Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

leathery skin

Options
RickyDavisJr
RickyDavisJr Posts: 15
in Poultry
Cooked chicken wings last week -- 30 minutes indirect (350 dome) and then 4-5 minutes direct to crisp up the skin (350 dome).  They turned out great.  Tonight I decided to try a wing recipe from APL's "Serious Barbecue."  Recipe recommended 275 as the temp indirect for one hour followed by some basting then an additional 25 minutes at 275.  I kept it around 300-310.  Well, the skin turned out nearly inedible.  Meat tasted fantastic.  I also added some baking powder to the spice rub per Dyal's post last week.  I'm pretty sure the low temp gave me the leathery skin, but could I have overcooked them?  Loved the wings I "winged" last week, disappointed a recipe produced these results.
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • ChokeOnSmoke
    ChokeOnSmoke Posts: 1,942
    Options
    I cook my wings indirect at 375-400 for about 45 minutes.  You'll have crispy skin and meat will be great.  No need to flip or baste.  No benefit I can see to cooking them low temp.
    Packerland, Wisconsin

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RickyDavisJr
    RickyDavisJr Posts: 15
    Options
    Thanks Choke.  Really excited about this book (just checked out from library) and first recipe doesn't hit the mark.  I'll keep the temp up next time.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ChokeOnSmoke
    ChokeOnSmoke Posts: 1,942
    edited December 2012
    Options
    Everybody does it a little differently.  Just found that way to work best for me.  Nothing wrong with experimenting... that's the fun in cooking!   In general though, fatty meats should go low and slow, lean meats higher temp.  Good luck!
    Packerland, Wisconsin

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
    Options
    ChokeOnSmoke said:
    I cook my wings indirect at 375-400 for about 45 minutes.  You'll have crispy skin and meat will be great.  No need to flip or baste.  No benefit I can see to cooking them low temp.

    I'll either do them like that or raised direct up on adjustable rig at the same temps...great results every time. nice profile pic OP, are you in Colorado?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RickyDavisJr
    RickyDavisJr Posts: 15
    Options

    Mighty_Quinn said:
    ChokeOnSmoke said:
    I cook my wings indirect at 375-400 for about 45 minutes.  You'll have crispy skin and meat will be great.  No need to flip or baste.  No benefit I can see to cooking them low temp.

    I'll either do them like that or raised direct up on adjustable rig at the same temps...great results every time. nice profile pic OP, are you in Colorado?
    OP?  Yep, in C-Springs.  Big Odell fan, love Isolation this time of year. 
    I'm hoping APL's recipe had a misprint -- he meant to say 375!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • U_tarded
    U_tarded Posts: 2,042
    Options
    you like serious bbq?  i got charred and scruffed and love it but something in me is against spending over 2 bills on a book, especially since i can't sell it back and buy weed with the money like i used to do in college.  also odells is great, I've been on a oskar blues kick lately.  dales deviant ale and their old chubb scotch ale is my favorite right now.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
    Options
    OP--original poster (one who started thread). I'm up in Parker. Lots of good CO brews!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RickyDavisJr
    RickyDavisJr Posts: 15
    Options
    Yes, great beer here!  I do like Oskar Blues and pretty much everything from the state.
    I got Serious BBQ from the library (the cheapest I found it online was $70) along w/ Seven Fires this week.  I've been reading Seven Fires, but just opened Serious BBQ tonight to find a wing recipe.  Disappointing results, but I think the book will be great.      
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    Options
    Probably a stupid question, but did you thermapen any of the wings? Think they were pretty much overcooked, but without knowing when they hit 160, and the final temp, it is all just a guess. 
    When I do a whole chicken, I put the legs/thighs on first, 10 later the breasts, 10 later the wings, cook at <400 indirect. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Options
    Skiddy, he said the "meat tasted fantastic".  I've overcooked the hell out of wings (205F) and they still rocked.  They're like 25% fat and 5% connective tissue/collagen.  (I'm just estimating).  The skin will suck if it doesn't get maillard-ed - basically fried.  I think low and slow would be fine for them but you need to blast 'em at the end for a while to "fry" the oil in the skin to make it have a crispy texture and give it the complex but tasty maillard chemicals.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • U_tarded
    U_tarded Posts: 2,042
    Options
    RickyDavisJr said:

    Yes, great beer here!  I do like Oskar Blues and pretty much everything from the state.

