Soy Chicken - Brined and then Smoked

[gregbooras]

5 lb. chicken brined for 6 hours.

Removed from brine and they applied rub inside and out of chicken (let sit for 30 minutes and then added to smoker) see below:

Rub
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Moore original marinade
1/4 BBQ seasoning (I used my recipe, any low salt version will work) + 1 T extra sprinkled on top of chicken.

Smoker set to 250 degrees
2 oz. Black Cherry
1.2 oz. Wild Apple

I will pull when the chicken hits 165 degrees and allow to rest for 20 minutes before slicing.



I will post the results this evening!

Greg

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[gregbooras]

Wow we had a big storm move through our area just as I was getting ready to carve the chicken. Power went out and after 10 minutes I decided just to slice the bird with a flashlight.

The chicken turned out great, plenty juicy and just the right amount of smoke.

*Note I was planning on a 3.5 hour smoke time, but the chicken hit 140 degrees in just 1.5 hours. So I just turned down the heat to 200 degrees and pulled the chicken when it reached 165 degrees (total smoke time 3 hours 15 minutes.

I opened the front door so I could take a picture of dinner




Overall another nice dinner.

Greg

[DivotMaker]

Beautiful bird, Greg, but what's up with the colored toothpick stitching on the breast bone?

[gregbooras]

Beautiful bird, Greg, but what's up with the colored toothpick stitching on the breast bone?

The colored toothpicks are my secret to amazing chicken.....

Just kidding, used them to help hold the skin together, to lazy to use string!

Greg

[DivotMaker]

That's why I'm asking  - do you cut the meat away from the breast bone on a whole bird?  If undisturbed, that skin should be intact, and shouldn't need to be "held together."  Just wondering about your technique...hoping to learn something new!

[gregbooras]

That's why I'm asking  - do you cut the meat away from the breast bone on a whole bird?  If undisturbed, that skin should be intact, and shouldn't need to be "held together."  Just wondering about your technique...hoping to learn something new!

Hey Tony,

When I use the rub and a marinade, I put it under the skin and thus sometimes the skin needs to be tied or held together. If I inject the chicken this is not a problem....

Hope that makes sense, how do you do chicken?

Greg

[DivotMaker]

Hey Tony,

When I use the rub and a marinade, I put it under the skin and thus sometimes the skin needs to be tied or held together. If I inject the chicken this is not a problem....

Hope that makes sense, how do you do chicken?

Greg

Makes sense!  The pic looked like some breast bone showing - that's what confused me.  I don't put rub under the skin, due to the problem you have to fix.  I find "undisturbed" skin to my liking.  I brine the bird, rub in olive oil and rub of choice, then fill with equal parts chopped onion, celery and carrots ("mire poix"), and maybe some apple or lemon.  Smoke at 275 until 165 internal.  Pretty simple process, and the mire poix really adds moisture and flavor to the meat, plus seems to make it cook much more evenly than an empty cavity.

[gregbooras]

Hey Tony,

When I use the rub and a marinade, I put it under the skin and thus sometimes the skin needs to be tied or held together. If I inject the chicken this is not a problem....

Hope that makes sense, how do you do chicken?

Greg

Makes sense!  The pic looked like some breast bone showing - that's what confused me.  I don't put rub under the skin, due to the problem you have to fix.  I find "undisturbed" skin to my liking.  I brine the bird, rub in olive oil and rub of choice, then fill with equal parts chopped onion, celery and carrots ("mire poix"), and maybe some apple or lemon.  Smoke at 275 until 165 internal.  Pretty simple process, and the mire poix really adds moisture and flavor to the meat, plus seems to make it cook much more evenly than an empty cavity.

The goal here was to add some (soy mixture) to the meat but only for 30-45 minutes. Thus putting it under the skin and the need to stitch the skin together. This really adds flavor to the meat, but does not over power it.

You could also inject the meat....

Still a work in process...

Greg

[DivotMaker]

Still a work in process...

Greg

Ain't that the truth, brother!  It always is!