Chicken

[Meathead]

Sterling Ball's King of the Smokers event comes close to an ideal set of rules.

[Huskee]

I agree 100%. KCBS has lost its way. It seems to be more about show than substance, with little consistnecy to it's sole purpose. Barbecue should be required to be intact pieces, except in the case of pulled pork or chicken, NO doctoring. Think about it- you get disqualified for shaping your meat like a star or a "1" in the presentation box, but you can square up your boneless thigh into a loaf and taxidermy the skin and blanket your chicken loaf with it, and it's considered not only legal barbecue, but A WINNER! I disagree. I would love to start a new BBQ society with old-school technique, rules & methods only.

[Meathead]

So let's start with a game of chicken. Many teams take thighs, and only thighs, put them in a pan, perhaps even cupcake pans, and poach or braise them in butter or margarine. Then maybe they will be taken out and finished over high heat on a grill. The results are absolutely wonderful. Soooooo, if KCBS is all about traditional Southern Barbecue, how does poached/braised thighs only demonstrate that skill? Could I take chicken and put it in a ziplock bag, suck out the air, place it in a pot of water at say 155, and sous vide it for an hour so it is safe, then take it out and give it a little exposure to flame to bake in the sauce, and enter that? Sounds legal to me. Bet it would KILL! Gas smokers are banned because they are not traditional and they are too easy (but pellet smokers are allowed). Has KCBS lost its way? Has KCBS lost its head?