Chicken leg quarters.

[KyndCulture]

I came upon a really good sale today, 29cents a lbs so I bought a few paks.

I usually just boil them for soup. But does anyone have any other creative ideas?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. My favorite chicken

I'm not big on white meat, but I love thighs and legs. LOVE them.

Marinate them and grill them. Broil them. Bake them.

I just did a batch in a soy, ginger, garlic, beer, orange marmalade, olive oil, hot pepper oil marinade (a couple of days), and just keep them around for eating cold or warmed up.

That is a price that makes me ill with jealousy. I got a bunch of Perdue leg quarters for $.69 a pound a few weeks ago, and I thought I was so cool.

Enjoy....................

[KyndCulture]

2. Yeah that price blew me away.

I got 5 paks with 4 legs in each and they were all right a dollar a pack! I know they keep well in the freezer.

I got a question about the best way to marinate them. I don't get a lot of flavor is seems when I do marinate them, do you poke holes in them with a fork or anything to get the marinade to actually inject flavor to the meat?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

3. Make a LOT of marinade

That's - I think - why it works for me.

Then I just throw them in ziplock bags and pour and keep turning them whenever anyone opens the refrigerator.

Try leaving them in the marinade for at least 2-3 days. That might do it.

Oh, and the skin - THE SKIN!!!!

I love dark meat chicken.

I'm not hungry now, though.

[Shakespeare]

7. Second that on the 2-3 days.

Google "pollo loco marinade recipe" and give that a shot. It's got some ingredients I wouldn't normally use (like Heinz chili sauce), but give it a try anyway. I overcame my food snob reaction to the ingredient list and decided to try it, and it is to DIE for on the grill (if you've ever eaten at SoCal's El Pollo Loco restaurants, you'll be familiar with the recipe).

Repeated forays have taught us that 2-3 days in the marinade is vital, and the chicken turns out unbelievably tender (and we always use leg quarters).

edited to add: And when the chicken goes on the grill, I take the leftover marinade and reduce it down (at high heat) to about 1/4 of its original volume, and brush that on the chicken as soon as it comes off the grill.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

10. Really?

I just got that recipe - chili sauce? It looks awful, really.

BUT, it's going to be the next marinade on the next batch of thighs and legs. So, thank you very much.

Legs and thighs were $.79 a pound at my market today. I thought of this group. Ain't that sweet?

[Shakespeare]

12. That was my first impression, too.

I felt like wearing a bag over my head at the store when I went to buy the chili sauce. Nasty stuff. But I tell ya....everything together in that marinade works great. There are a couple of variations online in the result I found, but this is the one I use:

1 lemon; juiced
1 orange; juiced
2 tb white vinegar
2 worchestershire sauce
1/2 c chili sauce
2 ts sugar
2 ts garlic powder
1 tabasco to taste
2 tb oil

That recipe, btw, is just enough to do 2 large leg quarters. Double as needed.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

17. I just got back from the market

I got chili sauce. It was 'way up on the top shelf, next to the ::::: gag :::::: bottles of Cocktail Sauce.

I ran from that aisle.

I am fixing this today, and letting it sit for 2 or 3 days. I have a feeling it's going to be great.

Thanks again.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

31. You were RIGHT!!!

We had a couple of these - after they'd marinated for 2 days, or so - for lunch, and they were OUTSTANDING!!!! I couldn't believe how good they were. Very subtle, very flavorful, and, boy, did they go down fast!

Thank you so much for this. It's going to be a regular around here from now.

Man, was that chicken good!!!!

[Shakespeare]

32. I'm glad you liked it!

We have some ready for the grill tonight, as a matter fact. Been sitting in marinade since Saturday morning. I'm making chile relleno casserole to go with....yum....

[Duer 157099]

33. Same here. 2 days in marinade seemed enough

The chicken had a definite citrus flavor, maybe because I also added the lime? But it was very good, and actually even better the next day (leftovers).

I'll be doing that again, for sure -- next time I'll try breast meat instead of thighs, because it was so good that the bones were annoying to deal with lol

edit to add: Oh, I just remembered where else I deviated from the recipe above, and why it was so citrusy -- I added zest from the lemon, orange and lime that I had juiced.

[Puglover]

35. Just cause I love ya Leftie, here's the best marinade for boneless

skinless chicken thighs ever.

