So I’ve had pretty good luck with doing chicken wings sous vide with a bit of liquid smoke and some lard (almost a faux confit).
I have our neighborhood potluck and since wings can be expensive, wanted to give it a shot with chicken drums. I did 175 for 3 hours (I like to take my chicken to a higher temp), cooled it down (not ice bath, just cold water) then started to take it out of the bags. My issue is that the outside of the drum would be warm but the meat looked almost opaque and when I busted it open the meat near the bone was cool to the touch.
I should have temped it to check them before I chilled it so I missed that chance. Any idea what could have caused it to not be cooked all the way? Or do we think it was actualy fine? I won’t serve it in the interest of not getting my neighbors sick. Just not sure why the outside of the chicken drum would be warm but the inside near the bone isn’t.
How big were your drumsticks? The warmth takes time to penetrate. 3 hours is about enough time for the warmth to penetrate a little more than a 2" diameter lump of meat, but little more than that.
JJ, to be certain you might want to try to recreate your recent experience when you cook the next batch.
Package and seal one drumstick and pull it after 3 hours. Don’t chill, but decant and immediately take its internal temperature at the bone. You could also examine the interior to discover if you have the same uncooked appearance. If it meets your expectations, pull the remainder, or let them go to discover the result of a 5-hour cook.
Let temperature always be your guide to food safety.