Under cooked

[mmaddoggy]

Mmaddoggy here.

I usually don't have any problems with smoking chickens. Yesterday I smirked two baking hens about 6 lbs each in my MES 40 at 275 degrees to an internal temp of 175 degrees at the thigh for 3 hours. They were both in a brine over night, used mustard as a base and used Jeff's dry rub ( I use this rub on everything it's great ). These hens came out very tasty and extremely juicy and great in color. So why was there blood at the breast bone? :wife:

 

[Dutch]

Was it blood or was it a red tint on the breast meat next to the bone? I've had that red tint on turkeys that I have brined and I know the bird was cooked because I let time get a way from me and the bird was 185° in the breast. The tint is similar to the smoke ring in beef and pork but in poultry for some reason, it forms next to the bone.

 

[mmaddoggy]

:grilling_smilie:Hey Dutch

Thanks for the quick reply. It was bright red and ran a little when I cut the meat away from the breast bone. That was the only place that appeared to be under cooked, the rest of the birds were great.

 

[gary s]

I have had that happen to me on occasion, It happens, Great explanation from Dutch.

Gary S