This is the week that we focused on chicken in ANSC 117, Texas Barbecue. We covered butterflied or spatchcocked chicken, ginger ale-can chicken (no beer-can chicken for freshmen!), rotisserie chicken, Orange Marmalade Sriracha Wings, and Ranch Dip Wings.

Starting with whole chickens

One of the first things we did in class is to demonstrate how to take a whole chicken and make a butterflied or spatchcocked chicken out of it. Ray did this for the students, which is a convenient way to prepare chicken for the grill or smoker. Ray finished up by cutting the chicken up into the usual pieces of breasts, thighs, wings, drumsticks, and back.

Ray talking about purchasing whole chickens and how to cut them up

Ray showing how to butterfly a chicken

Ray talking about cutting up whole chickens

Brining chicken

We brined all of the whole chickens used for the rotisserie, butterflied, and ginger ale-can cooking demonstrations.

Basic brine:

• One gallon of water
• 1/2 cup Kosher salt
• 1/2 sugar

The chickens were brined overnight (about 18 hours).

Rotisserie chicken

One of the most popular types of chicken these days is rotisserie chicken. Most supermarkets have rotisserie cookers in house and prepare chickens for easy and convenient pick up by shoppers wanting an easy component of a meal. We used the Weber rotisserie set up on the Weber Performer® Gold.

Eric demonstrating the rotisserie chicken

Checking the temperature of the rotisserie chickens

Butterflied chicken

We used the Weber Smokey Mountain Cookers to smoke the butterflied chicken. These are great setups to smoke these chickens.

Eric talking about the different cooking methods used for the chicken

Alec and Eric checking the temperatures on the butterflied chicken

Butterflied chicken

Butterflied chicken

Ginger Ale-can chicken

Four chickens were cooked using the beverage-can method to suspend/support the whole chickens during the smoking process. As mentioned earlier, we used ginger ale rather than the traditional beer-can-chicken approach since we are teaching freshmen. Any soft drink or other flavored drink that is in a 12-ounce can works for this style of cooking.

Checking the ginger ale-can chickens

Taking the temperature of the ginger ale-can chickens

Ginger ale-can chicken

Wings

Wings are quite popular appetizers or main courses, especially at sports bars. We prepared two versions: Orange Marmalade Sriracha Wings and Ranch Dip Wings.

Here is the recipe for the Orange Marmalade Sriracha Wings:

Orange Marmalade Sriracha Wings

Ingredients

• About 24 chicken wings, separated into drumettes and flats
• 1 jar (18 oz) Smucker’s Sweet Orange Marmalade
• 1/3 cup – honey
• 1/3 cup – light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup – Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

Instructions

• For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan, bring to boil, stirring constantly, and remove from heat.
• Apply favorite seasonings to chicken wings and grill over indirect heat at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and the internal temperature has reached 165°F.
• Dip wings in the sauce, then place back on the grill and continue to cook for about 10 minutes. Repeat one or two more times until the wings have a candy-glazed look to them.

Adapted from: https://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?5949-Orange-Marmalade-Sriracha-Wings

Ty and Eric putting the wings into the Orange Marmalade Sriracha Sauce

Orange Marmalade Sriracha Wings

Eric and Brogan checking the Orange Marmalade Sriracha Wings

The Ranch Dip Wings are easy to make. Simply apply a coating of mayonnaise over the wings and sprinkle Ranch Dip seasoning over them. Add seasonings such as salt, pepper, lemon pepper, etc., and cook indirectly until they are done.

Ranch Dip Wings

Alabama White Barbecue Sauce

Jackie loves to use Alabama White Barbecue Sauce on chicken so she showed the students how to prepare it.

Jackie and students mixing up the Alabama White Barbecue Sauce

Jackie mixing up the Alabama White Barbecue Sauce

There are several recipes for this style of sauce, but Jackie uses this Robb Walsh recipe:

Alabama White Barbecue Sauce

Robb Walsh

Robb’s notes: Here’s a variation on Bib Bob Gibson’s white barbecue sauce. It tastes great on chicken, and it also makes a great chicken salad dressing.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Duke’s Mayonnaise
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup apple juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• Dash of cayenne or to taste

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well. Use immediately or keep in a covered contained in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Makes about 2 cups.

From Barbecue Crossroads: Notes and Recipes from a Southern Odyssey by Robb Walsh and O. Rufus Lovett, University of Texas Press, Austin.

Baked Corn in Sour Cream

This is a family favorite that is served at most holiday meals or major family gatherings. It is easy to make and is wonderful warmed up the next day as leftovers.

Baked Corn in Sour Cream

Jackie Savell

Ingredients

• 2 cans (15.25 ounces) of Del Monte Fresh Cut® Golden Sweet Whole Kernel Corn, drained
• 1 jar (2.8 ounces) Hormel Real Bacon Pieces Shaker
• 1 container (8 ounce) Daisy Brand Sour Cream
• 2 T. salted butter
• 2 T. chopped onion
• 2 T. flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 T. flat parsley

Directions

Sauté onion in butter. Blend in flour and salt. Gradually add sour cream, stirring until mixture is smooth. Heat just to boiling. Add corn and heat thoroughly. Fold in half of the bacon. Spoon into a 2-quart greased pan. Top with parsley and remaining bacon. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Baked Corn in Sour Cream

Serving the chicken

The students got to sample the different styles of chicken, and from their responses, loved all of them.

Slicing the different styles of chicken

Slicing and serving the chicken

Serving the chicken

Thanks to Brogan Horton and Eric Hamilton for providing the graduate student leadership for the class, and to all of the Super Sophomores, Jazzy Juniors, and Snazzy Seniors for their great help each week.

Brogan (right) visiting with Sarah, Carsyn, Emily, and Katie

The chicken week in class always brings some surprises when you have chickens that are brined, seasoned, and cooked correctly monitored by thermometers so that they are not overcooked.