What are your thoughts on using pulled chicken?

9/19/2013

TWO SIMILAR QUESTIONS

I want to try something a little different when it comes to my chicken. Most of the boxes I see are thighs or legs. How would a judge feel about seeing pulled chicken? I really enjoy my pulled chicken more than anything else but I'm not going to shoot myself in the foot because I like it. Stubbornness is not something I am willing to be just to prove a point. Thanks

Lance Mooney
Coeur d' Alene, ID

Is it OK to include pulled chicken along with bone-in thighs?

Chris Manson
Randolph NJ

Cathy Herman

9/19/2013 08:47:53 pm

Pulled Chicken is great in a box with thighs or legs . I have had it before in boxes . Adds to a nice appearance . good luck !

George

9/19/2013 10:27:53 pm

While pulled meat is permitted for pork and beef, there is a difference with chicken and that difference is the skin. While I would have no problem with a box the had both pieces and pulled meat, I don't think we should allow solely pulled chicken since that would relieve teams of the problem of properly cooking the skin.

Paul H (KCBS CBJ/cook)

9/20/2013 02:47:09 am

Per the KCBS rules, #16: "Chicken, pork and brisket may be submitted chopped, pulled, sliced, or diced as the cook sees fit, as long as there is enough for six (6) judges."

No mention of skin. Other groups may have different ideas about it. What happens if you have a freak accident and your grill flares up and all the skin is burnt black. Do you have to turn in with the burnt skin, guaranteeing a dismal fate? Or would it be understandable to remove the skin and turn in the delicious flavorful tender meat for judging? I'd rather judge a naked thigh than one with crappy, chewy skin. It will still have to look good, taste good, and make me happy to win...

Tom - CMJ/KCBS; CBJ/MBN,NCPC,NCBS & comp cook

9/20/2013 03:35:21 am

Along with Paul H's comments concerning the "Rules", the Audio recording that we listen to EVERY time we judge KCBS states the following: "If presented with skin on you should at least taste the skin."
There is NOTHING that states we are to judge skin OR lack of skin except to taste it if it is presented.

Raine® link

9/23/2013 02:42:35 am

Yes the rules say you should at least taste the skin. It doesn't say it has to be bite through. You can also taste the skin by sucking it. So why do judges deduct points if it is not bite through? What rule is it breaking? Were you taught that in judging class?

There is nothing wrong with pulled chicken, if that is how the cook presented it, then judge that way.

Tom - CMJ/KCBS; CBJ/MBN,NCPC,NCBS & comp cook

9/23/2013 05:44:26 am

Raine - You are confusing two different judging criteria - Taste and Tenderness. In "Taste" - the judge is required to "at least taste the skin", which has NOTHING to do with bite-through.
Bite-through skin is a part of the "Tenderness" score and although it is NOT in the rules or on the audio recording, it is commonly taught in CBJ training that if the skin is not bite-through then you should score down accordingly. I have always found that skin that is NOT bite-through is also NOT tender to chew.
There is NO requirement to have skin on chicken, but if presented with skin I will judge it as presented - for both taste and tenderness.

Moonpie

9/22/2013 11:53:01 am

I have judged lots of boxes of thighs without skin. It doesn't affect my score and should not by rule.

Raine® link

9/23/2013 06:19:19 am

And when was that change made in judging class? It was not taught in the judging I took, nor in any of the judging classes we have helped with.

If it taught in class, it should be in the rules and on the CD. Otherwise you get the inconsistency in judging, that the teams are always complaining about.

Raine® link

9/23/2013 06:19:32 am

Raine® link

9/23/2013 06:19:47 am

Ike, KCBS CBJ

9/19/2013 11:48:28 pm

I see nothing wrong with serving pulled chicken. However, old habits are hard to break so I would suggest that you also throw in wings or thighs at first to see how it is received by the judges. If it seems to work then try just the pulled chicken the next contest.

Jim, KCBS CBJ

9/20/2013 12:32:54 am

Pulled chicken might be a nice change of pace in a turn in box from just thighs or drumsticks.