    I got Serious BBQ from the library (the cheapest I found it online was $70) along w/ Seven Fires this week.  I've been reading Seven Fires, but just opened Serious BBQ tonight to find a wing recipe.  Disappointing results, but I think the book will be great.      
    You should report back what you think on that book. I'm super interested in it but I don't trust the amazon reviews I wouldn't give it a bad review after I dumped a bunch of cash on it. I grew up in CO and went to school in Fort Collins the breweries there were top notch then and everytime I go back there is a new one
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • JerkChicken
    JerkChicken Posts: 551
    Options
    I go 300-350 indirect for 1.5 hrs on all my wings. If using sauce I baste at the end and go another 15-20 minutes. Always have phenomenal results says my eaters.
    LBGE, Weber OTG w/ Rotisserie, Weber Genesis S-330, Chargriller Duo, AR-15, AK-47
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RickyDavisJr
    RickyDavisJr Posts: 15
    Options
    Thanks for all the comments. I'm going to try a higher temp next time, basically do what I did the time before.  U_Tard, I'll let you know about Serious BBQ.  I've enjoyed Seven Fires so far, but probably won't be using many recipes from it.  
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    edited December 2012
    Options
    nolaegghead said:
    Skiddy, he said the "meat tasted fantastic".  I've overcooked the hell out of wings (205F) and they still rocked.  They're like 25% fat and 5% connective tissue/collagen.  (I'm just estimating).  The skin will suck if it doesn't get maillard-ed - basically fried.  I think low and slow would be fine for them but you need to blast 'em at the end for a while to "fry" the oil in the skin to make it have a crispy texture and give it the complex but tasty maillard chemicals.
    Missed the "meat tasted fantastic" you, Mr Science guy, are correct. It is pretty much impossible to overcook wings, it is possible to dry them out a bit - obviously not the case here, my bad. I've never had leathery poultry skin, I've had soggy skin, per the lack of "air frying" you mention, but never a tough skin. Maybe there was something in the baste....
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    Options
    I haven't done wings yet. I used to mix coke and hot sauce in an aluminum pan...3 min in. 3 out. I want to try cazzy's and necessary had a recipe the other day that looked good.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RickyDavisJr
    RickyDavisJr Posts: 15
    Options
    Skiddymarker said:
    nolaegghead said:
    Skiddy, he said the "meat tasted fantastic".  I've overcooked the hell out of wings (205F) and they still rocked.  They're like 25% fat and 5% connective tissue/collagen.  (I'm just estimating).  The skin will suck if it doesn't get maillard-ed - basically fried.  I think low and slow would be fine for them but you need to blast 'em at the end for a while to "fry" the oil in the skin to make it have a crispy texture and give it the complex but tasty maillard chemicals.
    Missed the "meat tasted fantastic" you, Mr Science guy, are correct. It is pretty much impossible to overcook wings, it is possible to dry them out a bit - obviously not the case here, my bad. I've never had leathery poultry skin, I've had soggy skin, per the lack of "air frying" you mention, but never a tough skin. Maybe there was something in the baste....
    I think leathery is the best adjective -- couldn't really bite through it, pulled off wing altogether.  It wasn't the baste because I only basted half and the others had the same result.  I did put baking powder in the rub (not included in spice mix recipe) after reading about Dyal's wings last week.  I don't really think that's the problem either.  My best guess is the lower temp, although I was roughly only 25 degrees below the temp that produces great wings for others (JerkChicken's post above).
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories