CraigC
Guru
I will be making these as one entry for the Chicken Challenge. I will provide pics of the different steps. This isn't a difficult recipe as the rub, vinegar sauce and hickory sauce can be made well in advance. I make extra recipes to keep on hand.
All recipes and technique are courtesy of Myron Mixon's book "Smokin".
Ingredients
12 medium skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
1 recipe Basic Chicken Rub(recipe to follow)
3 1/4 cups chicken broth
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For The Sauce
1 Cup Basic Vinegar Sauce (recipe to follow)
2 Cups Basic Hickory Sauce (recipe to follow)
1 Cup ketchup
1 Cup honey
1 Cup pure maple syrup
1-1/4 Cups seedless blackberry preserves
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
What You’ll Need
Poultry shears
1 silicone cupcake mold, with holes punched through each cup (or an aluminum cupcake pan, also with holes punched through each cup)
1 13 x 9-inch aluminum baking pan
1 aluminum baking sheet
Note: I have made a reusable aluminum cupcake pan and baking pan.
Directions
1) Heat a smoker to 300˚F. I use the BGE since the pit requires much more fuel.
2) Using poultry shears, remove the knuckle on each end of each chicken thigh bone.
3) Then trim the excess fat off the skin and meat of each thigh until the pieces are 3 to 4 inches wide, leaving about 1/4 inch of excess skin at the edges of the meat.
4) Apply the chicken rub evenly to both sides of the thighs.
5) In the cupcake mold, place each thigh, skin side down, in an individual cup. Sit the mold in the baking pan, and pour the chicken broth into the pan, being careful not to pour it directly on top of the chicken.
6) Place the pan in the smoker and cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours.
7) Remove the baking pan from the smoker. Gently flip the thighs onto the baking sheet. Season the tops of the thighs with salt and pepper. Return the thighs to the mold cups, skin side up, and put the baking pan back in the smoker. Cook for 45 minutes.
8) Meanwhile, make the sauce: Put all the sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until thoroughly combined. In a medium pan over medium heat, warm the sauce until it is hot but not boiling. Set aside.
9) Remove the pan from the smoker, and unmold the chicken thighs onto the baking sheet, skin side up. Brush the thighs lightly with the warm sauce. Place the baking sheet in the smoker and cook for 30 minutes to allow the sauce to caramelize into the chicken skin.
10) Remove the baking sheet from the smoker, and serve the cupcake chicken immediately.
Basic Chicken Rub
Ingredients
2/3 cup chili powder
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons onion powder
4 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients thoroughly. You can store this rub in an airtight container indefinitely.
Basic Vinegar Sauce
Ingredients
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup hot sauce
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup sugar
Directions
1) In a stockpot over medium heat, combine the vinegar, ketchup, and hot sauce. Stir together.
2) Pour in all the remaining ingredients and stir to dissolve. Do not boil.
3) When the spices are thoroughly dissolved, take the pot off the heat.
4) Let cool and funnel the sauce into a bottle. The sauce will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 year.
Basic Hickory Sauce
Ingredients
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 cups ketchup
2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika
2/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1) Combine all the ingredients in a blender and pulse until thoroughly combined.
2) Pour into a medium pot, and stir continuously over medium heat until heated through. Do not allow it to boil.
3) Remove and use while hot.
4) If reserving for later use, allow the mixture to cool; then pour it into a large bottle or container and store, refrigerated, for up to 1 year.
These are my designated pans for these thighs.
Here is a better shot of the actual cupcake/muffin tin with the holes in each cup.
Prepping the thighs requires the removal of the "knuckles" at both ends of the bone and trimming the skin to just fit the thigh. Some folks remove the bone completely, but I think it helps keep the shape better.
Prepped Thighs
Rub ingredients
Finished Rub
Rubbed thighs in the tin
BGE with lump charcoal and pecan chunks
Charcoal chimney with lit coals that will be used to start the coals in the BGE
This is the color smoke you want, thin blue
Thighs ready to flip
Finished thighs
All recipes and technique are courtesy of Myron Mixon's book "Smokin".
