Comp Chicken Question

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ZBQ

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When you guys go to buy your thighs for comps, do you buy them already cut as thighs?

I was at the local store where I like to buy meat looking for thighs to practice with and they didn't have any pre-cut thighs, but they did have leg quarters.This got me to thinkng. I could cut them off of the leg quarters. Do any of you guys do this? If you do, how much skin do you leave on and how do you trim it up? Also, how much skin do you leave on a thigh to compensate for shrinkage? Do you try to wrap it around the bottom?

In a nutshell, how do you get the skin to look uniform on the finished product?

I tried a search for this but I got so many hits that is was impossible to find what I was looking for. If you know where there is a thread with this info, please post it.

Chicken and brisket are my weaknesses and I need PRACTICE and all the help I can get!!

Got some Yardbird Rub on the way too!!:biggrin:

Thanks guys!:-D
 
I always just buy the big packs of thighs at Sams.
 
Leg quarters will work just fine and you will have the legs to experiment with or turn in also. Good eats!

We trim the thighs to a consistant shape and size and wrap the skin as much as possible.

Jeff had a similar question recently.
http://bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27663&highlight="chicken+skin"

The good thing is that chicken is so cheap, you can test a lot and not break the bank :lol:

TIM
 
If you were only planning to use thighs, I would never buy leg quarters. Too much labor....just buy bone in thighs, they're real cheap. I always trim them so they look as uniform as possible, and cook around 20 for a competition. That allows me the chance to pick the best and most uniform 6 or 8 for the box.

I trim the excess skin, but not too much. Otherwise it shrinks up too much during the cooking process.
 
tedlor70 said:
If you were only planning to use thighs, I would never buy leg quarters. Too much labor.....
Click to expand...

What else are you going to do for the other 12 hrs while the brisket and butts are cooking.:razz:
 
SP said:
What else are you going to do for the other 12 hrs while the brisket and butts are cooking.:razz:
Click to expand...

I dont know about you guys, but i usually drink beer.

You cant have food prep cutting into beer drinking time.
 
I used Drumettes one time
They worked for me not the Judges
 
Cutting chicken is easy...but then I used to have to butcher 1 to 4 cases a day...that being said, if you won't use the legs at home or as "finger food" it would be a waste of money and time.

Like Tim said, we just go with a big pack of thighs from Sam's (usually) and trim them the way we like them.
 
mds2 said:
I dont know about you guys, but i usually drink beer.

You cant have food prep cutting into beer drinking time.
Click to expand...

I like your attitude, sounds like Team Q!:-D

BTW, we buy precut thighs only and trim to size as well.
 
mds2 said:
I dont know about you guys, but i usually drink beer.

You cant have food prep cutting into beer drinking time.
Click to expand...

Word. Trimmed up my chicken last night and the beer is on ice.
 
KC_Bobby said:
Word. Trimmed up my chicken last night and the beer is on ice.
Click to expand...


I get mine at sams in a package. There are about 12 in a pack for around $7.00.

Today I had to get three packs of 6 for a comp tomorrow.

Trim them to be the same when getting excess fat off of them.

Don't need the extra work of cutting the leg off when saturday morning or late friday night at the comp rolls around. There is enough other stuff to do.
 
mds2 said:
I dont know about you guys, but i usually drink beer.

You can't have food prep cutting into beer drinking time.
Click to expand...
Ditto. That's why I will now prep stuff on Thursday nights before I even arrived at the comp.
 
I like to use leg qtrs(not the bagged ones).they are usually more uniform in size.Sometime I will turn legs and thighs. also u get more skin to work with
 
Whassup William?!
I buy my thighs already cut, do my trimming at home, then vac seal them.
 
I also just use the thighs for competitons and trim them up for apperance and symetry in the presentation.

The only downside to just thighs is the inconsistency of the amount of skin from one thigh to the next.
 
scottd said:
I use whole chickens, or cornish game hens. lets be creative.
Click to expand...

Me, too. I cut them into individual pieces and turn in the thighs. :twisted:


Actually, this is what we used to do up until this year. Our main sponsor provides all of our chickens and briskets. He would give us whole chickens. Now he gives us a case of thighs for several comps. The whole, young chickens were a better product. I'm actually considering going back to the thighs from the whole chickens just because they are younger and more tender birds... and they are free.
 
tedlor70 said:
If you were only planning to use thighs, I would never buy leg quarters. Too much labor....just buy bone in thighs, they're real cheap. I always trim them so they look as uniform as possible, and cook around 20 for a competition. That allows me the chance to pick the best and most uniform 6 or 8 for the box.

I trim the excess skin, but not too much. Otherwise it shrinks up too much during the cooking process.
Click to expand...

I agree with Tedlor. Hind quarters may be cheaper but for the effort it's not worth it.

I have had a lot of good luck with Tyson brand chicken thighs.
 
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