FTC Question...

begolf25 · February 03, 2006, 04:35:50 PM

Hey fellas,

Got a quick question about using the FTC method I have seen on here. This forum was the first I have heard about this and can't wait to try it once I get my smoker. I was curious if this could be used for another reason.

My buddies want me to bring over a Beer Can chicken for the Super Bowl on Sunday. I cook these on my charcoal grill. I cannot cook this at my friends house so I will need to make it before I head over there. He lives about an hour away. The chickens usually take about 1 1/2 hours to cook. Could I then wrap them in foil, towel and a cooler to transport the chicken and keep it hot until I got over there? Didn't know if this would only work for slower cooked foods. But I would much rather do this then try to reheat the bird when I got there.

Thanks,
Bryan

Phone Guy · February 03, 2006, 04:42:04 PM

I think it would work fine. Remember if you like the crusty outside of the chicken you might loose that using this method. The steam inside the foil will moisten the bird.

iceman · February 03, 2006, 05:16:49 PM

Sounds like it will work. Be careful on how long you hold them. Michelle with the ADEC up here told me to keep it under 2 hours or get them up over 145 F. to hold them any longer. I do this with my smoked chickens that I bring into Anchorage when I cater parties for my friends. Have a great game.

begolf25 · February 03, 2006, 06:44:38 PM

Thanks for the respones fellas. Any suggestions on keeping the bird warm if I need to go longer then 2 hours?

Or should I cook them Saturday, then take them cold and reheat them. I'm not sure of the best way to reheat the chicken. I don't want them drying out of course.

I never had to travel with food like this before and i want it to be just as good as if I just took it off the grill. Any other options for doing this would be helpful also.

owrstrich · February 03, 2006, 08:34:19 PM

i smoked terkey for thanksgiving 2 years ago... it the only terkey i have smoked because i prefer the cow... the pig... and for the bird i go with those checken bacon rolls...

anyway... my wench digs the terkey so i may have to do another one real soon... here is what went down...

i smoked 10lbs... 2@ 5lb breasts... at 225... it took 5 hours to reach 165... pulled at 165 and ftc for 5 hours...

after 5 hours of ftc the terkey was steamy and warm... it pulled apart in my hands...

so... 5hr ftc... steamy and warm... pulled apart in my hands hands...

heres the link... has other terkey stuff too...

http://www.bradleysmoker.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=758&whichpage=2&SearchTerms=turkey

you gotta eat...

owrstrich

Habanero Smoker · February 03, 2006, 10:46:52 PM

Another option to consider is to not fully cook the chicken(s), FTC them and then finish them off in your friends oven.

Oldman · February 04, 2006, 02:02:09 PM

FTC is a form of passive cooking that I have used for most of my life, on many-many items.

Common sense is your guide line here. Given that it is chicken I would strongly suggest cooking it to within 5 degrees of being done. FTC them.

Given that chicken do not have the body mass of heavier meats I would hedge my bet by placing a couple or so bricks that had been throughly heated in the oven to 200 F on the bottom of the cooler first.

When you go to serve the birds I would slap them into a very-very hot oven for a couple of minute to crisp up the skin if needed.

Olds

SMOKEHOUSE ROB · February 04, 2006, 03:23:14 PM

begolf25 welcome to the forum [:)] if you dont have access to bricks, just pre heat your ice chest, fill it up with hot water for 30 min then dump out hot water, then put your food in for FTC. it will hold for a long time,

click on link to sign up for the 2006 free givaway. http://www.bradleysmoker.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2809

seabjorn · February 04, 2006, 11:58:54 PM

Yo BG25
Either hot bricks or pre-heat the cooler are both very good ideas. The danger zone for food is between 40 and 140F. If the food sits between those temps for longer than an hour you risk bacteria growth. I agree with taking the birds to within 5 degrees of finish temp, in this case cook until a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the thigh reads 160F, and then FTC over bricks or in the pre-heated cooler. If you find the birds have cooled below 140 when you get to the party, leave the foil on and warm them in a 350F oven until they re-heat to 160 or so. Then turn up the oven to 400F, unwrap and re-crisp the skin. Should still be moist and tasty. Good luck.
seabjorn

begolf25 · February 06, 2006, 04:37:32 PM

Hey fellas.

Thanks for all the advice. This is how I went ahead and did the chickens. I warmed my cooler with hot water 1/2 hour before because I didn't have any bricks. I cooked the chicken to 160 then wrapped it in foil and a towel as soon as I removed it from the heat then threw it in the cooler. By the time i got to me friends house about an 1 1/2 later it was still steaming hot. We were planning on eating about an hour after I got the so I put it in the oven on 170 for a about a 1/2 hour then fired it up to 350 for 15 minutes. After letting it sit we dug in. I couldn't believe how juicey the chicken was and not a piece of meat left on the bone. Everyone loved it.

Now I was supposed to take two chickens but as you can see from above I only took one. Unfortunately, during the cooking one of the birds fell over right up against the side of the grill. The breast side was flat against the grill and never cooked so i had to toss it. Oh well, we had plenty of other food so it worked out. Thanks again fellas your advice really came in handy. I can;t wait to try these in my smoker once I get it.

Gordon · February 07, 2006, 10:45:52 PM

I made a chicken pot pie out of a smoked chicken saturday. As for the recipe, nothing out of the ordinary, chicken 2 pie crusts, gravy made with swanson's chicken broth, and a can of veg all. In the 350 oven until crust is brown.

Wife went back for seconds. That only happens with ABTs and pulled pork, so it was in good company.

Gordo
Unskyled layber