"Designated Driver" Can Chicken

[geek with fire]

Yea, but you're not getting my Bud Light

 

[richtee]

S'all good. Michelob's good enough for me :{) Oh and the odd bit-o-James B. Beam CHEERS!

 

[squeezy]

Good point ... eye appeal is part of it ... yes!

By all means do some testing ... looking forward to your conclusions.

I won't allow light beer in the house ... unless, of course the doctor orders it!

 

[geek with fire]

That's the good thing about smoking; you get to eat what you test....I think I need to do a LOT of testing!

It makes me wonder though: if the rub can't penetrate the skin, then why smoke? And, I'm sure I tasted smoke in the bird; not to mention that "gift from God" smell every time I open the zip top bag.

I hope this isn't taken as combative, that's not my intent. I'm just one of those people that doesn't like not understanding something.....so it just doesn't sit well with me. I am willing to learn though, so keep it comin'!

If I have time to do a controlled test this weekend, I may try 3 birds. 2 in the smoke (1 with rub, 1 without) and the 3rd bird in the oven (without rub). I'll have my wife to a blind test to see what she tastes. 'Cause as all married men know, if momma aint happy, nobody is!

 

[squeezy]

All Joshing aside ... if I peel off the skin, I don't taste much other than the smoke. One thing I do know is that my skin is waterproof and I expect the skin on other forms of life are similar ...

so how much is going through?

I was afraid that I was the one that was looking combative (not my intent) I like to make sense of things also ....

If I was removing the skin for health reasons, I wouldn't bother putting anything on the outside (skin) instead, I would concentrate on rubbing the inside and using my injector and on occasion push some flavors blended in a paste between skin and flesh as I suggested earlier.

This is a fun topic ... anyone else got any theories?

 

[richoso1]

My experience has been much like what Squeezy said, when I remove the skin there is little/no taste from the rub. The reason I use the rub is because some folks like to eat the crispy skin. Smoke flavor and beer flavor does come through, and that's what I like.

 

[richtee]

Something here that may be germane: many of the flavoids in smoke are NOT water soluble, but FAT soluble. Washing out a smoker with only water make this QUITE apparent. Removing the skin would remove the ability of some components to accrete on the bird.

As collorary to this: Those fat soluable components very well MAY penetrate the skin layer with relative ease compared to water soluble components, which, BTW rubs are mainly comprised of. The main "heat" of peppers and some of the more aromatic spices <clove, anise, garlic, cinnimon, etc.> are highly fat... or oil soluable.

Hmm. Any bio-chemists around?