Need help with KCBS worthy Chicken

[Renee Attili]

I am entering my first cook off on January 1st. I am in charge of the chicken. I have organized and hosted 2 cook offs so I am familiar with the actual rules, but it is the nuances that I am not confident on. Like, what are the judges looking for? Is it better to use sauce or let the flavor of the chicken stand out? Do you get "bonus points" for submitting moist delicious breast that is notoriuos for being dry. With skin or without?
Thanks for any advice you can give me.

 

[QSis]

Well, Renee, let me first wish you the best of luck in your new and addicting hobby! Once you get that first call to the awards stage, you're a goner!

Looks like you will be cooking on a BGE which is a great cooker for chicken! The judges these days are HUGE on "bite-through" skin, which is to say, CRISPY, not rubbery.

As you probably know, the way to get crispy skin is to cook hot and fast, rather than low and slow.

Now, historically, judges have wanted chicken that has fairly traditional BBQ sauce, i.e., KC style - red, sweet, with heat. The trick is to sauce the chicken, yet not have rubbery skin. I have yet to master that!

Thighs have traditionally done well, since they don't dry out as quickly as breasts do. You do not get "bonus points" for submitting breast meat, but if you are successful in cooking excellent product, you may win over judges who are fans of white meat.

Skin traditionally has done better than no-skin, since it looks prettier.

Trends in what does well at BBQ contests are always changing, but these have been my experiences.

Again, good luck! What's your team name? You competing at Lakeland?

Lee

 

[Renee Attili]

Thanks so much for the tips!
The competition is held in Felda Florida at Gator Hammock. They hold it every year. It's called The Pig and Pepper Jam. Our team name is The Pig Pirates. Our head cook is not only a bbq nut he also is an avid boater.

When you did yours, did you smoke your chicken? If so did you use the typical apple or something different. Any time I have smoked chicken I have ended up with rubbery skin. Do you think I could maybe kick the heat up in the last 10-15 minutes to crisp the skin?

 

[Uncle Bob]

Skinless thighs with a good rub!! Cherry & Hickory (light on the hickory) for flavoring woods, and a hint of finishing sauce at the end.

Practice Practice, Practice before the Competition!!

Good Luck! & Have Fun!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Renee Attili]

Thanks Uncle Bob. After checking out your photos from this site, I knew you would have valuable advice. Your stuff always looks delicious!

 

[Poppinfresh]

Never, never, NEVER go skinless...least not if you want to win. My BBQ competition experience is limited to briskets and ribs (much success with brisket, somewhat mixed results with ribs as there are people who are just head and shoulders above me in that area of Q'ing), but from what I've *seen* of chicken portions of competition, the judges tend to favor mesquite or hickory smoked with a mesquite flavored tomato based barbecue sauce. I've never seen someone win with a vinegar based BBQ sauce on chicken, nor have I seen someone win skinless.

 

[QSis]

When you did yours, did you smoke your chicken? If so did you use the typical apple or something different. Any time I have smoked chicken I have ended up with rubbery skin. Do you think I could maybe kick the heat up in the last 10-15 minutes to crisp the skin?

Rene, forget the wood and just use BGE lump charcoal. It will impart a smoky enough flavor for poultry.

Edited to say that I don't own a Big Green Egg, nor have I ever cooked on one, so I am not the best person to give advice on it. I know that you can use it as an oven, if you have enough room to cook it indirect, and that you can raise the grate in order to cook at a higher temp without burning the meat.

There is a very active BGE forum The Big Green Egg Users Forum
where you can get specific and excellent advice from the Eggers over there.

Lee

 

[Renee Attili]

Rene, forget the wood and just use BGE lump charcoal. It will impart a smoky enough flavor for poultry.

There is a very active BGE forum The Big Green Egg Users Forum
where you can get specific and excellent advice from the Eggers over there.

Lee

Thanks for the tip to the forum. I go onto that sight more than twice a day. They are fantastic over there. I have posted a similar question over there.

Thank you all for your insight and opinions. I will heed all of it and hopefully do my team proud.

 

[Renee Attili]

Thank you all for your advice and insight. I will be practicing every night between now and the cook off. If anyone lives in SW Florida, come on over and help me decide which is my best recipe! The more the better!

 

[xmascarol1]

good luck on your adventure. That definitely sounds like fun and I'm sure you'll do wonderfully and probably come in 1st too.
btw, have you ever read that story-joke going around about a Yankee who gets roped into being a judge for a bbq in Texas? It is so funny. i hope you're not making your chicken that hot.

 

[QSis]

Renee, how did you and your team do at the Felda, FL competition?

Did you have FUN???

Lee

 

[Renee Attili]

Hello! I am so sorry it took so long to get back here!
We were 17th out of 30 overall and my chicken, I am happy to report, came in 12 out of 25! One judge even gave my chicken straight 9's! (To bad they throw the highest and the lowest scores out) I did recieve a few other 9's but mostly 7's and 8's. I was pleased with my first attempt! My chicken also was the highest scoring meat on our team.
And yes we had a great time!!! I will definetly be doing this again!

 

[Uncle Bob]

Hey ((((((((((((Miss Renee))))))))

Congratulations!! Thanks for the report!! Especially good news about the chicken being the high score team meat!!!!

 

[love2"Q"]

congrats ... there is a comp. in my area in june and i think i am
going to give it a shot ...

 

[QSis]

A-HA! Pretty good for a first outing, Renee, congratulations! Sounds as if you are hooked!

And, love2Q, go for it! If nothing else, it's a whole lot of fun!

Lee

 

[sage™]

Congtatulations and good job !!!

 

[Ask-A-Butcher]

Congrats, Renee!

We've been having good luck with bone-in thighs. Try to find the ones without 'yellow' skin, as they tend to shrink up more than the regular. Don't trim all the skin off before you cook, judges don't like to see the pulled back skin. And don't forget the garnish.....you do get judged on appearance of the product, but NOT the garnish...supposedly , but you know they look at it, otherwise they wouldn't give guidelines for it!

 

[QSis]

Beautiful presentation! How'd it do?

Was the photo from the Lakeland, FL contest last month? What's your team name?

Lee

 

[Ask-A-Butcher]

Beautiful presentation! How'd it do?

Was the photo from the Lakeland, FL contest last month? What's your team name?

Lee

877 767 988 657 867 877 as you can see, judges # 2 and 4 were not impressed at all!!!

That photo was NOT from Lakeland this year. Last year, I think. It was a rejected pic due to the lighting

Team name is The Oval Rulers

 

[QSis]

Butcher,

I know that ceramics do a great job on chicken and I particularly loved the look of your thighs before saucing. Beautiful color, looks like bite-through skin!

Wish judges didn't love sauce so much, since, a) it softens the skin and b) it often comes down to who likes the sauce you choose!

Again, lovely use of garnish in your box!

Lee