1. Leave the fat on the chicken thighs; do not trim it. The fat contributes to the flavor and texture of the pulled chicken.
2. If you don't have 3 tablespoons of fat to add back to the pot in step 10, add melted butter to make up the difference.
3. America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated likes mild molasses in this recipe; do not use blackstrap.
4. There is also a video summary of this recipe.
5. A number of reviewers of this recipe suggest simmering the chicken for longer than the suggested 25 mins. This recipe increases that time in Step 4.
6. Having a special fat separator makes quick work in Steps 7-8.
7. A ladle comes in handy for adding the sauce and the defatted liquid (Step 11) to the shredded chicken.
8. Serve the pulled chicken on hamburger buns, or better yet, with homemade potato buns. Serve up with bread-and-butter pickles and coleslaw.
BURNS - OPP FACTOR
Moderately high satisfaction; low persnickety factor
