Do you or don't you?

[flbentrider]

Two Questions:

1. Do you brine your poultry? (assuming it is not "enhanced" already)

2. Do you rub you pork butt/ribs/brisket and then wrap for an overnight rest in the chill chest?


It occurred to me that one of my reasons for doing both of these has nothing to do with enhancing the flavor of the food, but everything to do with ensuring that the product that you are cooking has not spoiled prematurely - and in time for you to do something about it before your cook. I have saved at least 2 or three cooks with this method.

I've done a blind taste test with a brisket that I cut in half. One section was rubbed and wrapped overnight, the other rubbing just before smoking. My testers could not tell the difference.

If your results differ, that is great for you.

[Pappymn]

I brine poultry for 48 hours, at least for turkey. Maybe shorter for chicken

[teesquare]

I like to brine turkeys. And - sometimes it is because of time or space limitations - so I can bay buy a day or two by brining.

As for rub and rest on pork and beef…I like to rub, and inject if desired - then vacuum bag, and put in the fridge for 2 or 3 days. That really allows enough time for the flavors to penetrate.

[veryolddog]

Yes.

I brine whole chickens for 24 hours, parts of chickens for 4 to 6 hours and turkeys for 24 hours.

I brine pork loin for 24 hours. I also brine pork chops, country style ribs and regular ribs over night.

After the brine process, I cover the pork or chicken products with rub and and let that sit overnight. Just those processes before putting them on the smoker take at least a couple of days.

Ed

[IBCookin]

I brine turkey but not chicken.

I rub beef and pork an hour or so before cooking and let it set from fridge to room temp, then right to the pellet cooker.
I find the rub either soaks into the meat while setting or stays on the meat and cooks into a crust (depending on what and how much I use). I find the flavor to be good and not overpowering.

Supreme Commander likes it so that takes care of that.... 

[GusRobin]

I used to brine my poultry until I got my SRG. With it I don't need to brine.
I rub and put in the fridge overnight if I remember to do it the night before.

[sparky]

no brining here.  take FT and meat out of frig.  put rub on meat.  enjoy FT.  start smoker and let come up to temp.  have another FT.  when 2nd FT is done put meat on.  nothing to do, might as well have one more.  ya know, cause we have to sit next to the smoker and I get thirsty.   

[pz]

I brined a turkey for the first time this Thanksgiving.  Tonight we had leftovers and without any kind of solicitation on my part, my wife said "mmmmm.... the turkey is really good, even cold... I can taste the herbs and spices in the meat"

My wife has never enjoyed cold bird before - always heats it with gravy or whatever moisture adder we have on hand that works.

[sliding_billy]

Yes for brining non-enhanced bird (though I'll be honest I am buying enhanced more and more recently).  No for wrapping rubbed meat overnight (I typically rub while the pit is coming to temp).

[muebe]

I do like to wrap rubbed butts overnight when I have time. Most other meats it might be a few hours in the fridge. Ribs I will season before putting on the grill.

I really don't brine chicken much. I do brine Salmon when I smoke it.

I do like to season steaks and chops before vac sealing and freezing however.

[Sailor1]

Randy....I totally understand why you do things early.  I don't do chicken or turkey so can't answer your brine question.  On Brisket or Pork I take out and rub and they go straight into the smoker.  This is going to change.

I had a 9 pound frozen Butt that I bought on sale and had planned to smoke Thanksgiving eve and pull Thanksgiving day and took it out of the freezer and I put it in cold water to get it to thaw.  I opened the bag to take it out to rub it and it stank up the house.  I had just purchased it 2 weeks prior.  This had to get on the smoker at 6pm so it would be ready to pull Thanksgiving morning before we left.  I ran back to Wally World with the rank Butt and they gave me store credit.  When to the meat section and they had 1 Butt left.  I was border line of being out of luck.  Brought it home and prayed that it was good.  Opened it up and it was good so rubbed it and smoked it as planned.  Got it smoked, FTC and pulled by 11am and bagged.  Was off to the daughters for Thanksgiving.  Friday I reheated it in the crock pot with some apple juice and the troops polished it off.

Long winded answer but I think doing your meat the day before you need it is the way to go in case you get a bad hunk, you have time to get another.

[smokeasaurus]

For chuckies and butts and briskies, the longer they get happy with rub the better. I once had a brisket all rubbed down for a long cook and I overslept. I got mad and tossed the brisket in the freezer for a week. I refrigerator thawed it for about 4 days. The flavor seemed to go down deep into the meat. I now do this most of the time for briskets and butts. Works for ribs as well, but the refrigerator thaw is 1-2 days...................

[veryolddog]

For chuckies and butts and briskies, the longer they get happy with rub the better. I once had a brisket all rubbed down for a long cook and I overslept. I got mad and tossed the brisket in the freezer for a week. I refrigerator thawed it for about 4 days. The flavor seemed to go down deep into the meat. I now do this most of the time for briskets and butts. Works for ribs as well, but the refrigerator thaw is 1-2 days...................

Interesting. That might be worth a try. I will have to remember this before I vacuum seal the meat to put into the freezer.

For brisket and tri tip, I usually apply a marinade of teriaki (sp), worcestorshire, olive oil, and beef broth with a 1/2 cup of home made rub without sugar. The brisket weighing in usually between 11 and 14 lbs. requires more liquid proportion. This sits in the fridge for two days in a zippered zip lock or hefty bag rotated occasionally. The flavor seems to really sink into the meat. Before smoking, I usually give it a fresh coat of rub.

Ed

[BAM1]

I brine Turkeys and Chicken.  Most off my butts and brisket I smear with CYM, apply rub, and let sit at room temp for about 45 minutes, re-apply rub and put on the smoker.

[tnjimbob]

I brine turkeys 12-24 hrs. depending on size. Sometimes brine whole chicken too, but not if I spatch them. Chicken parts, no brine. I allow enough extra time for turkeys to air dry overnight in the fridge. Really helps with getting better, non-rubbery skin on smoked birds. If I am deep frying a bird, no brine, but I inject them heavily with seasoned melted butter about an hour before they go for a swim.

Rubs - Butts get rubbed the night before & put into the fridge, then I re-rub about an hour before they go on the smoker. Briskets get rubbed about 4 hrs. before they go on the smoker. Ribs - only about 30 mins. before they get cooked.

comp rules are a little different.