
Thank you.
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: azkitch on May 10, 2010, 06:43:07 pm
Helpful bunch, eh?
I'm on the outside, lookin' in, but this is funny, in my eyes...
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: hillbille on May 10, 2010, 06:45:47 pm
And here I always thought the secret was a spritz or two of fantastic!
Aha! spray starch!
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: jmcrig on May 10, 2010, 06:47:31 pm
Aha! spray starch!

Damn, you all are getting so close. :D :D
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: bbqfun on May 10, 2010, 07:04:15 pm
Well birdie I can see no one is going to give you a straight answer, so I will.  For me to get a good bite thru the skin I MUST have my dentures in.
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: jmcrig on May 10, 2010, 07:07:38 pm
Well birdie I can see no one is going to give you a straight answer, so I will.  For me to get a good bite thru the skin I MUST have my dentures in.
Where did you get that bucket of salt? I can only hope it was kosher. ;D ;D
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: dunaticphx on May 11, 2010, 07:58:37 pm
Ok here it is. When biting into the bird make sure that your teeth are freshly sharpened. :lamp:
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: hillbille on May 11, 2010, 08:32:40 pm
Damn, you all are getting so close. :D :D

 Ok  then , dehydrated hash browns( potato starch) powdered in a coffee mill sprinkled liberally all over
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: Jaybird on May 12, 2010, 07:20:12 am
And here I always thought the secret was a spritz or two of fantastic!

Wow, I'll have to try that sometime! Thanks
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: jim on May 12, 2010, 08:47:02 am
Bite thru chicken skin -- myth
PS -- if the chicken great -- it does not matter
jim
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: KidCurry on May 12, 2010, 08:55:39 am
Wow, I'll have to try that sometime! Thanks

 ;) :D
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: jmcrig on May 12, 2010, 04:49:50 pm
Fact or fiction, we got 2 pages out of it. ;D ;D
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: tbonejc on May 13, 2010, 11:41:25 pm
Fact or fiction, we got 2 pages out of it. ;D ;D

And I bet we could get more!   :)
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: brandon on May 14, 2010, 02:30:46 am
I myself like real chicken cooked to perfection. Some like chicken with the skin pulled back and scraped of the flavorful fat and dredged with mayo or I 
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: azkitch on May 14, 2010, 10:05:13 pm
I myself like real chicken cooked to perfection. Some like chicken with the skin pulled back and scraped of the flavorful fat and dredged with mayo or I 
I believe Brandon has been eaten by the Slithery Dee.
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: brandon on May 14, 2010, 11:35:40 pm
For some reason when I post here only parts of my post appears, I finally got frustrated and quit. I must be doing something wrong!
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: Mike (AZBarbeque) on May 15, 2010, 08:43:30 am
You must be copying and pasting.  The forum software has an issue with that, especially with the ' , " ; -

You just have to go through and replace those and it will work..
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: jrod667 on August 09, 2010, 10:58:52 am
Funny thing is, just about every other BBQ forum out there from pickled pig to bbq brethren to virtual weber bullet all have detailed instructions on how to accomplish bite-through chicken skin. So, I have two questions for all of you:

1. Why did you pay $199 to learn something you can read online in a dozen different places for free?

2. Why would you not want to post such information on this forum and increase the quality of info on this site (which we should all have a little more pride and time invested in)?
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: BBQCZAR on August 09, 2010, 11:13:02 am
Well,for 1 we paid $199 to learn a heck of alot more than what you can find on the Internet.There are things that are taught at BBQ classes that are priceless and cannot be found anywhwere else,don't believe,take one like the QN4U class and you will see what I mean.

2nd why should someone pay for a class and then give the info out for free ? General BBQ cooking info is one thing,but giving away competition tips,tricks,secrets ,that you paid to learn, and to teams who you have to compete against,(again, paying big money to enter these contests)is foolish at best, and it is a disservice to the people who teach these classes,it's just wrong all the way around.
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: glenntm on August 09, 2010, 11:18:14 am
Well,for 1 we paid $199 to learn a heck of alot more than what you can find on the Internet.There are things that are taught at BBQ classes that are priceless and cannot be found anywhwere else,don't believe,take one like the QN4U class and you will see what I mean.

2nd why should someone pay for a class and then give the info out for free ? General BBQ cooking info is one thing,but giving away competition tips,tricks,secrets ,that you paid to learn, and to teams who you have to compete against,(again, paying big money to enter these contests)is foolish at best, and it is a disservice to the people who teach these classes,it's just wrong all the way around.

