Dry Cured Chicken W/Qview

ronp · Jul 24, 2008

I picked up another uncooked Sam's Rotisserie chicken for an experiment. They are pre rubbed and have something added for juiciness. I have done a few smoked before, but wanted some type of lunch meat taste for sammies.

I washed the rub off and seperated the breast from the thighs for no reason at the time, but paid off later.

I rubbed them with Tender Quick per instructions. I cured for 5 hours, rinsed them and back into the fridge for the night.

Last night I rubbed them with lemon pepper, garilic, powder and brown sugar and onto the smoker.

The thighs reached 165 much sooner and this what they look like before saucing and searing.

I am having trouble tonight with post image .com

I'll post more in a few.

Thanks for watching the show!!

waysideranch · Jul 24, 2008

Nice looking chix, Ron.

bwsmith_2000 · Jul 24, 2008

Looking good so far Ron. Look forward to seeing the completion.

ronp · Jul 24, 2008

Thanks Wayside.

These are the thighs and legs sauced with Lone Steer BBQ seared on the Weber gas, mmm, that skin is good. Had to take a big bite.

Here is the breast.

Nice and juicy.

Breast meat pulled.

Sammie on our finest china, lol.

Tonight wife asked how did the chicken come out, since she was in bed when I took it out last nite. I got the bag out and said taste it. First words were, EWWWW, that's a sammie for tonight and one for lunch tommorow. Usually she has a meal, not a sammie for dinner. So, a sammie it was on a toasted Kaiser roll, spicy mustard and my ECBB bean recipe.

I think anyone that likes the flavor of hard salami or that type of flavor would like this. It was not "Hammie" like some thought it might be, it was more of a twangy flavor that I like. Something about that that comes through. Oh, it wasn't dry either.

Another on my list to do again. I am still looking for a deal on a turkey breast to do this way.

Any questions about this method since there are not many posts on this just ask away.

I think I'll have a sammie also, just can't decide on this or pastrami, oh well, what a problem to have.

Thanks, for watching folks!!

abelman · Jul 24, 2008

Great job, nice color and looks very juicy

flatbroke · Jul 24, 2008

wow, very nice rob, made me hungry

ronp · Jul 24, 2008

Sorry I missed your post I guess I was getting more photos.

richtee · Jul 24, 2008

Yep...nice! And another advantage, as I mentioned, I like to make cured chicken for salads and pate' as the meat is cured, and depending on other ingredients, is pretty safe to set out on a dish at room temp for a while.

Sammies in a lunchbox, no problem either.

Try getting fresh chicken, and simmering up your own "brine" <cure> with rosemary, parsley, onion, paprika, celery and some thyme. Oh and a bit of brown sugar if yer so inclined. Add chicken after brine is cool...

lcruzen · Jul 24, 2008

Most of the curing I've done takes days to do. Does 5 hours penetrate the meat enough or are you not looking for that type of cure??

It looks really good. Great job!

richtee · Jul 24, 2008

In brine it's usually 24 hours for chickens, and 36 for turkey is what I use. Yeah, he probably did not get a complete cure in the few hours- I notice very little of the telltale pink cast in the breast. Also, if you treat both inside and outside of the bird, as brine curing does, it speeds up the process of course.

ronp · Jul 24, 2008

Thanks Ritchtee for chiming in. Reading the bag it says 4-8 hours for the dry cure. I thought I would be on the safe side since I have read many cautions you have posted in the past and was a little gun shy. Next time I will up the time to 8 or try the brine cure @ 24 hours. I wasn't sure how much soloution it would take for a whole chicken though, any help there? Does the bird need to be completely submerged like when doing a regular salt brining? Thanks.

I didn't get much pink color as I wanted but the flavor is there. Now I remember why I cut the breast seperate from the leg quarters, and that was to rub all sides with the cure.

Oh, and also thanks for posting this: http://smokingmeatforums.com/forums/...threadid=20502

It was definately needed and you did a great job clarifying everything for everyone.

fatback joe · Jul 24, 2008

I have zero experience with cured poultry, so if this is a dumb question, I apologize......but with the low myoglobin content of poultry will it turn pink as it is cured? I could see the dark meat turning pink/reddish maybe, but the breast? Is there enough myoglobin for that to be a reliable indicator?

When I first read this thread, I thought that the time was to short to be cured, but as I mentioned, no experience with the birds so I sat this one out.........but man I am curious about the color thing.

I can see it already, I am going to have to get several chickens going in a cure an pull them out at varying times for a color check.

ronp · Jul 24, 2008

I think Ritchtee can help us on this since he has done many of them.

richtee · Jul 24, 2008

A gallon should be sufficient for a couple birds...you can compress them with a plate, weighted if necc. to make sure they are fully submerged.

The standard for dry curing meats is 7 days per inch of thickness. With the brine cure, you are curing both sides at once, and it is a faster cure due to increased osmotic action with the liquid acting as a catalyst. At 24 hours on a medium chicken I have observed a pretty complete cure thru the thickest part of the breast. You mileage may vary.

Ron, I want everyone to enjoy good food and be safe about it. Sometimes I seem to be preaching or soapboxing, but best to err on the side of caution, eh? After all... it's not only US eating..it's THEM too!

richtee · Jul 24, 2008

Not as pink as beef or pork, but it WILL have a tinge..enough to elicit the comment.." Is this chicken done?" I have had to 'splain many times it is indeed done.

Please do so Sir! I look forward to the empirical data that verifies the postulated ideas. Plus, you get to eat it

fatback joe · Jul 24, 2008

Ya know after I posted I that I got to thinking (yes, I often post first and think second

) and convinced myself that it would turn pink.........atleast if my understanding of how things work is correct.

I got to thinking that I have seen a "smoke ring" on chicken and that you need myoglobin for that to happen, and that if indeed you need myoglobin for the cured meat to look pink.............then cured chicken breast would turn pink since I know it can get smoked pink.........just needed to think it out.

Thanks for the confirmation.................don't look for the cured chicken experiment real soon.

richtee · Jul 24, 2008

Your logic is impeccable, Joe... :{)

As stated in the "Ring Vs. flavor" post..the smoke ring is in fact a "Mini-cure".

fatback joe · Jul 24, 2008

LOL I wouldn't go that far

richtee · Jul 24, 2008

Hmmm how far WILL you go??

fatback joe · Jul 24, 2008

Well.......ok.......I would go that far, but I wouldn't post about it.

Dry Cured Chicken W/Qview

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