I've been making these twice a month so we have smoked chicken for snacks, regular salads, and a weekly Cobb salad (which is on the menu tonight). They keep well for 6 or 7 days, then we have a week without, then it's time to smoke another batch. This time I smoked a couple extra and will try vacuum sealing them, which I have not done yet for some reason.
I trim the fat and loose tags, then into a bag covered with Pop's Brine + black pepper for 24 to 30 hours. Next is a cold smoke for 90 minutes in my Big Chief with the top lid vented so the smoker temp is 85°, followed by one hour with the lid on (pit temp of 160°). At this point they can either go into my Big Green Egg or a convection oven until the internal just passes 160° in the thickest part. The thinner ends are usually 170°, but the brine works as a buffer to keep the meat moist even when over-shooting the internal.
Hangin' in the Big Chief
Rigged up on my jerky/kabob set-up for part 2 of the cook.
The finished breasts..... one stubborn breast was still in the Egg.
I trim the fat and loose tags, then into a bag covered with Pop's Brine + black pepper for 24 to 30 hours. Next is a cold smoke for 90 minutes in my Big Chief with the top lid vented so the smoker temp is 85°, followed by one hour with the lid on (pit temp of 160°). At this point they can either go into my Big Green Egg or a convection oven until the internal just passes 160° in the thickest part. The thinner ends are usually 170°, but the brine works as a buffer to keep the meat moist even when over-shooting the internal.
Hangin' in the Big Chief
Rigged up on my jerky/kabob set-up for part 2 of the cook.
The finished breasts..... one stubborn breast was still in the Egg.
