Wet Market Chicken Thighs

This is steeped in the Asian principle that everything from a wet market is nasty and has to be cleaned. Unfortunately the processing plants in the US are likely just as bad as wet markets so this is relevant here. It is the only meat Mary has ever asked me to cook over again. She brought this from Asia, and learned it from her mother, who learned it from… The cleaning prep is the secret sauce and it adds very little flavor but the chicken in the end just melts in your mouth. I would like to tell you that it somehow transforms the meat but that is not founded in knowledge. This is the critical part of recipe and is absolutely required. The spice rub is super easy, and can be your choice. There are so many rubs available that you can dial any flavor you like. The work is all in the prep, and the cooking is just an opportunity to drink beer!

The Chicken: Dark meat is best due to more moisture and a higher fat content. We are buying the huge packs of thighs at well under $1.00 per lb. I really don’t recommend skinless cuts of chicken; you will overpay and also not get the juicy content. You can do other cuts, but you have to be aware of different grilling times.

Cleaning the Chicken: Put the chicken in a large mixing bowl, and cover with water and one third cup of sea salt. Work a bit with your hand, and let stand for 5 minutes. Rinse and Repeat. Cover with water for the third time, and 1/3 cup turmeric.  Work the chicken and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse lightly. Note that the turmeric will penetrate the chicken and turn it yellow. That is good! Pat dry the chicken with paper towels.

The Rub: I like an Allspice dry rub, meaning I add nothing else. Give each piece a light coating, work it a bit, and throw it into meal size packages. You can freeze the packages with the rub on board and the flavor turns out fantastic! If you want to eat a batch right away, let it sit in the fridge for at least a couple hours. More time is more better and 24 hours is really preferred. A special note here: use caution with the amount. Remember, your meat is cleaned and will super absorb any rub. Don’t make it a crust. Both myself and Junior have over-spiced.

For chicken thighs, I am cooking them on the grill, skin side down to start, closed lid between 400-500 for 16 minutes without touching them. These are monster thighs and that time may vary with size. The indication that the first side is done will be that the piece now feels slightly solid with a spatula, and the skin is browned but not black. The fat from the skin will bubble up and keeps the chicken moist, and you can choose to eat the crunchy skin or discard. Then flip and finish to 155 degrees internal temp which takes another 12+ minutes. Pull and cover with tin foil and a kitchen towel and let sit for at least 10 minutes to finish cooking. Note that chicken must hist 165 degrees to be done, so you have to let it finish, and just like steak, letting the cut sit for a few minutes completely changes the taste. There you have it!

Special Notes:

*Mary takes the same cleaned chicken, debones, and freezes in Thai spice. This will cook your insides also!

*It should be obvious, but if you want to add heat, add some cayenne to the Allspice. Again, use caution as the prepped chicken is super absorbent to any rub.

*I have tried standard western spice with Emeril’s Chicken Rub, and Kent Rollins River Ranch spices and it turns out great.