Let's Talk BBQ
General => General Discussion & Topics => General Discussion => Topic started by: Hank_Moody on January 11, 2018, 05:57:44 PM
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Newbie here. If you brine your birds (turkey/chicken), which brining method to you prefer and why?
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I've done it both ways. Not sure I can tell the difference. I do like that with dry brining I can get it under the skin. That to me is a clear advantage. Fridge space bring a second advantage
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My chickens come out nice and juicy and I do not brine anymore since I got an airfryer. Now personally I like my chicken to taste like chicken so I can have versatile left over chicken meat.
Be careful not to brine too long. Poultry is a smoke and flavor magnet.
sweetwaterspice has nice brine mixtures to check out. So does spices inc and savory spices.
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This is in our recipe section but I will save you the search.
This my friend you have to try..................trust The Smoke on this one
Hound's Citrus Brined Chicken
Prepare the brine: 1 gallon water 1 cup Kosher salt or 1/2 cup table salt juice of 3 oranges juice of three limes
juice of three lemons rinds from same 1 sliced white onion 1 head of garlic, crushed stems from a bunch of
cilantro, chopped serranos to taste, minimum of 4 rough ground cumin and coriander 2 Tbsp each 1/4 cup chili
powder or any ground chile you prefer (1/4 cup onion powder is optional) (1/4cup garlic powder is optional) Place the
bird(s) and plenty of brine solution in a ziploc bag(s) and leave refrigerated overnight prior to cooking. A cooler works fine
also. I use a 5 gal beverage cooler for all but the biggest turkeys. Frozen soda bottles or ice can be used to keep the cold.
{8 lbs of ice= 1 gallon of water} An hour before cooking take the bird out and thoroughly wash it down with cold water for
at least 30 seconds. You can place aromatics like garlic heads, apples, citrus in the cavity of the bird for the cooking. I like
also to place orange slices between skin and meat. Smoke rear end of chicken toward the fire for 45 minutes/lb @ 225°F
until the thigh is about 170°F. You can rotate as necessary to avoid charring. Cooking this way will result in inedible skin, but
juicy chicken. If you like the crispy skin then place the chicken near the firebox. This works for either chickens or turkeys. If
you eliminate the brine (salt and water) the rest of the recipe makes an excellent marinade for grilled chicken. (Recipe
courtesy of Cuchulain Libby, a.k.a. Hound.) (Editor's note: this method sounds crazy and the brine looks terrible, but IT
WORKS! You won't believe it is chicken. Flakes apart like fish. You must try this and it works on turkey .)
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I've done it both ways. Not sure I can tell the difference. I do like that with dry brining I can get it under the skin. That to me is a clear advantage. Fridge space bring a second advantage
That pretty much sums it up for me too. I don't brine birds very often, but when I do it's usually a dry brine with a little salt under the skin where it can more easily penetrate the meat. I don't do a heavy salting, just enough to season it a bit.
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I've done it both ways. Not sure I can tell the difference. I do like that with dry brining I can get it under the skin. That to me is a clear advantage. Fridge space bring a second advantage
That pretty much sums it up for me too. I don't brine birds very often, but when I do it's usually a dry brine with a little salt under the skin where it can more easily penetrate the meat. I don't do a heavy salting, just enough to season it a bit.
What they said. I rarely brine chicken but always turkey.
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Thanks everyone for the feedback.
Smokeasaurus - I’m definitely going to have to try this recipe. Thanks!