The Texas BBQ Forum

K LoLo wrote:Does everyone buy whole chickens? Is that better than buying an already split chicken (HEB sells these, for example). Or is buying a split chicken even allowed?

IBCA requires two fully jointed chicken halves this includes the breast, wing with wing tip, leg and thigh. You may remove the backbone if you choose to do so. We do not care who split your halves so yes you can use pre split birds as far as we are concerned but if you are doing a comp where meat inspections are enforced check with the promoter before trying them they are the ones making the meat inspection rules not us.

allenayres wrote:

js-tx wrote:Does everyone split their bird in half before cooking? I've done a couple butterflied birds at home. Both were very juicy, but didn't look so comp worthy when I split it in half.

Take for what it's worth, my chicken isn't good yet, but I split mine - first I use a sharp knife to make a clean slice through the skin/meat then use kitchen shears to cut through the bone, at my last comp they looked mo betta than before. I've seen others use toothpicks to hold the skin in place while cooking. I tried that but I'm afraid I may have left one in?


Question: IBCA rules ask that we leave the wing tips out at turn in, how are y'all keeping them from getting burnt to a crisp? I've covered the bottom inch or so with foil but on more than half the chickens that results in the wing tip coming off with the foil when I remove them after cooking - do y'all remove them at some point in the middle of the cook?

Yes, I remove the foil about half way through the cook.. I had the same problems you've had.
Don't think appearance matters a whole bunch for chicken, but there are ways to cut it up to keep it juicy.

js-tx wrote:Yes, I remove the foil about half way through the cook.. I had the same problems you've had.
Don't think appearance matters a whole bunch for chicken, but there are ways to cut it up to keep it juicy.

Thank you, I’ve seen some judges scowl when they open the box, maybe it was the smell :)

Make sure to use fresh chicken

Rambo wrote:Make sure to use fresh chicken

At my first competition by myself I brought what I thought was fresh chicken... next morning they were puffed up and rank. Had to toss them

Well, you know how it is when a Chick gets Puffed up & Rank

So I've had too much sweetness on some, and too much saltiness on others. Both using different brines. Suggestions for a simple not too sweet/salty brine. I know it's not rocket surgery, but I'm tired of wasting birds.Just reading some of these responses, I'm not really picky on brands I've chosen either. I buy HEB or Sanderson usually maybe I'm buying something that is pre-salted.

birdsbbq wrote:So I've had too much sweetness on some, and too much saltiness on others. Both using different brines. Suggestions for a simple not too sweet/salty brine. I know it's not rocket surgery, but I'm tired of wasting birds.Just reading some of these responses, I'm not really picky on brands I've chosen either. I buy HEB or Sanderson usually maybe I'm buying something that is pre-salted.

Every piece of meat including chicken is different. The best you can do is try to stick to the same brands and methods. Personally I think splitting a chicken and allowing the pink fluid stuff to ooze out over a day or two is a good idea. Leaves more room for brine and/or injection.

Try a cup a kosher salt, a cup of light brown sugar, and a couple tablespoons of course pepper as your base brine. Make sure you brining times are the same and just about everything else is almost the same. Adjust from there.

For me personally I've never had a too sweet of a bird after brining, could it have been your rub?

I use a 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup Kosher Salt, 1/4 whatever rub Im going to use, 3 bay leaves

So i have never put out a chicken entry that I that was worth a sh!t. Then a few weeks ago i decided to toss a couple of chickens on the Shirley while i cooking a couple briskets. OO MANY was i impressed with the birds. So i gave it one more test before an upcoming Neighborhood Comp (12 teams).

Randomly picked a couple of Sucklebuster rubs that seemed to REALLY go well together. Sauced with a edited version of Headcountry Apple habanero sauce a couple times towards the last qtr of the cook.

2nd place!! NEVER thought could get such good results on an offset. Previously i was cranking the WSM up to 300+ and never got anything i liked. We live and learn.





rb

Good job rus, its difficult to win no matter the number of teams. Never give up on that offset cooking. Its still the best.

i see most of you guys use a red sauce on chicken.

has anyone tried that big bobs white sauce in a comp?

one other question.

i see a few of you guys are saying that you pull your chicken round 165-170. i also see sauce in some of those pics.

are you guys really pulling the chicken around 155-160ish and then saucing, and put back on and pulling at 165-170 w/ the sauce on, or are you saying you take the bird to 165-170, put sauce on it and pull it? if you're one of the guys that lets the sauce set on the chicken, at what temp are you applying the sauce if you plan to pull at 165-170?

just a little confused here. any help would be appreciated.

jellyworker wrote:i see most of you guys use a red sauce on chicken.

has anyone tried that big bobs white sauce in a comp?

one other question.

i see a few of you guys are saying that you pull your chicken round 165-170. i also see sauce in some of those pics.

are you guys really pulling the chicken around 155-160ish and then saucing, and put back on and pulling at 165-170 w/ the sauce on, or are you saying you take the bird to 165-170, put sauce on it and pull it? if you're one of the guys that lets the sauce set on the chicken, at what temp are you applying the sauce if you plan to pull at 165-170?

just a little confused here. any help would be appreciated.

I have two ways I sauce.
#1 at 150° in the breast I glaze my birds then again at 165° let cook on till 170°
#2 sauce when breast hits 170° let it cook on for about 10 minutes.
It all depends on whether I am glazing or saucing.

Thanks


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If you're injecting your chicken for competition, is there a reason to brine it as well? I'm wondering if I'm taking the chance to introducing flavors that may not work well together. I would think brining would basically be trying to do what I just did with the injection...

My last competition I could taste a flavor in the chicken I didn't turn in that reminded me of crawfish boil - not a strong flavor, but there in the background/after taste (possibly chili peppers in the rub?). About a year ago a buddy on another team had me taste his ribs - I got a strong crawfish boil flavor and he really didn't appreciate me saying so He did say he had some cayenne pepper in there. I need to practice more away from competition on the flavor profile I'm looking for. Crawfish boil ain't it