Chris in Louisiana
TVWBB All-Star
My second cook on the Searwood stuck to chicken, which is safer/cheaper when getting used to a new cooker.
I split a chicken in half and brined it overnight (15 hours) in the buttermilk brine recipe (buttermilk, salt, brown sugar, Old Bay, H2O) from Gary Wiviott’s "Low and Slow" book. I had not used it since I was learning to use my WSM circa 2009.
About 2:00 pm on the day of the cook, I rinsed the chicken and patted it dry with paper towels. Placed it on a rack in a sheet pan in the refrigerator to dry the skin until cooking that evening.
Seasoned with Memphis Meat Dust, recipe from Amazingribs.com.
Weber Competition pellets
Set for 400 degrees; put chicken halves on
Flipped ever 30 minutes or so; cooked to 165 all over
Chicken was good, plenty moist, but it didn’t really pick up much flavor from the brine or a strong smoke flavor. The light smoke flavor is good, as my wife is not a big fan of heavy smoke. Other threads indicate this is common with wives. I guess the brine did its main job by keeping the meat moist and tender.
Next time, I'll probably just go back to a dry brine on a rack in the fridge.
I've cooked Chris' Hot and Fast Chicken on the WSM many times. It was better, but this was so easy, and still plenty good.
The half on the right appears to have experienced more heat. I'll have to check the actual temp in various spots on a future cook.
The split in the skin developed early. Maybe this piece just had weak skin.
Going on cold.
I split a chicken in half and brined it overnight (15 hours) in the buttermilk brine recipe (buttermilk, salt, brown sugar, Old Bay, H2O) from Gary Wiviott’s "Low and Slow" book. I had not used it since I was learning to use my WSM circa 2009.
About 2:00 pm on the day of the cook, I rinsed the chicken and patted it dry with paper towels. Placed it on a rack in a sheet pan in the refrigerator to dry the skin until cooking that evening.
Seasoned with Memphis Meat Dust, recipe from Amazingribs.com.
Weber Competition pellets
Set for 400 degrees; put chicken halves on
Flipped ever 30 minutes or so; cooked to 165 all over
Chicken was good, plenty moist, but it didn’t really pick up much flavor from the brine or a strong smoke flavor. The light smoke flavor is good, as my wife is not a big fan of heavy smoke. Other threads indicate this is common with wives. I guess the brine did its main job by keeping the meat moist and tender.
Next time, I'll probably just go back to a dry brine on a rack in the fridge.
I've cooked Chris' Hot and Fast Chicken on the WSM many times. It was better, but this was so easy, and still plenty good.
The half on the right appears to have experienced more heat. I'll have to check the actual temp in various spots on a future cook.
The split in the skin developed early. Maybe this piece just had weak skin.
Going on cold.
