Hello all. This is my first post on a recipe that I have done. And I thought I would like to share.
The wife wanted some smoked Cornish Hens for Easter Dinner. This was my first time smoking Cornish Hens, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Here are the steps I used. They turned out so perfect too.
Brine - I brinned the Cornish Hens for 3 days (maybe over kill, but it worked)
- 1 Gallon cold water
- 1 cup Kosher Salt
- 1 tbsp Worchestire sauce
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Dried Rosemary Leaves
Mixed all together until salt was dissolved, submerged the birds in it, and weighed them down. Put in refrigerator for 3 days.
The morning of, I patted them dry and put a light coat of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on them. Next I patted them with a dry rub.
- 4 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 4 tbsp Black Pepper
- 4 tbsp Garlic Powder
I did not use all the dry rub, so I am going to save it until next time. Just a light coat. I let them sit at room temp until I get my smoker (WSM 18.5) ready. I use the Minion Method.
The Charcoal I used was Royal Oak Lump Charcoal. I like using Lump Charcoal, cleaner burn, and less ash. I also use a tempature controller (IQ110). It is so awesome, I was able to head down to the neighbors for a birthday party my son was at, and didn't have to worry about my temp dropping or getting too hot.
This is my smoker getting heated up:
Once it was up to temp (225-235) I put the birds on. At that time I put in a couple handfuls of Apple Wood Chunks.
Let them get a nice smoke and color for about an hour before I pulled them off. At that time I wrap them with two slices of thick cut bacon and place them back on the smoker for another 3 hours. I figure the bacon would help retain some moisture. Not sure if it is true, but at least you get to eat the bacon at the end.
After a total of 4 hours on the smoker between 225-235, this was the final product:
Like I said, this is my first time posting a recipe, next time I will take more pics of the step-by-step process. But these baby were so good and juicy. Just thought I would share. Happy smoking everyone!!!
The wife wanted some smoked Cornish Hens for Easter Dinner. This was my first time smoking Cornish Hens, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Here are the steps I used. They turned out so perfect too.
Brine - I brinned the Cornish Hens for 3 days (maybe over kill, but it worked)
- 1 Gallon cold water
- 1 cup Kosher Salt
- 1 tbsp Worchestire sauce
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Dried Rosemary Leaves
Mixed all together until salt was dissolved, submerged the birds in it, and weighed them down. Put in refrigerator for 3 days.
The morning of, I patted them dry and put a light coat of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on them. Next I patted them with a dry rub.
- 4 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 4 tbsp Black Pepper
- 4 tbsp Garlic Powder
I did not use all the dry rub, so I am going to save it until next time. Just a light coat. I let them sit at room temp until I get my smoker (WSM 18.5) ready. I use the Minion Method.
The Charcoal I used was Royal Oak Lump Charcoal. I like using Lump Charcoal, cleaner burn, and less ash. I also use a tempature controller (IQ110). It is so awesome, I was able to head down to the neighbors for a birthday party my son was at, and didn't have to worry about my temp dropping or getting too hot.
This is my smoker getting heated up:
Once it was up to temp (225-235) I put the birds on. At that time I put in a couple handfuls of Apple Wood Chunks.
Let them get a nice smoke and color for about an hour before I pulled them off. At that time I wrap them with two slices of thick cut bacon and place them back on the smoker for another 3 hours. I figure the bacon would help retain some moisture. Not sure if it is true, but at least you get to eat the bacon at the end.
After a total of 4 hours on the smoker between 225-235, this was the final product:
Like I said, this is my first time posting a recipe, next time I will take more pics of the step-by-step process. But these baby were so good and juicy. Just thought I would share. Happy smoking everyone!!!
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