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competition chicken

Three words...

Brine! Brine! Brine! :wink:

It gets flavor to the bone and greatly improves moisture retention, which means a lot more overcook insurance.

John
 
No, no, no! Brine just makes the chickie taste salty. Smoke, real smoke, is what you need to be trying for!
 
PatioDaddio said:
Three words...

Brine! Brine! Brine! :wink:

It gets flavor to the bone and greatly improves moisture retention, which means a lot more overcook insurance.

John
Click to expand...

testing the brining waters today,
thighs

1 quart water
1/4c salt (kosher)
1/4c brown sugar
1 tbs dehydrated chopped onion (I really dont know why)

gonna let the thighs in the brine about 4-5 hours and smoke to temp. I will sauce at the end with Stubbs original (I think).
Sal
 
SaucyWench said:
No, no, no! Brine just makes the chickie taste salty. Smoke, real smoke, is what you need to be trying for!
Click to expand...
Not if you use a salt/sugar ratio of 2/3 cup to 1 cup, and brine for 6 hours. It works like a champ for me. The two times I tries not brining my scores plummeted.

John
 
PatioDaddio said:
Not if you use a salt/sugar ratio of 2/3 cup to 1 cup, and brine for 6 hours. It works like a champ for me. The two times I tries not brining my scores plummeted.

John
Click to expand...

I'm assuming that's 2/3 cup salt to 1 cup of sugar. How much water?

Do you rinse the chicken after the brine, SaucyWench? I forgot to rinse once and the chicken was way too salty.
 
Sal - I'd be careful with the grate marks on the top using the exanded steel grates. When I used to have my Pitts & SPitts, it always made chicken look unappealing on the top side with the large diamonds embedded. If you want, try skin up first until the skin tightens up and gets some color on it.

Also, it seems that aside from the color of the sauce, there is very little traceability of the original rub. Either coating was light to begin with or it got wiped away when sauce was applied.

As far as brines, marinades or injections - I think all are good options and one method is probably not much better than the other as far as overall noticeability as it would affect scoring as long as the flavor was pleasing.

I'd dare a good percentage of people couldn't tell which method was used on smoked chicken after all the rub and sauce is applied.

Good Luck !!
 
Smokin' Gnome BBQ said:
testing the brining waters today,
thighs

1 quart water
1/4c salt (kosher)
1/4c brown sugar
1 tbs dehydrated chopped onion (I really dont know why)

gonna let the thighs in the brine about 4-5 hours and smoke to temp. I will sauce at the end with Stubbs original (I think).
Sal
Click to expand...

Sal I brine with about that same ratio but only go about 2 hours. Let us know how it goes. (onion? I know why)
 
Gnomes like Onion:-D

And in addition to adding moisture you can add flavour with your brine. As the water is being forced into the chicken by osmosis it takes some of the flavor of the brine with it.

Tom
 
Oops, sorry, even though I read "brine", my brain turned brine into "inject," I'm just not a big fan of injecting (or Alton Brown.) I don't have any unexplainable prejudices against brining.

I agree that if the flavor's great, I'm gonna give a high score for taste, however you prepared it.
 
When brining chicken, becareful not to keep it in the water too long, we usually go about 1 hour in a very simple brine of:

1 Gallon of water
1 cup of salt
1 cup of brown sugar

After 1 hour wash/rinse very good and let air dry until the skin is dry.

If you let it soak in the brine too long it will be salty... Chicken will take the brine quickly and about an hour is all that is needed.
 
VA BBQ PIRATES said:
Gnomes like Onion:-D

And in addition to adding moisture you can add flavour with your brine. As the water is being forced into the chicken by osmosis it takes some of the flavor of the brine with it.

Tom
Click to expand...

thats what I was thinking, some of the flavor did transfer in, I had it in the brine too long. the skin was as tuff as MR.T , that is some thing I can fix. probably an hour or so would be enough. I will be tring again next weekend. I think I have WATG syndrome.
 
VA BBQ PIRATES said:
Gnomes like Onion:-D

And in addition to adding moisture you can add flavour with your brine. As the water is being forced into the chicken by osmosis it takes some of the flavor of the brine with it.

Tom
Click to expand...

Gnomes can be a little funny up top. That is why the WATG syndrome can be so dangerous. I have brined in the past- pork with a lot of success. Have not tried chicken but I bet it would be good.
 
VA BBQ PIRATES said:
Not the dreaded WATG syndrome:eek:

You know the only cure for that is a call for chicken.

Tom
Click to expand...



Heyyyyy.....I resemble that remark....I am all better now.... at least thats what the Doctor says...now.......where did I put those thighs?:eusa_clap:shock::icon_smil:icon_frow:-?:lol:
 
watg? said:
Heyyyyy.....I resemble that remark....I am all better now.... at least thats what the Doctor says...now.......where did I put those thighs?:eusa_clap:shock::icon_smil:icon_frow:-?:lol:
Click to expand...

Sorry, George...I just cant stop!!!!!!!!!every stinkin' weekend for months and I still dont have anything to show for it!!!!!!!!why is chicken so darn hard..I know it must be the judges fault!!!yea thats the ticket!!arghh!!!:evil:
 
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