How to truss a chicken

[PolishDeli]

Here’s my method for trussing and hanging a chicken for smoking.
Interested in your strategies…

4.25 lb chicken
Brine: 1000ppm NaNO2, 15°SAL, 1% sugar
1000mL water
17g cure#1
26g salt
11g sugar
Cured for 20 hours.
Spices: used leftover rib rub

Tie twine around the neck

Flip the bird onto its back, and pull the twine over the thighs and under the breast bone.

Tie it tight

Loop the twine around the legs, and tie them together.
If rotisserieing the chicken, I stop here: just trim the twine, and tuck the wings in.

To hang the chicken for smoking, don't trim the twine yet:
Pass the twine though the inside of the chicken
Loop the twine around a dowel
Pass the twine back through the chicken.

Hang and smoke

It's done

Time to eat.
Mash potatoes and Brussels sprouts on the side.

 

[TNJAKE]

Nice. That's a tasty looking yard bird

 

[flatbroke]

Looks awesome

 

[chopsaw]

That's a great lookin bird , and meal . Good idea with the dowel to take the weight .
Got me thinking .

Interested in your strategies…

I tie mine pretty much the same as you . Start with the neck bone , down around the thigh and come up around the legs . I use a separate piece to hold the wings . These don't hang like this , but I'll be using your idea for that , or I have some SS rod to make a long hook .

The one time I hung a bird I used a net .
One time ,,

Again that bird you did looks fantastic . Cured 20 days , did you inject also ?