My pal Brads Chicken Thigh recipe

This really doesn't work well with breasts.

1/2 cup cooking sherry or just plain sherry
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 honey dark honey is best
1/4 cup oil
2-3 tbsp horseradish not horseradish sauce but grated horshradish
the above portions do NOT have to be exact.

ground black pepper
bunch of scallions chopped (include green parts)
bunch of parsley chopped

combine all and marinate 8-24 hours

grill and go to hog heaven, the honey and scallions carmalize and make this just awesome.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

36. Holy S**T!!!!!

Are you kidding???

No one has EVER loved me THIS good..............

This has to be terrific ...... I mean, anything with honey AND horseradish just has to be great.

OK, baby, but we're going with skin, because I just don't know the thighs well enough to see them naked. I respect their privacy.

You total doll, Puglover. A report will be issued promptly.

Thanks a million, and this one's for you:

[Duer 157099]

24. Put chicken thighs into this marinade today

about 4 hours ago. I'm tempted to cook them tonight, but maybe I should wait another day?

Also, I added lime juice to the recipe.

I used to love El Pollo Loco's chicken, but haven't had it in years. The chili sauce surprised me, I would never have suspected that was an ingredient in their marinade.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

25. How funny is this?

Thighs and legs (Perdue) were on sale at my market today - $.49 a pound - and I grabbed three big packages.

Twelve thighs and legs are currently in that same marinade - I was tempted to add lime juice, but didn't - and will be ready in 2 or 3, maybe 4 days. Whoever opens the refrigerator flips the BIG Ziploc bags that are right in front, where anyone can see them.

I've never had El Pollo Loco's chicken, so this is nothing but an act of faith, and, hey, even if they suck, they're still better than no chicken thighs/legs.

[Duer 157099]

26. That is funny. But how can you wait 3 or 4 days?

I'm having trouble even thinking of waiting until tomorrow, and that only puts the marinade time at 1.5 days!

What made you not put lime juice? Orange, lemon and lime, what could be wrong with that? :)

I have another pack of thighs that I put in the freezer, maybe I should pull them out and add them to the marinade ziplock... and then only cook a couple tomorrow, and leave the rest in for a few more days... hmmmm decisions decisions...

This group is inspiring me to cook too much!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

27. Waiting is easy,

if you believe that the marinade takes a long time to sink into the chicken. I'm not willing to fudge on time with marinades and chicken. I just know how much better it will be after a few days of flipping and soaking.

I didn't use the lime juice because I always stay with an exact recipe the first time I try it. Just to see. If I think lime juice would improve it, you bet I'll use it next time.

Yeah, well, this IS the Good Eats Forum, is it not?

[Duer 157099]

30. Well I've decided I just can't wait beyond today

I will have to make another batch that can sit for 3 days, and hope this one at least gives me an idea of how the marinade is.

Going to have creamed spinach and corn on the cob with it

Mmmmm!

[Gormy Cuss]

11. One trick for marinading

After you toss the meat and marinade in the plastic bag,squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible. For some reason this lack of an air pocket makes the meat absorb the marinade flavor more quickly. You'll also need less marinade with this method.

We don't use ziplocs anymore, just standard plastic food storage bags.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

13. Yep, make it airtight as possible

I love the Ziplock bags, mainly because I'm sometimes the biggest spastic walking.

[Gormy Cuss]

14. I was born when

the moon was in klutz so I understand.;-)

[wryter2000]

16. I'm with you

I do use breast if it's pounded thin and cooked very quickly, such as grilled for a few minutes or sauteed. I don't even trust them under the broiler, as just an extra minute in there makes them dry, dry, dry. (Breast is good for stir-fry, too.)

The thigh is the best piece of the chicken, imho. Cooks Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen uses thigh for most chicken dishes.

[jeanarrett]

4. I throw them in the oven drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper

and maybe some Italian seasoning and then bake until fall apart tender. Amazingly good and easy.

[Neecy]

6. I do the same thing...

I give them a light coating of olive oil, a little salt, and a liberal sprinkling of smoked paprika instead of pepper.

[BeTheChange]

9. One more twist on this..

Glaze them with honey sprinkled liberally with garlic powder.. it forms nice crispy skin that isnt too sweet and has a great garlicky bite.

