Smokin-It User Forum!
Recipes => Poultry => Topic started by: Kat@theCoast on September 27, 2020, 12:15:39 PM
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I did my first chicken with no brine - just an injection of butter and stock, no rub, and it was fabulous.
I plan to do chicken thighs today - I am thinking they might be moist enough on their own that they would not even need the injection.
Does anyone do their thighs au naturale?
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I always brine chicken, small pieces only need 1-2 hours. I also prefer a dry brine over wet.
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I try to dry brine everything I smoke/grill. Even if it’s for just a few hours. Helps quite a bit in my experience. Just have to watch the salt content in the rub that you use.
As for injecting - I have never injected so I can’t help there.
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I did my thighs completely plain - right out of the grocery package.
They were really great. I did a lot of then, and used the extras not eaten at the first meal to make smoked chicken salad...wow.
I think I could add a chapter to the "Lazy Q" book - the really seriously lazy version, lol. I understand that brining and rubs may be necessities to a lot of you, but...to be honest, as much as we loved and ate...I am not sure I need to like the smoked food any better than I already do!
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I always brine poultry. 1 hour per lb.
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It sounds like you need to do an experiment to verify your findings. Suggest another big batch of chicken. Brine only 1/2 of the batch. Then smoke side by side at the same time.
Let us know what your findings are (with pictures of the smoke of course).
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I'd try what Dave suggested and do a batch either way to see which you like better. You might be surprised. Or not.
Speaking just for myself I brine all poultry and inject whole birds just to moisturize the white meat. I'd brine skin on
bone in thighs but not inject as there's plenty of collagen in dark meat and it really doesn't need any help.
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I am a big fan of Cajun Injectors creole butter and or Tony Cacheres creole butter for chicken.