Short cure, any difference?

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mdboatbum

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Apr 22, 2011
4,094
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Washington, DC
Picked up a pack of thighs this morning and put them in a half batch of Pops' brine. Made it regular strength (half gallon water, half TB cure -#1, half cup each salt and sugar) but just decided to smoke them tonight. Max time in the cure will be 6 hours. I know it'll be safe, as I'll be treating it the same way I would fresh chicken, just wondering if the cure will have any effect on the flavor or texture. Original plan was to let them cure until Thursday, but plans changed.
 
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Not sure if 6 hours will make any difference but let us know.
 
I definitely will. Just kinda wondering what to expect. Was wanting the full on hammy treatment but like I said the timing changed.
 
The chicken ended up staying in the curing brine for right about 6 hours and the results were kind of interesting. It definitely tasted cured. The texture was not quite as firm and hammy as some I've done in the past, but to me that was a good thing. It was very tender and juicy, and I'd say about one third less "hammy" than ones I've brined for multiple days.
For the record, this was cooked in the oven since we got stuck working later than planned. Temp was 300°. Took them to 155°-160°, then I put them under the broiler until I had a little char on the skin. Whole process was a little over an hour.
So there you go. Turns out even a short soak in a curing brine makes a pretty significant difference. Might even be able to do it within the timeframe of a competition.
 
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