Goob's Smoked Chicken

[wyogoob]

Stuffed in elastic netting:


Ready to go in brine for the Holidays. Used agave syrup instead of brown sugar this time. I like the brown sugar better:


In the brine bucket:


Thanksgiving:


Nice color, smoked with 100% cherry, not the cherry mixed with alder stuff:


Cured and smoked chicken, moist and smokey:


Another batch for Christmas - nice color:


Don't waste that brine. Use the wasted space between the whole chickens in the brine bucket by putting a package of legs in with the whole chickens:


Cut them in half for vacuum packaging:


Use a serrated knife:



Recipe - 4 whole chickens

Brine ingredients:
6 quarts - water
1 1/2 to 2 cups - Morton's Tender Quick
1 1/2 to 2 cups - brown sugar
1 tsp – ground white pepper
1/4 cup - Worchestershire sauce

Brine:
Mix all ingredients in a clean 5-gallon plastic pail.
The brine should float an egg, if not, stir in more Tender Quick, a little at a time, until the egg floats readily.
Pump brine into legs, thighs, wings and breast.
Soak chickens in the brine solution at 40°. Check brine and rotate chickens after 2 days. Soak chickens 4 days total.
Remove from brine and rinse in cold water.
While warming up the smoker, drain chickens at room temp for 1 hr, and then pat dry.

Smoke:
Hang in smoker, legs up
120° - 1 1/2 - 2 hrs, no smoke, vent 100% open
140° - 5 hrs, cherry or apple smoke, vent 50% open
170° - vent 25% open, until temp in meat around knee joint is 152°


If you like the netting:
Many of the supermarkets are using the elastic netting for their deli meats. I bet if you asked them they would sell you 4 or 5 feet. Takes about 14" of netting for a whole chicken.

[beefmann]

man that looks good

[Smokeville]

Look amazing!

Question; why the Morton's Tender Quick?

I'm not against cures, just wondering what the differences would be over using regular kosher salt. Chicken leg quarters are on sale here for .88c/lb and I wouldn't mind picking up 4 dozen for my 12 rack Bradley....

Regards, Rich

[Divey]

Look amazing!

Question; why the Morton's Tender Quick?

I'm not against cures, just wondering what the differences would be over using regular kosher salt. Chicken leg quarters are on sale here for .88c/lb and I wouldn't mind picking up 4 dozen for my 12 rack Bradley....

Regards, Rich

If you used the regular kosher salt and Cure #1 would that be the same as the Tender Quick.

[Habanero Smoker]

Look amazing!

Question; why the Morton's Tender Quick?

I'm not against cures, just wondering what the differences would be over using regular kosher salt. Chicken leg quarters are on sale here for .88c/lb and I wouldn't mind picking up 4 dozen for my 12 rack Bradley....

Regards, Rich

The temperatures and times he is cooking at does require a cure. If one is cooking at a safe 200°F - 225°F, one may be doing it for the color it gives the meat, or the flavor it may bring to the meat, and/or for added protection..

[Smokeville]

Thanks, HS, I didn't even notice the temps..... makes sense.

[wyogoob]

Look amazing!

Question; why the Morton's Tender Quick?

I'm not against cures, just wondering what the differences would be over using regular kosher salt. Chicken leg quarters are on sale here for .88c/lb and I wouldn't mind picking up 4 dozen for my 12 rack Bradley....

Regards, Rich

The temperatures and times he is cooking at does require a cure. If one is cooking at a safe 200°F - 225°F, one may be doing it for the color it gives the meat, or the flavor it may bring to the meat, and/or for added protection..

That is correct, thank you.  This is cured meat.  Our family has been curing and smoking chickens and turkeys this way for over 50 years or more, probably since Morton's TQ was first introduced.  I have used this recipe since 1970.

The appearance, flavor and moistness is remarkable.

[wyogoob]

Thanks, HS, I didn't even notice the temps..... makes sense.

Hey, I worked in Oakville, Puslinch, and Cambridge Ontario last year for 3 months!!  Stayed in Oakville; nice city, everything is so new. 

[gordbartel]

how do you know how much brine to pump into the meat?