Scott, KCBS CBJ

9/20/2013 01:04:53 am

I agree with Ike, habits can be hard to break for some judges. I've had some pulled in boxes that put the taste of the whole pieces to shame, but for appearance, sometimes pulled chicken can be just a little underwhelming. I'm not sure how well serving pieces and the pulled together would help, you still wouldn't get a true read on what the Judges thought of just the pulled. You might actually get a better appearance score as the box would appear fuller and those boxes are usually more visually inviting. If you're committed to the idea, just go for it and see what happens.

Tom - CMJ/KCBS; CBJ/MBN,NCPC.NCBS & comp cook

9/20/2013 02:19:54 am

In previous years I would only see pulled chicken in a box at a couple contests a year; however, this year I've seen it at almost every-other contest. Usually in with thighs, but I've even seen it by iteslf or with slices of breast. The last contest I judged (Jug Tavern Festival in Winder, GA - last Saturday) my table got a box of chicken with pulled in the middle and what looked like wings on the sides - BUT actually they were strips of breast meat very heavily sauced. I can't say what other judges at the table gave this box, but I thought it looked excellent and gave it a 9 for appearance.

One word of caution - pulled chicken can cool off QUICKLY resulting in cold chicken if it sits very long.

Paul H - KCBS CBJ/Cook

9/20/2013 02:33:41 am

Every entry should be judged on its own merits. If you can make the pulled look pretty without rosettes or risking the marking curse, then give it a shot and see how it goes.

Remember though, every fraction of a point counts and it has to look good. It's similar to a box with a pile of pulled pork. It's not likely to dazzle the eyes and stand out as a great presentation. It's a pile. Not much creativity involved in making a pile of meat.

So like others have suggested, it's a good idea to include other stuff in the box if you can, so that you can exercise your creativity and make a snappy box. Just remember, if you turn in pulled, legs, and wings, the typical judge will try to average the taste and tenderness together from each type. Dry thighs with moist pulled = medium tenderness.

Sliced breast is another opportunity for a nice presentation and change of pace for the judges. Can be a challenge, but nothing says you have to cook chicken breast on a smoker for hours. It's a BBQ competition and you can fire up your kettle grill and cook the breasts shortly before turn-in, slice them "on the bias" and fan them out really nice. I prefer the breast quarters because they just seem to have bigger breasts. Have to be careful separating from the bones, but when cooked well, usually comes apart nicely.

Yadda, yadda, yadda... If your pulled is amazing, turn it in! See what others think.

Don

9/20/2013 10:54:58 am

The rules allow for pulled chicken so if the cook submits pulled chicken, I will judge it as the rules allow. It is my job to judge each entry based on what is contained in the box. If thighs and pulled chicken are in the box, I will judge each format on its own and average the results across the box.. Cooks really should consider the consequences if they submit more than one format of product in a box.

Pat Stack

9/21/2013 02:14:23 am

As a cook who has a hard time fitting more than 6 thighs in a box without looking crowded, I.d like to see some boxes with pulled chicken and 6 thighs.

Moonpie

9/22/2013 11:57:47 am

I agree with Don about cooks :considering the consequences if they submit more than one format of product in a box." I have judged boxes with more than one form and if the best parts had been the only thing in the box, the score would have been higher. In fact after discussing one box with the rest of my table a couple of weeks ago, this very concept prevented someone from getting a 180.

Dan KCBS CTC,MCBJ

9/21/2013 12:48:50 am

Actually saw some pulled yard bird last weekend. Appearance wish, looked good. Can't say about t & t as I was tc.The scores were favorable. The cooks can choose to serve with or without skin, so no issue there.
I think the meat would dry quicker so it might be best to stay with dark meat.
Give it a go.

Steve

9/21/2013 02:42:31 pm

I have received pulled chicken on a few occasions, but always with another whole piece, but I would judge whatever was put in the box fairly. I would say that making chopped breast meat pretty enough to get 9s may be problematic. Last weekwnd at the Sams Club Regional in Hendersonville, I was give wing drumettes that were very well received at my table.

Jim Michnowicz KCBS MCBJ CTC

9/22/2013 11:53:44 pm

I do not have a problem with pulled chicken but caution must be taken to keep it moist and to be placed in the box neatly. I have seen boxes where it appeared the cook simply "threw" the meat in the box. Also, the meat tends to cool quickly and to dry out. To prevent dryness, the cook can sauce the meat but, again, care must be taken not to sauce the meat so it looks slimy.

Add bone in or sliced chicken may help the pulled me look better.

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