foil leg quarters?

[growler46901]

I love the 3-2-1 or 2-2-1 method for cooking ribs. It's easy to remember and they always come out great. I was wondering if anybody has a method for cooking chicken leg quarters? I try to be consistent, but sometimes they come out a little dry and sometimes they cling to the bone. Would it help if I wrap them in foil after smoking for a while? I'm using a MES 30" digital smoker. Any suggestions are appreciated.

   Thanks

          Growler

 

[alelover]

You can foil them but don't expect the skin to be edible unless you crisp it up after. Do you have an accurate probe thermometer. Are the thermos in the MES accurate? Most times they're not. If you pull the quarters at 170 IT they should be perfect.

 

[smokinhusker]

Like Alelover said, if you foil then don't plan on eating the skin unless you crisp it.  I usually brine my poultry and that helps with the moistness as well. 

Here's a link to some I did a while back and they came out perfect

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/118547/chicken-leg-qtrs-with-q-view

 

[chef jimmyj]

Brine is essential and I have gotten the best results with 225*F to 165*. Then the Grill or Boiler to 175-180*F...Yes it is higher than many go but I like Leg Quarters falling of the bone. The Low and Slow gets them tender and the finishing on the grill gives good skin...JJ

 

[growler46901]

  Thanks for the suggestions. It sounds like I need to invest in several good quality meat therms with a smaller probe. I have a cheap digital now that has a pretty large probe. It works well for pork shoulders and larger single meats.

  I usually marinate my chicken for several hours before cooking. I will study up on brining and give that a try sometime.

  I've only had my smoker for a few months and am starting to learn that some areas are hottter than others. It would be nice to know what the temps are in different ares of the smoker. I've just been using the built in digital therm as a reference. I saw a post on here that showed several small probes inside (what looked to be) wine corks. They were laid on the racks to check smoker temp.  Where would I find something like that ?

   thanks again

                Growler