Chicken Thigh's Fat

[WhateverYouWant]

I am a big fan of chicken thighs for Mexican food fillings. While I usually trim the fat and poach/braise these in a salsa-like concoction, last night I left the fat on and made a dry rub, seared them in hot cast iron and finished in a 350°F oven.

I got a very nice char on all sides, and my thinking was that the fat would render out… but it didn't. Did I just not leave it in the oven long enough, or am I fighting a losing battle here and should just trim the fat beforehand?

 

[Andy M.]

The fat around the edges of the thigh should melt off. How long in the skillet and the oven?

 

[GotGarlic]

Some of it does, but I've found that sometimes not all of it does, so I trim the fat.

 

[WhateverYouWant]

How long in the skillet and the oven?

On the sear (and I'm just guessing here as I did them until they looked right) it was 4-5 minutes per side. The trip to the oven was about 12 minutes.

 

[taxlady]

I think it takes quite a while to render most of the fat.

 

[Andy M.]

If they way you have been cooking it gives you a great finished product, trim the fat rather than modifying the cooking time.

 

[WhateverYouWant]

I think it takes quite a while to render most of the fat.

How long a while? I know it's hard to overcook chicken thighs, so what's the number?

 

[medtran49]

I always trim the fat and then sometimes render it, as well as the skin. Let the fat cool then store in fridge and can use like you would bacon grease. You can use the rendered skin and cracklings as garnishes for your dishes.