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Chicken, you prick

Botch
Botch Posts: 17,332
in Poultry
:D
 
I've been reading several folks have trouble getting crispy-enough skin, and also about raised direct, which I've not had good luck with.  
 
Tomorrow is a guv'mint holiday, so I took today off and got a double-weekend.  Brined the cheeken last night for two hours, dried in the fridge overnight, rubbed with Montreal cheeken seasoning, and spatchcocked, raised direct at 400.  This time, however, I punctured Mr. Cluck all over with my sausage pricker (has three sharp points) giving the rendered fat lots of drain holes through the skin.
I flipped the bird breast-side up after only 20 minutes, and again the skin on the highest part of the breast was charred just a bit too much.  Let it go until the breast hit 160.
The cheeken was perfectly cooked, and I was really happy with the skin, except for the charred bits on the top breast (sorry, no pics).  I'm going back to raised indirect, I just can't get the direct to work for me.  But, I'm definitely pricking my bird all over from now on, really liked the skin this time!   
:-bd
"Hallelujah, Noel, be it Heaven or Hell,
The Christmas we get, we deserve"
     -RIP Greg Lake

Ogden, UT, USA

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  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255

    Wheeeee!!! I was well into your story before I realized you weren't talking about me...

    Spring "Read Entirely Before Reacting" Chicken

    Spring Texas USA



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  • minniemoh
    minniemoh Posts: 2,145
    Love the title! I may have to try your pricking method.

    I'm an indirect guy on spatchcock too. My MBGE is the best indirect spatchcock cooker for some reason. The skin turns out best when I just pull it out of the wrapper, spatch it, and cook 400-425 indirect for 65-75 minutes. It just comes out better on the M than anything else. I don't know why.

    Congrats on a great cook.
    L x2, M, S, Mini and a Blackstone 36. She says I have enough now....
    eggAddict from MN!
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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    Botch said:
    :D
     
    I've been reading several folks have trouble getting crispy-enough skin, and also about raised direct, which I've not had good luck with.  
     
    Tomorrow is a guv'mint holiday Veteran's Day, so I took today off and got a double-weekend.  Brined the cheeken last night for two hours, dried in the fridge overnight, rubbed with Montreal cheeken seasoning, and spatchcocked, raised direct at 400.  This time, however, I punctured Mr. Cluck all over with my sausage pricker (has three sharp points) giving the rendered fat lots of drain holes through the skin.
    I flipped the bird breast-side up after only 20 minutes, and again the skin on the highest part of the breast was charred just a bit too much.  Let it go until the breast hit 160.
    The cheeken was perfectly cooked, and I was really happy with the skin, except for the charred bits on the top breast (sorry, no pics).  I'm going back to raised indirect, I just can't get the direct to work for me.  But, I'm definitely pricking my bird all over from now on, really liked the skin this time!   
    :-bd
    FTFY
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,451
    I don't have a 3 pronged sausage pricker like you but I have done the same thing using a 2 prong corn cob holder! You just get done 50% faster than I do!
    Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time 
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    RRP said:
    I don't have a 3 pronged sausage pricker like you but I have done the same thing using a 2 prong corn cob holder! You just get done 50% faster than I do!
    Ron, how about your Jaccard? I might give that a shot next time.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Ya, my Boss rocks! I have tomorrow paid off along with other Military Veterans. Tomorrow is Veterans Day. Not guv'mint holiday.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,451
    Carolina Q said:
    RRP said:
    I don't have a 3 pronged sausage pricker like you but I have done the same thing using a 2 prong corn cob holder! You just get done 50% faster than I do!
    Ron, how about your Jaccard? I might give that a shot next time.
    I have Jaccarded skinless breasts before to tenderize for sandwiches on croissants, but to use it on a whole yard bird constantly running into bone and cartilage doesn't strike me as worth the cleanup time it takes when the corn cob holder is easier. 

    Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time 
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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,988
    edited November 2014
    @RRP‌
    I have never pierced the skin on poultry. That I know of I have never at poultry that the skin had been pierced and I have ate more than my fair share of poultry. To be brutally honest, I have more than ate my fair share of about everything ;)
    All that said, I'm curious as to what piercing the skin accomplishes and is it worth the effort? If you say it's worth it I'm going to try it. Thanks in advance.

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,451
    SGH said:
    @RRP‌ I have never pierced the skin on poultry. That I know of I have never at poultry that the skin had been pierced and I have ate more than my fair share of poultry. To be brutally honest, I have more than ate my fair share of about everything ;) All that said, I'm curious as to what piercing the skin accomplishes and is it worth the effort? If you say it's worth it I'm going to try it. Thanks in advance.

    this thread was started by @Botch and he explained that the puncturing lets the grease seep out of skin and that makes it more crispy. Sometimes I will also put corn starch in a fine mesh tea strainer and wave it over the raw bird so as to give a light dusting. That also helps crisp up the skin.
    Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time 
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 17,332
    The next one I do I'm gonna prick the left half of the chicken, leave the right alone, so I have an accurate, side-by-side comparison.
    Aaaand it'll be indirect!  
    ;)
    "Hallelujah, Noel, be it Heaven or Hell,
    The Christmas we get, we deserve"
         -RIP Greg Lake

    Ogden, UT, USA

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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Maybe I'm lucky. I spatchcock, dry skin with paper towels, S&P or other dry rub and cook raised direct at 400℉ ish until bird temps. Most of the time the skin is very crisp.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 17,332
    >BUMP!<

    Botch said:
    The next one I do I'm gonna prick the left half of the chicken, leave the right alone, so I have an accurate, side-by-side comparison.
    Aaaand it'll be indirect!  
    ;)
     
    Well, I promised the above experiment and forgot about it for a couple months.  Didn't have a full chicken today (supermarket didn't have any?!) but I bought a package of bone-in, skin-on thighs, and pricked half of them (marked them with a toothpick) and left the half un-pricked.  Gotta admit, I don't think there was much difference at all, must've been some other variable, or my own imagination, the first time.  
     
    I did try a new sauce on them (I left two thighs unsauced to really know what the skin had done).  Some doofus was demoing his game-day wangs at a tailgate segment on Headline News, and he tossed the wings in a quick sauce made with 2 parts favorite jarred sauce, 1 part chinese oyster sauce, and sriracha to taste.  Dang, that was good!  I use oyster sauce a lot in my stir-frys, never thought of it as a barbeque sauce component.  
    "Hallelujah, Noel, be it Heaven or Hell,
    The Christmas we get, we deserve"
         -RIP Greg Lake

    Ogden, UT, USA

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  • EGG_Daddy
    EGG_Daddy Posts: 163
    When you brine the chicken do you make sure to rinse it extremely well?  I've noticed on a lazy rinse my skin wan't crisp.  

    MN. LBGE. Vikings. Beer. YETI 75.

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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 17,332
    I rinse, but don't know if it's "extremely well".  
    I've finally learned to wash my raw rice VERY thoroughly before putting it in the cooker, mebbe I gotta do the same with my cheekin.  Thanks!  
    "Hallelujah, Noel, be it Heaven or Hell,
    The Christmas we get, we deserve"
         -RIP Greg Lake

    Ogden, UT, USA

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