My Fowl Brine
(I am still learning brine, I always injected only)
3/4C brown sugar
1/2C salt
1T fresh Rosemary
1t ground Thyme
1T fresh Parsley
3/4T Dalimatian rubbed sage
2T Lea & Perrins
1t Tabasco
1/2T Tony’s “More Spice”
2 caps Butter extract
My old trusty injection (Been using this for 30+ years)
2 oz bottle of onion juice
2 oz bottle of garlic juice
Small bottle of Tabasco
Small bottle of Lea & Perrins
1 stick butter
½ C salt
This is my old recipe when I was doing multiple birds, make it and maybe freeze it or adjust accordingly for your bird. Also get a hypodemic with the biggest gage needle from the local feed and seed, it does less damage to the flesh and allows you to do more injections of less juice, (besides saving money). Thereby adding flavor and moisture without puddling it.
Make sure you dissolve the salt and have a warm needle and hypo or it can plug on you, a warm glass of water for needle if you hit a cold spot.
Just my preferences, I have a chicken drying the fridge now after 24 hours of this brine. Gonna smoke it this evening for supper. You are cooking against your Mother-n-law? I don't see the possiblity of a winning situtation, start practicing on chickens now! Have you thought of moving to California?
Good luck with your smoke man