Chicken Brine For Smoking Food

BRINE FOR SMOKED FISH, POULTRY OR MEAT.

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together.
• Soak fish or meat in brine a minimum of 6 hours or as indicated in smoker instructions.
• Smoke using your desired recipe & wood chips.

BASIC BRINE FOR SMOKING MEAT

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the salt, sugar and water. Whisk vigorously until all the salt and sugar is dissolved. Then pour this mixture over the meat, poultry, or fish that you are preparing. Soak for several hours, or overnight. (Note: Make certain the meat is fully submerged in the brine, and make more brine as needed to fully cover the meat.)

CHICKEN BRINE FOR SMOKING

Steps:

• Put water, salt, and optional ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. As soon as it starts turn off the heat. stir to make sure the salt is fully disolved.
• Cool the Brine.
• Add the chicken and Brine in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. It is if the bird is fully covered by the brine. If this isn't possible, turn occasionally.
• 1/2 hour before putting in the smoker, take chicken out of the brine and allot it to drip dry. I put it on a cooling rack, on top of a high sided cookie sheet. Make sure the cat's don't sample it.
• Rub with a Rub.
• Smoke it at a temp between 200 degrees F and 225 degrees F. A lower temperature will add more smoke flavor and tenderness but take longer.
• After between 3 and 6 hours (depends on the size, depends on the temp) the Chicken should reach 165. Pull from the smoker.
• Wrap in Foil and let rest for a minimum of 15 minutes. When I have a longer wait I put it in a cooler to stay warm.

SMOKED WHOLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prepare chicken for even cooking: Lay chicken on a flat surface, breast-side up. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut through the breastbone, then all the way down to the opening at the other end. Open the chicken like a book, exposing the cavity, and flatten it; the backbone should crack a bit, which is normal.
• Brine: In a 1-gallon container, combine water, salt, and sugar. Seal and shake to dissolve salt and sugar. (Alternatively, stir with a whisk.) Place brine into 2-gallon container, followed by the chicken; make sure the chicken is fully submerged. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15-24 hours, optimally 20 hours.
• Smoke the chicken: After chicken has been brining for 20 hours, light the smoker and heat to 250 degrees F. Remove chicken from brine, and place skin side up on a flat surface. Pat dry with paper towels. (Chicken will be about ½ pound heavier from absorbing brine.) Flip over and dry the other side.
• Sprinkle BBQ Spice Rub on both sides of the chicken, then rub it into the chicken, making sure the entire bird is covered. Place chicken onto the grill, cavity side down. Cover and cook undisturbed for 2 hours. Add charcoal and use vents as needed to maintain a temperature of 250 degrees F through the duration of cooking.
• After 2 hours, flip chicken over so it's skin side down. Cover and cook for 20-30 more minutes. (Removing the lid of the smoker will reduce the temperature, so bring it back to 250 degrees F by adding more charcoal.)
• After 20-30 minutes, check chicken for doneness by gently tugging on the legs. They should be loose, but not pulling away from the bird. A digital thermometer placed into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone, should register 165 degrees F.
• Carving the chicken: Cut chicken in half along the backbone. Cut each half in half again, so the breast and wing (white meat) form one serving and the drumstick and thigh (dark meat) form another. Serve.

BRINED SMOKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pour water into a large, non-aluminum container; add salt and sugar and stir to dissolve. Add soy sauce, tarragon, thyme, and pepper. Place chickens in the brine and weigh them down with a heavy plate so they stay submerged. Brine at room temperature for 2 hours, or in the refrigerator, 8 hours to overnight.
• Remove chickens from brine, wash, and pat dry. Reserve brine. Tie the legs together of each chicken using kitchen twine.
• Prepare a water smoker for cooking by preheating to 200 to 250 degrees F (93 to 120 degrees C). Fill the water pan with hot water and half of the reserved brine. Place chickens, breast side up, on the grill racks. Add wood chips according to manufacturer's directions. Cover.
• Smoke chickens until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 4 hours, brushing chickens with olive oil every 2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from the smoker and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve and serve.