Quick & Easy Chicken - QView

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knifebld

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Mar 10, 2014
890
195
Valleyfield, Quebec
Hey all,

So a few weeks back I smoked some whole chickens to make some awesome club sandwiches...they were so good that I figured smoking these birds needed to be a regular thing as there is so many things we can use the meat for.

I also wanted to forgo the 24 hour brine that I had done the last time to see if I could really notice any major difference in taste and moisture.

Here are my two birds getting ready for there Mayo & Rub;


I tossed these on at 235F with some Apple and Hickory. Also spritzed with a mix of Apple juice, Whiskey, and Water;


Pulled them off at an IT of around 165F, let them cool down a bit, and picked them apart for the next days dinner;


Next day, made some tasty hot chicken sandwiches, plated them with some leftover tatters from a previous meal and voilà, another easy peazy meal for a family of 9! LOL


Oh almost forgot...IMHO the absence of the 24 hour brine did make a noticeable difference. Although the chicken was very tasty, I did notice the meat being a little less moist and for some reason did not quite have as much of a smokey flavour then my birds a few weeks ago (making this comparison after sampling the meat immediately after the cook and not the next day).

Anyhow, thanks for stopping by! Cheers!
 
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Looks delicious! I couldn't agree more on the brine. I've been lazy lately and been skipping it. Chix is still good, but missing that extra little something. Be careful though, there are those on these pages who get awful upset if you dare to suggest that brining actually improves chicken. I suspect they'll be along shortly to inform you that if you had any idea what you were doing, you could get perfect chicken like they do, every time, without a brine.
 
 
Looks delicious! I couldn't agree more on the brine. I've been lazy lately and been skipping it. Chix is still good, but missing that extra little something. Be careful though, there are those on these pages who get awful upset if you dare to suggest that brining actually improves chicken. I suspect they'll be along shortly to inform you that if you had any idea what you were doing, you could get perfect chicken like they do, every time, without a brine.
Thanks!

LMAO I am expecting a few different opinions. I am not closed minded about the subject as I do still have alot to learn...but my next trial will be to brine one and then smoke it next to one that has not been brined. :)
 
That's the best approach, do it both ways and see which you like better. I was just kidding around, folks on here are generally very open minded and willing to listen to other opinions. It sounded funny on my head....
 
Knifebld, I've tried brining, and injecting chickens and for us, brining is the way to go. I noticed the same thing you did, the birds weren't as moist and didn't soak up as much smoke without the brine. Also, by brining, it seems the flavor goes all the way to the bone and I haven't been able to get that by injecting.

Michael
 
 
Knifebld, I've tried brining, and injecting chickens and for us, brining is the way to go. I noticed the same thing you did, the birds weren't as moist and didn't soak up as much smoke without the brine. Also, by brining, it seems the flavor goes all the way to the bone and I haven't been able to get that by injecting.

Michael
Hey Micheal, our notes are very similar....injection has not been as successful for me either. Gonna stick to a good brine! Cheers.
 
your recipe sounds delish and it had me at the WHISKEY 
nana2.gif
Never thought about using mayo before the rub - gotta try that on my next bird!  Thanks for sharing.

Josie aka SmokinVegasBaby
 
 
your recipe sounds delish and it had me at the WHISKEY 
nana2.gif
Never thought about using mayo before the rub - gotta try that on my next bird!  Thanks for sharing.

Josie aka SmokinVegasBaby
Thanks Josie and there's always room for a little Bourbon no??...a little for the birds...and a little for the cook ;)
Hey Knife I tried an overnight brining for the first time yesterday and I agree it worked great. So moist and juicy it was the best chicken I've made.
I know right?? I was very dissapointed when my last one was not as juicy. What brine recipe did you use?
 
 
your recipe sounds delish and it had me at the WHISKEY 
nana2.gif
Never thought about using mayo before the rub - gotta try that on my next bird!  Thanks for sharing.



Josie aka SmokinVegasBaby

Thanks Josie and there's always room for a little Bourbon no??...a little for the birds...and a little for the cook ;)


Hey Knife I tried an overnight brining for the first time yesterday and I agree it worked great. So moist and juicy it was the best chicken I've made.

I know right?? I was very dissapointed when my last one was not as juicy. What brine recipe did you use?



I found a basic one one here and halved it as I didn't have container big enough. I spatched the bird before I brined it so it would stay submerged. It was Just 2 litres water 1/3 cup kosher salt and 1/3 cup white sugar. I also threw in some fresh rosemary and basil. It soaked about 16 hours.
 
Yeah, I'm with you on the brining, too, same experience as you.  I think it really helps with the flavor profile.

You had me until I saw the peas.  
icon_eek.gif
  May be something seriously wrong with you, man.
 
I've been using Mayo to baste Turkeys for years, have had them go up to 195* IT an still be moist. That is some good looking meat.

Richie
 
 
Yeah, I'm with you on the brining, too, same experience as you.  I think it really helps with the flavor profile.

You had me until I saw the peas.  
icon_eek.gif
  May be something seriously wrong with you, man.
Dude, my wife has got me on healthy eatin' for the past few months....something about wanting me to stick around after the kids move out...had to toss on something green! LOL
 
I've been using Mayo to baste Turkeys for years, have had them go up to 195* IT an still be moist. That is some good looking meat.

Richie
Thanks Richie, have not done a Turkey yet...but if it works on chicken...makes sense to use on Turkey. Cheers!
 
ha-ha KnifeBld..............I say a little for the bird and ALOT for the cook after all we are doing the hard work!  I will be smoking more chicken this week will try the mayo before the rub.  Did you add anything else to the mayo?

Josie 
 
 
ha-ha KnifeBld..............I say a little for the bird and ALOT for the cook after all we are doing the hard work!  I will be smoking more chicken this week will try the mayo before the rub.  Did you add anything else to the mayo?

Josie
LOL Sounds good to me Josie! Just regular Hellmans Mayo, nothing added....if you try something different let me know how it turns out! ;)
 
lol............better check with "the wifey" before you do that ............don't want YOUR carcass hanging on the wall right next to my bird's pic
wife.gif


thanks for the nice compliment anyway.  On my way to Sam's Club to pickup enough chicken to feed 50 people this weekend.

Have a "smoking" Happy Monday!

Josie aka SmokinVegasBaby!
 
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