Maybe Chicken just taste like Chicken?


 
C

Clay Cope

TVWBB Fan
So I spent my afternoon smoking a chicken. This was my 4th use of the WSM and I think the great results so far, combined with my lack of experience, set my expectations too high for chicken.

I used the weber poultry roaster and wow was this chicken fall apart moist, with a great looking skin. I used apple juice for basting and inside the poultry roaster, with some Serendipity as the seasoning. It wasn't until I started eating that it hit me, maybe chicken is just chicken? Or maybe it's my lack of knowledge on how to prepare it? Or maybe it was the lack of rub? Who knows? There's always next time though....

The skin was amazing! But the meat was just chicken meat. Other than a little smoke flavor, nothing special and not worth the 4 hours of smoking, charcoal and wood used, and time spent on prep & clean up.

So are my expectations out of line or is chicken just chicken? Should I brine? Inject? Go skinless? Please set me straight!!!!!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">So are my expectations out of line or is chicken just chicken? Should I brine? Inject? Go skinless? Please set me straight!!!!! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Clay, so you asked to be set straight, right? In my opinion chicken is pretty much chicken, except for Roadside chicken, which is like like the heroin of chicken. It's sooooo good, it's sooo addicting. We eat a ton of chicken, beer can, over cherry wood, smoked, different coals etc. it's good but it's not Roadside Chicken good. This S#$* should be illegal its so good. Forget about it. Look in the poultry recipe section here. It's honestly the best chicken recipe you'll ever do. Drink your beer and eat roadside chicken.
 
Clay,

I think you're right. But I've done the beer can chicken recipe from this site a few times and absolutely love it. If you're finding your chicken to be too "plain" tasting, try rubbing under the skin as well, and be sure you get some inside the cavity. Injections and brines would also help. And if you're pulling the chicken, mix in a little rub.

Hope that helps.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Clay Cope:
So I spent my afternoon smoking a chicken. This was my 4th use of the WSM and I think the great results so far, combined with my lack of experience, set my expectations too high for chicken.

I used the weber poultry roaster and wow was this chicken fall apart moist, with a great looking skin. I used apple juice for basting and inside the poultry roaster, with some Serendipity as the seasoning. It wasn't until I started eating that it hit me, maybe chicken is just chicken? Or maybe it's my lack of knowledge on how to prepare it? Or maybe it was the lack of rub? Who knows? There's always next time though....

The skin was amazing! But the meat was just chicken meat. Other than a little smoke flavor, nothing special and not worth the 4 hours of smoking, charcoal and wood used, and time spent on prep & clean up.

So are my expectations out of line or is chicken just chicken? Should I brine? Inject? Go skinless? Please set me straight!!!!! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Clay, thanx for your report. I used my WSM for the 2nd time yesterday and smoked-up 10 chicken thighs. Used Costa Rican Lump Charcoal(about 3 lbs) and 1/2 Weber Chiminey full of lit Kingsford. In lighting the charcoal I used the #10 Can method explained on this website which is I filled the outer charcoal ring 3/4´s full of unlit lump charcoal and then dumped the 1/2 chiminey full of the lit kingford inside the #10 can which I then pulled out immediately with a pair of pliers. I then added three chunks of Weber Mesquite Wood Chunks. I was able to maintain a temperature between 250F-275F for the 3 hour cook. I marinated the chicken thighs in a "Mojo" store-bought marinade overnight and before I put them on the grill I added some salt and pepper. The results were very positive as the chicken came out very tasty. I also cooked up some ABTs which I pulled off a little too early as the Jalepeno peppers were somewhat hard to the tooth. Overall, my Old model WSM performed as expected and only needed to adjust the bottom vents periodically during the cook to maintain my required temperature. I kept the top vent open during the entire time of the cook. I monitored the temperature inside the WSM with my "Maverick" ET-7 which performed outstanding!

Richard

WSM, OTG 22 1/2" with Smokenator
 
Here I would disagree....all chicken is definitely not the same as a cheap select grade steak is not the same as prime dry aged beef. A few years ago I completely converted away from big box $.69/lb mass marketed chickens to all natural free range chickens, air cooled processed chickens like Bell & Evans, or even Kosher chickens like Empire (be careful with salt with them). The flavor profile is superb…a bit of rub, spatchcocked, cherry or apple wood with a bit of hickory….unbelievable taste…perhaps the all time best ratio of ease/taste for the WSM.

So, first start with a premium chicken, then go from there. You will likely never go back.
 
I never considered myself a really fan of chicken (other than fried) right up until I started smoking... I notice a huge difference that the smoke brings to the party. After my first brined turkey a few years ago, all my poultry gets brined. Anyway, here is what gets the smiles around my house:

I have had good experience with a brine of .75 cups molasses, .75 cups pickling salt, 4 lemons halves (I just throw the rind in, not the juice) and a gallon of water. mix that up and dump it over a couple chickens in a garbage bag. Push all the air out and knot the bag. Double bag it to prevent the mess late if the first leaks. into a cooler with ice and throw it outside over night.

For a rub, just paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, black papper, and brown sugar. No set proportion, just eye ball it and taste.

Take the birds out of the brine and rinse them. Cut em into halves. Pat with paper towels to remove most of the water. Generously season with rub. Smoke to temp over fruit wood. Throw the cooked birds under a broiler or on a grill to crisp skin. Couple that with your fav sauce after the fact or just leave it naked.
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