Outdoor cooking - Barbecues, Barbecue, BBQs, BBQ, Smokers, Grills. And Ribs.

How do you mean?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding. But isn't it just boiled pressed ham/similar? Or do you mean the act of slicing it is hard?

I'd get a 2nd hand press and a the knife I suggested. £50 all in and see how you get on.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/386213578608?

A quick Google shows lots of over excited North Americans taking it too far. I think you'd be better off reading Mrs Beeton.

It’s this guy:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzZURDOv8Vh/

It made me “want to do my own research” for about 5 mins.

Anyway, my question.

Not bbq but thought this might be a good place to ask. My OH bought a load of chicken legs. I've previously done wings as a kids activity where we make different marinades together, so plan to do the same with the legs.

My question is on the best way to cook drumsticks in the oven. Does anyone have any tips or do things like slashing the thicker sections?

Fuck that shit. He's just spent 4 days making something that takes 30mins.

Step 1: put chicken breast in a sauce pan, cover with water, add herbs and seasoning.
Step 2: poach.
Step 3: cool.
Step 4: slice and eat.

Put more salt in the water if you want more deli.

Obvs if you've got time to kill and you're looking for a new hobby I take that back.

I clearly have stronger opinions on this topic than I might have expected.

You really do.

My question is on the best way to cook drumsticks in the oven. Does anyone have any tips or do things like slashing the thicker sections?

I normally just throw "chicken seasoning" or "chucky dust" or "fajita mix" or "harissa spice mix" or "ginger, soy, fish sauce, garlic" on them with a bit of oil, toss it around.

Add honey if you want to make it sticky.

How long and what temp?

With the wings we did; lemon and herb, Chinese, BBQ, tandoori.

180, because that's the default temp for everything, probably take between 20-30 mins, but I'd give a quick check with meat thermometer, especially if feeding to kids.

180, then blast to crisp.
I'm sure others will talk about sous vide, and reverse sear.
But really, throw it all in a roasting dish. 180 for a bit. then 200 to burn them.

i tend to do legs and thighs for much longer at 160. Maybe 50mins. Much prefer them when properly crisp and coming off the bone

Could I make my own lunch meat and not have all those nitrates in there?

?? The first thing he does eyeball a massive a massive dose of curing salt that is supposed to be measured very very accurately according to weight of meat being cured.

HE HAS 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE OF BEING A BUTCHER.

yo.

Low until the internal temp is approaching 75 / 80 ("safe" is 75 ish for breast, a little more for boney bits), then under a hot grill to crisp / crucnh / forget and incinerate.

Low can be as low as 100 - as long as it's more than 80, it'll cook. It depends on how long you have.

Slashing - meh, maybe helps the marinade a bit.

I'm all about sous vide for chicken legs - it means I can buy whole chickens, and just freeze the legs vacuum packed in a marinade until I need them. Then 2 - 3 hours at 75 and finish under the grill / on the barbecue.

^TW IS MEATDAD

trufax

Chicken legs/drumsticks only end up being some variety of Korean-style Fried Chicken round our way atm - middle c00ps' favourite. I rotate around various online recipes - always twice fried for extra crispy bits...

(Mrs c00ps and eldest mini c00ps are vegetarian, so all the more for us...)

Did try a skillet of fried chicken on the kettle BBQ over the summer - worked well & no incendiary incidents...

Definitely here for other recipe suggestions/marinades/etc. if anyone adds any to the above.

I'm enjoying all these tips.

@TW I haven't used my sous vide for ages. Tbh it's not a bad idea. Do you reduce quantities of any of the rubs or marinades? My memory is that you get more intense flavours and need to scale back.

Also I've got to bear in mind that the main aim of this is a baking adjacent style activity for the kids, but doesn't end up eating a weeks worth of sugar in an hour.

I'm not sure I reduce amounts because if flavour, more that sous vide, you need less to cover whatever you're cooking because it's held close to it by the bag.

The real convenience, though, is that you can premake stuff, and either cook it from frozen or freeze after cooking.

Also, vacuum sealers are really good for sealing half packs of things that would otherwise need to be used straight away.

The kids get to press the sealer button. The 7 year old gets to help prep - they've proven pretty handy with a 7 inch Sabatier.

Hah. I also do veggie.

I'm mostly about big flavours, absolutely no subtlety.

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Sign me up.

I mean it’s not the same but if you are really interesting in making your own sandwich meat then brining/boiling/peeling/pressing an ox/sheep/pig’s tongue is pretty straightforward. Sorry to keep banging the offal drum.

Really what I needed was this chat so I could “give my head a wobble and get back on the big meat train lad”

Been over a month since asking for advice and now, finally, brisket meets brine.

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Snap. Albeit ham hocks, rather than brisket.

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