Ingredients
12 medium skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
1 recipe Basic Chicken Rub(recipe to follow)
3 1/4 cups chicken broth
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For The Sauce
1 Cup Basic Vinegar Sauce (recipe to follow)
2 Cups Basic Hickory Sauce (recipe to follow)
1 Cup ketchup
1 Cup honey
1 Cup pure maple syrup
1-1/4 Cups seedless blackberry preserves
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
What You’ll Need
Poultry shears
1 silicone cupcake mold, with holes punched through each cup (or an aluminum cupcake pan, also with holes punched through each cup)
1 13 x 9-inch aluminum baking pan
1 aluminum baking sheet
Note: I have made a reusable aluminum cupcake pan and baking pan.
Directions
1) Heat a smoker to 300˚F. I use the BGE since the pit requires much more fuel.
2) Using poultry shears, remove the knuckle on each end of each chicken thigh bone.
3) Then trim the excess fat off the skin and meat of each thigh until the pieces are 3 to 4 inches wide, leaving about 1/4 inch of excess skin at the edges of the meat.
4) Apply the chicken rub evenly to both sides of the thighs.
5) In the cupcake mold, place each thigh, skin side down, in an individual cup. Sit the mold in the baking pan, and pour the chicken broth into the pan, being careful not to pour it directly on top of the chicken.
6) Place the pan in the smoker and cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours.
7) Remove the baking pan from the smoker. Gently flip the thighs onto the baking sheet. Season the tops of the thighs with salt and pepper. Return the thighs to the mold cups, skin side up, and put the baking pan back in the smoker. Cook for 45 minutes.
8) Meanwhile, make the sauce: Put all the sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until thoroughly combined. In a medium pan over medium heat, warm the sauce until it is hot but not boiling. Set aside.
9) Remove the pan from the smoker, and unmold the chicken thighs onto the baking sheet, skin side up. Brush the thighs lightly with the warm sauce. Place the baking sheet in the smoker and cook for 30 minutes to allow the sauce to caramelize into the chicken skin.
10) Remove the baking sheet from the smoker, and serve the cupcake chicken immediately.
Basic Chicken Rub
Ingredients
2/3 cup chili powder
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons onion powder
4 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients thoroughly. You can store this rub in an airtight container indefinitely.
Basic Vinegar Sauce
Ingredients
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup hot sauce
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup sugar
Directions
1) In a stockpot over medium heat, combine the vinegar, ketchup, and hot sauce. Stir together.
2) Pour in all the remaining ingredients and stir to dissolve. Do not boil.
3) When the spices are thoroughly dissolved, take the pot off the heat.
4) Let cool and funnel the sauce into a bottle. The sauce will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 year.
Basic Hickory Sauce
Ingredients
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 cups ketchup
2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika
2/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1) Combine all the ingredients in a blender and pulse until thoroughly combined.
2) Pour into a medium pot, and stir continuously over medium heat until heated through. Do not allow it to boil.
3) Remove and use while hot.
4) If reserving for later use, allow the mixture to cool; then pour it into a large bottle or container and store, refrigerated, for up to 1 year.
These are my designated pans for these thighs.
Here is a better shot of the actual cupcake/muffin tin with the holes in each cup.
Prepping the thighs requires the removal of the "knuckles" at both ends of the bone and trimming the skin to just fit the thigh. Some folks remove the bone completely, but I think it helps keep the shape better.
Prepped Thighs
Rub ingredients
Finished Rub
Rubbed thighs in the tin
BGE with lump charcoal and pecan chunks
Charcoal chimney with lit coals that will be used to start the coals in the BGE
This is the color smoke you want, thin blue
Thighs ready to flip
Finished thighs
Last edited:
Probably won't want chicken for awhile after this challange.