[Dora]

5. I crock-pot my leg quarters.

I put them in still-frozen, don't add any water, go to work, and come home from the office to find the meat is falling off the bone and a pretty nice chicken stock in the pot too. I shred the meat for use in risotto, chicken salad, enchiladas, anything. I use the stock and the rendered fat for soups (but I'll confess to supplementing with boxed broth).

[BeTheChange]

8. I like using them for chicken and long rice..

Which basically means, brown the chicken with some ginger, garlic, salt and pepper in a stock pot with some evoo.. then add water till covered by a couple inches. Add a couple bunches of scallions cut into 2-3 inch pieces and a liberal amount of soy sauce.. ( 1/4-1/3 cup usually). Simmer on low until the meat pulls away from the bone. Then you can remove the meat from the bone and add it back into the pot.. or just turn off the heat and add a package of bean threads (long rice) to the pot. I like to add them directly to the pot with no soaking because they soak up the broth.. but be warned it can all get a little gelatinous the next day. Or,you can soak the bean threads in warm water for 5 minutes and then add them to the broth for a more liquid consistancy. Serve over white rice.

I also do a slow cooked dish where I dump them all in a crock put with one can of tomato sauce, one can of whole tomatoes, water to cover, 2 pints of mushrooms, a splash of marsala, cab sab or balsamic (depending upon what Ive got in the pantry), some fresh julienned basil or crushed oregano (either is good) 10 whole cloves of garlic.. and simmer on low all day. I then serve it over egg noodles that have been gussied up with a smidge of butter, salt and garlic powder.

[eleny]

15. I like them in chicken cacciatore

But I take the skin off. Just make a tomato sauce the way you like it and put the chicken in. Cook it all until the chicken can fall off the bone. (If you leave some skin on, then brown the chicken first in a skillet.)

[wryter2000]

18. Use them for everything except stir fry

"Quarters" have a bit of back on them, which you'll need to remove and save for stock. Separate them from the leg at the ball joint at the hip. What's left is perfect for the grill.

Or, separate the drumstick and thigh. Now, you have the perfect pieces of fried chicken. I use these for coq au vin or chicken with dumplings.

Here's something fun to do with the whole leg (minus back). Bone them by cutting into the thigh and separating the meat from the bone. You'll have to cut around the hip joint and the around the joint that connects to the drumstick. Then, you can push the meat down around the drumstick. Whack the ankle off with a cleaver, and now you have a tube of drumstick with some boned out thigh attached. You can stuff this with various things -- Swiss cheese and ham are nice, or stuffing, or finely minced and sauteed veggies -- pin up the wholes and roast, grill, or even fry.

[wryter2000]

19. Too late to edit

Pin up the holes, not wholes. This is why I don't make fun of other people's misteaks.

[babylonsister]

20. LOL! I like stakes, too! nt

[KyndCulture]

21. I made a great pantry supper tonight with the quarters.

I had a bottle of wine mushroom pasta sauce in the fridge.

I threw the quarters under the broiler for a few minutes with some white wine, garlic and SnP on them... when they were partially cooked I threw the pasta sauce on them with a slice of mozzarella and some grated parm...

broiled til the cheese was brown and MY GOD it was good!!!!

[Stinky The Clown]

22. For those of you who'll be making that leg and thigh skin nice and crispy

and golden .... and will then throw it away ...... ?

Don't.

Put it in an envelope and mail it to:

Stinky the Clown
123 Red Nose Lane
Hooterville

Thank you.

(My doc sez not to. Sparkly sez not to. I say to.)

[OldLeftieLawyer]

23. They're wrong

You're right.

It's almost the best part.

Besides, all the fat is cooked off and has run down into the dark meat.

Now, I'm hungry.

[Tab]

28. Forget marinade

use a brine.

[displacedtexan]

34. I've become a confirmed briner.

We got new 2 and 5 gallon plastic paint buckets with lids
specifically for brining.

We brine and freeze meat portions, and we bleach the containers
for future use.

Juicy meat.

Yum!

[bearfan454]

29. That's what they were here too at Albertson's.

I'm going to put drumsticks out on the bbq in a little while.

[triplementor]

37. Mexican Chicken

Let me know if you'd like my recipe-- very simple to make. I have other easy ideas too.