Cupcake Chicken thigh method

[jimwheeler]

Hello All,
I have a Timberline 1300 & a Renegade Pro. I have been trying the Myron Mixon cupcake method for thighs and have zero luck getting the bite through skin.

The last cook I did on the 1300, I cooked at 275 for 1:45 then flipped for another 45min till I sauced and let glaze another 20min. I use silicone cupcake molds with a 1/4" hole. I filled a 10"x14" pan with 1/4" of chicken broth and cooked to an internal temp of 180. Thighs are de-boned. The chicken was tender, tasty but skin was rubber. The pan was on the middle rack, smack dead in the middle.

This is the third time using the cupcakes. I love the uniform size but can not for the life of me get the skin to be bite through.

any help I would appreciate suggestions.

[Jerod Broussard]

How are you prepping the skin?

[SierraBBQGuy]

Did you scrape the fat from the skin?

[Jfrosty27]

Might try a hotter grill temp. Also dry the skin on the thighs for a few hours in the fridge before going on the grill

[jimwheeler]

trimming and scraping the majority of the fat off but not to a translucent type skin when I trim to size.

Most of the recipes I have seen don't say you need to scrape the fat. I have followed both Myron's and smoking-meat.com's recipe and there is no mention of scraping.

I did follow the method that Malcom Reed has on his site (the FireDancer Method) along with using a paint scraper to scrap the fat off, and I won first place in a local event with it.

But I was looking for something different and that would have more of a consistent size and a little less labor intensive so I can do a second category in a few future events in the area

[mrteddyprincess]

I have used Myron's cupcake pan method and got good results. I interpreted the recipe to mean using a metal cupcake pan. You're using silicone and I'm not sure what the insulating properties of silicone would do to the concept. I drilled holes (multiple 1/8th inch holes) in the bottom of the cupcake pan and put it in a broth bath like described in the recipe. I got bite through tender skins without much effort. Maybe try metal cupcake pans instead of silicone?

I have also gotten good results scraping the fat off the skins and cooking at 325 F. And my favorite chicken thighs involve smoking them, saucing them, and eating them with no modifications whatsoever. That's real BBQ!!! :-)

[grantgallagher]

Never done the cupcake method but my gut is 275 is too low a temp.

[Dewesq55]

I do Malcom Reed's BBQ Chicken recipe at 275°F and the skin is always nicely bite-through, so 275° can definitely work. I'm not familiar with the Myron Mixon cupcake tin recipe, however.

[grantgallagher]

I gotta look that up and try it. Dont think i usially get good skin at 275. Thanks for the tip.

[DavidNorcross]

I would dry the thighs and place them in the fridge prior to the cook. Would also raise the temp to at least 325. I cook thighs at 400.

[jimwheeler]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I will try the metal version and a higher temp. The weird thing is Myron's recipe and website sell the silicone molds.

[Mr. Bones]

What cooker is Myron usin, vs what are ya usin?

Makes a difference, in approach...

[TripleB]

Thigh skin is very thick. Based upon your cooking temp and cupcake method (which I would not change), here are two things you can do to get bite through skin:

1) As mentioned above, scrap the fat off the skin, You will get bite through skin. But you will need to pin the skin back on thighs or the skin will ride up and will look like a little skin blanket covering your thighs;
2) Use breast skin. It is thinner than thigh skin and not as fatty.

[Troutman]

I’m a bit confused, is it bite through you want or crispy? Those are two different finishes. Crispy is crunchy, takes high heat to achieve. Bite through is a bit softer but still firm and bites cleanly with the meat. Still needs some more heat regardless. Neither should be below 300*F.

[TripleB]

Excellent point on the difference between crispy and bite through. However, I get bite through skin (I scrap off the fat) at 250 d.

[jimwheeler]

bite through

[Huskee]

Try cooking hotter, 325+. Some don't need it for this particular prep, but since you're asking what you can do I suggest try that.

[rickgregory]

So, I just watched a video on this and it sounds... complex. Well not really *complex* but extra work vs simply trimming them up, then smoking them. Catch me up... what's the supposed advantage of doing these in cupcake molds??

[jimwheeler]

rickgregory uniformity for judging nothing else

[rickgregory]

Thanks. I was wondering if having them in the cup let the fat act as a basting liquid as it rendered or something.

[CandySueQ]

When I was using the form method, I used mini loaf pans. Cupcakes work better with tiny thighs or boneless. You can put more butter or Parkay in the mini loaf pans. BUT -- even if you cook in a pan with lots of butter (parkay!), if you cook skin side up that skin is going to get crispy. When you dip in it sauce, the skin goes to rubber instantly. If the thighs are dipped in sauce, placed on a rack and sealed up tightly in a pan (don't let the foil touch the top of the thighs), put it in a warm Cambro to rest for 20+ minutes, that skin will soften up to bite thru.