Totally agree Tim.  Well said. 
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: jrod667 on August 09, 2010, 01:13:06 pm
So trim down the info and give out the "basics" for newbies to get started in the right direction. For instance, telling someone to do something like try scraping the fat off the back side of the chicken skin before they cook it is not exactly a "secret" but it will probably make the person who asked the question a whole lot happier than: "Go pay $200 for a bbq class". Also, let's face it, giving someone vague directions on how to go about making bite-through chicken does not mean they will suddenly become a great chicken cook. There's still the right seasoning, smoke, cooking time, cooking temp, doneness, sauce, and presentation. Do you braise it in butter? Do you use lump or briquettes? Stick burning only? Low and slow, or power burn it? Also, most people who run classes use a mixture of information gained online, information gained from family, information gained from friends, information gained from others, information gained from books, and information gained through their own experience to create their cooking methods and recipes. They canonize all that info and make a class out of it. I sincerely doubt there exists a BBQ instructor that can claim: I got me a smoker and figured everything else out by myself without any help at all from anything or anybody.

The only reason I bring it up at all is that such replies to honest BBQ questions is what keeps me from asking serious BBQ questions on this site. I know if I want real answers its best to go elsewhere. Also, the sense of "community" on this site is not helped by such answers. It gives the illusion that there is a ruling class on the website that know the answers, but we're not sharing them with the likes of you.
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: Cornbred on August 09, 2010, 01:21:30 pm
Relax Jared! There is a wealth of experience in this endless hole of BBQ here at AZBarbeque.com. Don't shy away from asking "Serious BBQ questions".
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: Crash on August 09, 2010, 02:22:54 pm
The problem that a lot of good competiton cooks have with giving out secrets is simple.  They learned them over years of practice and dont really care to give them away to Joe Schmo that walks in the door and says: "Teach me to cook, I have nothing to offer".  It amazes me how many people want the easy answer without truly doing the legwork, not just in cooking but in life as well.


Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: revgodless on August 09, 2010, 03:44:15 pm
know what bugs me? Being asked to go to school for cooking, getting there and then being asked by the instructor not to attend anything but the final to keep his bell curve from being broken.

and that the answer to most cooking questions are not the answer that the person is looking for anyway.

I probably won't ever attend a 200 buck bbq class.... I'm broke, and figure the journey is more important than the destination. find the basics someone and then play with it until you like it. It's the soul of BBQ tinkering, trying, making, eating, and then tinkering more. read, listen and try it for yourself.

Everyone loves showing off what we cook, at what temp, what we did it in, and what was tried, or wasn't tried. Glean what you can from that. go out and taste, see, smell and find that inspiration to read, learn and experiment. Share it here when something goes really wonky and someone here will ask a couple of questions and give you a pointer of what happened- not because of some class but because it has happened before ( to everyone) and the answer is there.

If you are a newbie and want to get started, do what my dad did, get a bullet smoker, put in some charcoal, some soaked chips, and fight with the bastard for five days cursing, drinking, burning yourself and making creosote flavored everything. Read some posts here about what has happened to other people, what people thought was the answer, put it to your failures and successes to get consistency. BUt remember, we're here to have fun, talk some fun and get together here and there to share something we all love to do-

make BBQ
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: jmcrig on August 09, 2010, 06:20:46 pm
know what bugs me? Being asked to go to school for cooking, getting there and then being asked by the instructor not to attend anything but the final to keep his bell curve from being broken.

and that the answer to most cooking questions are not the answer that the person is looking for anyway.

I probably won't ever attend a 200 buck bbq class.... I'm broke, and figure the journey is more important than the destination. find the basics someone and then play with it until you like it. It's the soul of BBQ tinkering, trying, making, eating, and then tinkering more. read, listen and try it for yourself.



The second half of your comment I completely agree with. The first part I don't. I've been playing with BBQ for over forty years. It wasn't until about a year ago I attended my first BBQ class. I understand your momentary situation with the dollars, but life is full of pikes and valleys. I'm sure this situation will change. Anyway, more to the point, I don't understand your point of breaking the instructors bell curve. These classes are very "hands on". And Chris Marks will answer any question you have short of the recipe for his rubs or sauces.

As for giving out information, call it what you want, but I'm not compelled to teach someone all about BBQ when they haven't even contributed to the group. Besides my view of BBQ probably isn't the same as most others. I don't eat at Applebees.

Also, what was taken off the Pickled Pig is only one persons view of "Bite Through Chicken Skin". There are many others.
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: jrod667 on August 09, 2010, 07:15:43 pm
Look I agree that we should keep certain aspects of our cooking "close to the vest" so to speak. I don't think anyone should just give away their techniques and recipes they worked so hard on. I also don't think they should give away class instructor's techniques and recipes. I just think there are ways of giving advice and a point in the right direction without giving away everything. Also, one thing I've learned in BBQ is that there about a dozen different ways to cook something and have it turn out fantastic. The Pickled Pig method for chicken is a great example. Their recipe/technique (which I've tried) produces excellent chicken. Maybe even award winning chicken. But it's not the way I choose to do it. So, what would it hurt to point people in the direction of the pickled pig, or Myron Mixon's cupcake chicken as a starting point. I guarantee you that any beginner who tries those methods will come away thinking you gave them the mother of all recipes. That way, they get what they were looking for and become better BBQers for it, and you keep your secrets.

Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: Mike (AZBarbeque) on August 09, 2010, 07:34:25 pm
Also, if you do a search for it on You Tube, there are lots of videos of people teaching it.

If you want to find it, it's out there..  Between the amount of books, video's, Forums & classes, there is plenty of info available...

Or just turn in skinless chicken...   ;D
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: Crash on August 09, 2010, 07:47:41 pm
I honestly think that this is one of the best BBQ sites for asking for general help regarding almost any BBQ topic.  Once you start asking in-depth questions that border on the competition world you will usually find yourself at a roadblock.  It's not that cooks dont want to share, it's that they wont share for fear of allowing another competitor to gain an advantage.

I can guarantee you that there are cooks out there that will help you off-line and will do so gladly.  I can also honestly tell you that if you ask for competition specific info and receive that info, you just got a gem.  There are teams out there that have gladly shared competition info off-line only to see it posted elsewhere just days later.  Tell me that wouldnt make you very leary of sharing competition info with a competitor??
If you get a competitor to share some tips or tricks, the fastest way to guarantee you never get any help again is to post it on another internet forum.

Unfortunately, whether it's needed or not, attaining bite through chicken skin is something that competition cooks generally strive for.  It's going to be really tough to get that info from a competition cook, even if you dont compete.
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: CarolinaQue on August 09, 2010, 08:07:46 pm


Or just turn in skinless chicken...   ;D

I've seen that done!!!
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: Mike (AZBarbeque) on August 09, 2010, 08:08:46 pm
I saw it done in Boise, Bonless, Skinless Chicken Breast.

It looked great, but was dried out, otherwise, I think it would have done really well with the judges..
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: CarolinaQue on August 10, 2010, 05:43:29 am
Well, the team I saw do it actually took the skin off of the thighs they were cooking. It was a little strange to say the least!
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: desertdog on August 10, 2010, 10:13:06 am


The secret to Bite through chicken skin is to cook the chicken in such a way that the skin can be easily bitten through.  This is, and always has been the only way to achieve bite through chicken skin.

Practice various methods, then practice some more, when the skin of the chicken can be easily bitten through, you have achieved bite through chicken skin.

Ask Vince or Jay or Jim or Chuck or Dave or Brent (or anyone else who has had success in the chicken category,) how much chicken they went through to get the results they were looking for.  It really is about the practice.  There is no magic involved, you need to become good at chicken through practice, finding your own way is always the best way, and it will lead you to the answer you are looking for.



Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: Gizzy's Smokin Crew on August 10, 2010, 01:30:08 pm
As a newbie myself,that's one of the things I learned. It all takes practice. No matter what you are trying to achieve. Besides it's the practice thats half of the fun. If everyone did the same thing the same way BBQ wouldn't be any fun. I have recieved alot of "basic" info from this site and played around with it and I think I do a good job of making smoked meats and had a ball doing it.
Thanks to all that have helped. ;D
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: AzScott on August 10, 2010, 01:51:56 pm
I agree with both sides but will land on the side of the competitors.  Competitors have spent incalculable amounts of time and money perfecting their techniques whether they spent that money on classes, practice, or by purchasing books.  I think most people here will get into generalities with great detail but when it comes to presentation or small things that they believe makes their food stand out from another team in a competition they aren't going to share it.  Pickled Pig is a complete anomaly in the BBQ world where he has taken the time to show much of what he was doing but you don't really hear from him how he has changed things since he wrote his tutorials.

I'm a new competitor with a long history of food.  I love the stuff and use what I learned at culinary school, experience, time browsing kitchen gadgets, any food related forum, BBQ Pitmasters, etc.  In fact, I read a study last week about how the tongue tastes and I immediately changed my sauce for ribs.  In addition, I went to Montana a few weeks ago and had the best beef of my life.  Now I'm not sure if RD or even wagyu briskets are the way to go.  My feeling is BBQ competitions for the competitors or the judges wouldn't be much fun if everyone shared everything they do.

As far as bite through chicken you need to increase the tenderness of the skin.  There are several ways to do that and they all are very different methods but start with the question why isn't it tender.  Keeping with the spirit, enjoy the journey!

Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: Mark on August 10, 2010, 02:48:18 pm
Cooking on a Kamado, I've never had a problem with rubbery or tough chicken. By its very nature, chicken skin comes out crisp. (But then so do butts & briskets if you don't use a heat deflector!)  I would imagine you could crisp up the skin after using a traditional offset smoker by laying it skin side down on a small grill for a few minutes. I wonder if one of those little creme brulee torches would do the trick as well?
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: n2dabluebbq on August 10, 2010, 03:20:01 pm
I, much like a few others here, understand why competition stuff is so closely guarded. after all, while we know the handle of someone on a forum, we do not know the true identity of them. while it may seem paranoid to not share certain info, it is what it is. for example lets say you are the leader of the points chase for TOY, and your second place chaser is only losing to you because they are having problems with ribs, they could theoretically log on to a site they know you frequent and ask for in depth information. if you were to give it to them and then found out that they used it to win TOY, how would you feel?
 now i also understand that you seem to not be asking for this type of information. but what if you only need a small bit of information to finish putting together things culled from other sites? remember most opsec problems stem from folks divulging little bits per person. no one really tells everything at once.
 now, another thing to consider is that what might work for mike and his ribs(boiling), won't work with you because you have two different smokers. while the smokers might be of the same style, most smokers are unique in how they cook. with the exception usually being the outdoor ovens that you plug and play with. hahaha
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: AZWildcat on August 10, 2010, 08:27:36 pm

The secret to Bite through chicken skin is to cook the chicken in such a way that the skin can be easily bitten through.  This is, and always has been the only way to achieve bite through chicken skin.

Practice various methods, then practice some more, when the skin of the chicken can be easily bitten through, you have achieved bite through chicken skin.

Ask Vince or Jay or Jim or Chuck or Dave or Brent (or anyone else who has had success in the chicken category,) how much chicken they went through to get the results they were looking for.  It really is about the practice.  There is no magic involved, you need to become good at chicken through practice, finding your own way is always the best way, and it will lead you to the answer you are looking for.

You running for office? Isn't that circular logic?haha......true though, it's just soooo much practice, and I still stink at it! Good thing chx thighs are cheap to practice with. Besides, chicken is meant to be grilled or fried, not low n smoked barbequed! Why the heck is it in comps anyway?  :'( :'( :'(

But hey, just my opinion.
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: desertdog on August 10, 2010, 09:43:28 pm
Actually there is an art to "slow smoking" chicken which few have mastered.  Most do cook the chicken at higher temps to get a satisfactory result.  Afterall, if it tastes good to the judges, they, for the most part, will not care if it was true smoked or smoke/grilled.
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: Gizzy's Smokin Crew on August 11, 2010, 09:25:33 am
I've done whole chickens on the smoker @225 for about 6 hours and it has always come out great. I di need to work on the skin thing though
Title: Re: "Bite thru chicken skin"
Post by: AZSmoke on August 11, 2010, 01:22:34 pm
Growing up, I was given the advice that if you want to be good at something, or get better at something, you need to surround yourself with folks that are better then you.  I've found this advice to hold true, whether it be sports (competing against the best teams/individuals), hunting/fishing, or in this case bbq/smoking. 

For sports and in some case hunting and fishing, there are clubs that you can join which typically have well seasoned individuals that are more then will to pass on the tricks of the trade so to speak, I am part of Bird dog club as well as fly fishing club.  Both have individuals that simple enjoy passing on the "tricks of the trade", but don't expect them to give up their best fishing holes, or where they encounter huge coveys of quail.

In my case, since I knew absolutely nothing about smoking, first place I went to was the interenet, and joined a couple of forums, this being one of them.  I also went to the class that started this topic.  I understand holding secrets close, especially with the competition BBQers.  But I think that the success of any club/forum/organization is based on the nurturing of the newbie's.

Having said the above, I think the info shared on this forum, speaking from my experience as a newbie, has been great, very prompt, informative and steered me in the right direction.  I can also understand, that after a while, if I'm still asking questions, the help will tail off until I'm able to add or contribute to others. 

What I also think this thread was doing, indirectly, was providing input into the quality of the class, which was great and it was hands on.  It wasn't intended for competitors, although a lot of what was discussed by Chris he mentioned he specifically used in competitions, like the bite thru chicken.  I came out of the class with more info then I know what to do with, and in a year or so, will probably go back to pick up what I've forgotten or couldn't absorb.

For any of the newer folks to smoking that can afford to go to this class, I would recommend it, there was a ton of useful information discussed, and you got to eat your homework!!
Title: Crispy Cornell Chicken
Post by: Mark on August 11, 2010, 03:07:08 pm
Perhaps this technique might help!

http://AmazingRibs.com/recipes/chicken_turkey_duck/cornell_chicken.html