I am reactivating this blog again. As you can see, the last post was in March 2009, about 18 months ago. I love the title of this blog--If You Eat. Fun, huh?
OK, let's Talk Thighs. Here's the Game Plan. Buy the best thighs you can find--don't buy cheap thighs--they are worthless. Buy name brand really good thighs that are fresh and look fresh and smell fresh. Hopefully, you can find them still partially frozen. Don't buy thighs that are nearly out of code--get the freshest code date you can find. Some stores sell thighs that aren't fit for pet food. Others supply a consistently high quality thigh. Learn which stores sell which thighs and don't ever bother even LOOKING at cheap thighs. Got that?
OK, now let's begin. Take your thighs home pronto and process them immediately. Don't let them lollygag around in your fridge. Set up a processing site on your counter. Put down a lot of newspaper. Have a double plastic shopping bag on one side, a clear workspace, the thigh tray pack and then a large stainless steel bowl next to it. Grab a paid of meat scissors and put on some food service gloves. Then start flailing and cutting away. Your goal is to strip off ALL the fat and skin from each thigh. Be ruthless and spare no fat bits! Also cut off that small triangular thingie on each thigh. Find that huge glob of fat hidden in each thigh muscle and cut it out, too. Go over each thigh with a the proverbial fine tooth comb and strip them of Demon Fat!
This is the hardest part of messing with the thighs. It makes a great big mess and it's hard work. I do it early in the day because if I wait too long into the late afternoon, I never seem to have the energy to mess with the cleaning process. Also, once I've got a great big mess of fat and skin all bagged and rolled up, I can take it to a trash can at the next grocery store I'm visiting that day and get rid of it pronto so it won't stink our own own garbage cans. Trust me, chicken trimmings go rank really fast in the hot summer sun. If I can't dispose of them immediately, I freeze them until trash pickup day.
OK, let's proceed. Now you have 10 chicken thighs sitting in a stainless bowl. Make up your favorite marinade and pour it over the thighs. Turn the thighs so they are totally coated with the marinade, cover with foil and put in the fridge for a few hours, preferably at least four hours. Meanwhile go on about your day and forget about the thighs. They are safe and OK now.
Here's my marinade: I pour a lot of vinegar-based Mexican hot sauce into a bowl and then add a little canola oil and some Worcestershire sauce. That's about it. Marinades span a whole universe of permutations so have at it in whatever way you prefer.
OK, time to bake the thighs. I line a 13 x 9 baking pan with double foil and then put an oven grate into the pan. I fork out the thighs and arrange all ten of them neatly BONE DOWN on the grate. NEVER put the thigh BONE UP on the grate. The bone helps the thigh bake evenly and correctly in a way you simply cvan't achieve with a boneless product. Next, I grind out my Secret Ingredient all over them. What's the Secret Ingredient? Well, it's somewhat easy to describe but you might have some trouble replicating it. I go to WINCO and buy a little bit of "this & that" and mix it all together and then put it in a pepper grinder. I have no idea of the quantities of weights of the stuff I buy--it's just whatever strikes my fancy on any particular day. Here's what I think I put into the mix: dried minced garlic, oregano leaf, some dried chopped onion, Italian seasoning blend, pizza seasoning blend, and hot crushed red chile peppers. Maybe there was some other stuff, too, I can't remember. That's why it's a Secret Ingredient. Heck, if I can't remember it, who can?--it must be a secret of some sort.
Now, I use a spoon to generously coat the tops of each thigh with the thick marinade. The oil helps the mix cling to the top of the thigh and not run off into the pan. Then I grind away and lay down a thick coating of dust from the Secret Ingredient mix, taking great care not to let the pepper dust get in my eyes or nose.
Be careful with a pepper grinder filled with some hot chile pepper--it's a dangerous combination.
I have preheated the oven to typical chicken baking temperature--300 to 350 depending on when you want to eat. The lower and slower you bake them the better they turn out in my humble opinion.
I put them in, note the time and forget about them for about an hour.
I don't turn the thighs or mess with them in any way while they are baking. I leave them alone. No more marinade, no more nothing. Leave them alone.
Then I go out and sniff around and see how they are doing with regard to the vaunted "smell test." Most any baked thing will reach a peak of aroma when it's done just right. That aroma fades as the dish gets overcooked. There's no way to tell you how to judge the aroma necessary for the thighs to pass the "Smell Test." Just bake a lot of thighs and you will come to know the smell when you smell it.
When they are peaking, turn off the flame and let them hang out in the oven for awhile longer while you get your din-din fixing's all prepped and ready to eat.
The baking pan makes a nice presentation--simply pull it out of the oven put it on a suitable trivet and enjoy!
That's all there is to is. Cheers! jp
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