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4- Trim breast off against the breast bone, or remove the entire breast and serve on the bone
5- Trim the rest of the meat off and serve or save for soup
6- Throw back bone and rest of the remaining carcass back on the smoker, smoke down. Save these in your freezer and make chicken stock out of them. The smoke will be in the stock and adds a additional flavor profile to soups and other recipes calling for stock. We use our stock for cooking rice and pasta noodles.
For some reason I have the hardest time cutting off the legs. So the first thing I do is slice off the whole thigh qtr. then the wings. At home the grown ups get the quarters and the kids get the wings. Next I slice off the whole breast as close to the bone as I can, then lay it flat and slice across it
I like to take out the backbone prior to cooking. I think it makes it a little easier to break up into servings after. Though you do forgo soup bones. I cut out the backbone using sturdy scissors (or kitchen shears if you have them).
I like to take out the backbone prior to cooking. I think it makes it a little easier to break up into servings after. Though you do forgo soup bones. I cut out the backbone using sturdy scissors (or kitchen shears if you have them).