Browning that Bird Skin

[rkrussell]

I kept reading about people wishing their chickens were more crispy.  I've got the solution!  I made a chicken this weekend that was wonderful!  Brined it overnight, then dried it well.  I lightly oiled the outside, and  liberally spread on a rub, inside and out. Into a preheated oven at 410 degrees for half an hour.  That chicken was already beautifully browned at that point.  Into the smoker #2 it went at 250 degrees.  A few hours later, and it was perfect, inside and out!  Crispy, moist, ....and gone within hours of serving!

 

[DivotMaker]

Interesting.  How was the smokiness?  Seems like pre-cooking that sucker would really inhibit smoke penetration.

 

[SconnieQ]

Most people smoke the chicken to a slightly underdone stage, then put into a 500-550 degree oven for a short bit to crisp the skin. It's interesting that you crisped the skin first, then smoked. The theory is that meat takes in smoke flavor when it is under 140 degrees. So your precooking (in theory) would inhibit smoke absorption, and the smoke would mostly sit on the outside of the meat, which can produce a less tasty smoke. But, since you said it was delicious, that is all that matters! Maybe others have tried, or will try, and report results.

I personally long ago gave up on worrying about crispy skin. The dog loves it, and if I am feeling particularly caveman that day, I will rip at, and chow down on some papery skin! There are so many other methods of cooking poultry that produce delicious, crispy skin, yet bland and boring tasting meat. I figure I am willing to sacrifice the perfect skin in favor of the ever elusive, delicious, flavorful poultry meat.

 

[DivotMaker]

Most people smoke the chicken to a slightly underdone stage, then put into a 500-550 degree oven for a short bit to crisp the skin. It's interesting that you crisped the skin first, then smoked. The theory is that meat takes in smoke flavor when it is under 140 degrees. So your precooking (in theory) would inhibit smoke absorption, and the smoke would mostly sit on the outside of the meat, which can produce a less tasty smoke. But, since you said it was delicious, that is all that matters! Maybe others have tried, or will try, and report results.

I personally long ago gave up on worrying about crispy skin. The dog loves it, and if I am feeling particularly caveman that day, I will rip at, and chow down on some papery skin! There are so many other methods of cooking poultry that produce delicious, crispy skin, yet bland and boring tasting meat. I figure I am willing to sacrifice the perfect skin in favor of the ever elusive, delicious, flavorful poultry meat.

+1!  Well-said, Kari!  I'm certainly open to new ways of doing things - if they work!  I bought into the "reverse sear" method for things like prime rib many years ago, and am always looking for new ways.  I'm with you, though, on poultry skin.  I, too, have a skin-eating machine.

 

[jcboxlot]

+1 on the 140 temp for smoke to get into the meat.  Maybe this being in an 1/2 hour oven didn't get the meat close to that 140 temp?

Interesting................


I leave the SI for the pork and bulk pork (and some odd nuts and pretzels!).  Maybe its just me, but I can do chicken on the gasser or charcoal just as well.

 

[BedouinBob]

+2 Kari except I am the chicken skin eating machine! I love chicken skin. 

 

[gregbooras]

For me I don't really care about the skin, but I am glad you did this experiment.

I was wondering the same thing, what if we were to crisp the skin first..... would it still be crispy after smoking it.

It sounds like the answer is yes, I will give this a try on my next go.

Thanks for being a pioneer!

Greg

 

[rkrussell]

Now that I've read about the idea of 140 degrees being the temperature for the smoke to really permeate the meat, I see the pitfall in my method of high-temp cooking first.  The bird was smokey on the outside, and just super-moist/not very smokey on the inside.  Since the rub was so fantastic, I didn't immediately notice that the inner-most sections really weren't very smokey.  Interestingly, though, I did exactly the same thing to half a pork loin at the same time.  I put both the turkey and the pork loin through the same brining process, put on a rub, pre-baked at high heat for half an hour.  The pork loin came out smoked all the way through, and had a nice crust.  Do you think it smoked thoroughly because it's a smaller piece of meat?

 

[DivotMaker]

Do you think it smoked thoroughly because it's a smaller piece of meat?

I think it smoked more thoroughly for 2 reasons.  First and foremost, it didn't have a skin.  Poultry skin is a moisture block, and once cooked, will block smoke.  Secondly, the pork was probably not fully cooked, so it still took on smoke.  I do a reverse-sear on pork loins.  In the smoker cold and raw, smoke to 145, then sear on the grill or hot oven.  You get more even cooking this way, and the reverse sear (only a few minutes per side) doesn't overcook the edges.

 

[rkrussell]

That makes perfect sense.  Thank you!