Once again Seriously this time.

[tripleq]

So I think Im at the point with pork and beef, if I screw it up, I know what I did wrong. Thats not the case with chicken, to much smoke , rubbery and dry, WTF, way to salty, you name it,. If I got it right, I was surprised. 

Today Im starting my journey down yard bird lane. Even if I have to put a hurtin on the local chicken population ... Im going to get this right, even if it kills a lot of them 

Im starting with a light brine over night

2 C Spring water is a sauce pan
1 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C white sugar
3 Tbsp canning salt.

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• tripleq
• Jan 17, 2017

this morning I rinsed them and placed them on a rack in the fridge to dry.

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• tripleq
• Jan 17, 2017

The plan is to spatchcock one with a butter and rosemary rub and the other, stuff with citrus, onions and garlic and a orange spice glaze. 

Its going to be a hot smoke, 325 ish and Im shooting for an IT of 165.

 I know they will finish at different times with the spatchcocked one finishing first but I have no real clue how long they will take, I may throw the intact bird on 20 or 30 minutes earlier.

Any advice on timing would be appreciated.

 

[SmokinAl]

The biggest thing with chicken is not to overcook the breast.

If you pull the chicken out of the smoker when the breast reaches 157 degrees & let it sit on the counter for 1/2 hour.

The carryover cooking will bring it up to 165.

However the thighs need to get to 175-180 to be tender & moist.

This is why spatchcocking works so well, usually when the breast is done so are the thighs.

Good luck & keep us posted.

Al

 

[tripleq]

Changed my mind, Spatchcocked them both.

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• tripleq
• Jan 17, 2017

 

[tripleq]

Ok, Looks really good. but there is plenty room for improvement. I was watching both the breast and thigh temp. I zoomed right past 175 and the breasts were 155. when the dark meat hit 205, I pulled it with the white meat at 163. I was going to tent it so I thought it would coast on up. 

The dark meat was spectacular, the white meat altho juicy and showed no signs of under cooking, was tough on the deeper parts of the breast.

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• tripleq
• Jan 17, 2017

How do you suppose I get the white meat temp up with out over cooking the dark?

 

[b-one]

They sure look great!

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Birds look good.

I only probe the breast while cooking. I also spatch 99% of my birds.

I do check the IT of the thigh when the breast hits 160-165 and they are usually within a few degrees of each other.

Are you sure your therm wasn't hitting bone?

Have you tested both probes to make sure they are accurate?

I've had non spatched birds with temp differneces like you describe but not spatched.

Now if your white meat was at 165 that's done. You don't want it to be higher or it will dry out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tripleq]

Yea I did the boiling water test and they were all with in 1 degree of each other. and no, Im not sure I wasn't hitting the bone. Next time its boobies only. 

 

[JckDanls 07]

I also only check the breast temps ... the dark is what it is... When brined you can carry breast higher (175 max) and they are still moist...