Chicken brine recipe needed

roxy · Posted: Mon Sep 26 05 2:52 am Post subject: Chicken brine recipe needed

I need some help with a brine recipe for a big ass chicken I plan to smoke for my family on Canadian thanksgiving. If you all could be so kind as to help me out with this endeavour.
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allsmokenofire · Posted: Mon Sep 26 05 4:27 am Post subject:

Try this...

http://www.cookshack.com/barbeque_guide/101/Brining101.htm

This is courtesy of Smokin' Okie.
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roxy · Posted: Mon Sep 26 05 9:09 am Post subject:

Mike:

Have ya ever tried this and if so how is the finished product..??
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Jeff T · Posted: Mon Sep 26 05 10:02 am Post subject:

I use the simple brine #one. 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar to Gal. of water works well for me. Chickens, turkey, brats. Nice an moist, tender. Softens up the skin on brats, extracts some of the fat and speeds up cooking time a little on poultry i think.

roxy · Posted: Mon Sep 26 05 11:03 am Post subject:

Mike:

Thanks for the link to that site, some great information but what I want to know is how does the finished product taste, I understand how it will add moisture to the meat through osmosis but does it make the chicken taste better and if so how is it different, spacifics please. I want to try it as you guys mention it often but I will be feeding a house full of folks and if its too out there in flavour they may not like it. Shocked

Got to keep em all happy happy as I do have a reputation to uphold.. Laughing

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allsmokenofire · Posted: Mon Sep 26 05 1:14 pm Post subject:

You can add any type of flavor(or flavour Laughing

) you want in the brine, and it will impart that flavor along with moisture, to the meat. I've brined chicken and turkey in a modified version of brine #2(I added fresh rosemary to the brine)and it comes out great. You don't brine long enough to change the texture of the meat any.
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SmokinOkie · BBQ Super Pro Joined: 16 Aug 2005 Posts: 2078

Thanks Mike for posting that link to Brining 101. It gets quite a few reads as Brining is one of those topics we hear about but don't know much about. I guess it's like a lot of cooking methods, some love it and some hate it.

Roxy,

Yes it will change the taste -- for the better. The flavours of the brine will transport into the chicken. Realize this, a lot of food you buy that says "15% solution added" is actually that they inject the food with a brine. (and because it's in there too long, some of that stuff can have a weird texture. that's why I brine my own so I can control flavour and time).

Here's how I recommend people "test" if brining works and the taste.

Take some chicken breasts (bone in or bone out).

Take one set (a couple or more) and brine them for 4 to 6 hours

Take one set and don't brine.

Keeping them separate, then finish them with the same rub and do a blind taste test with your friends.

The fun is then building the "flavours" you want for your tastes. Those brines are pretty simple. Just remember the brine will carry flavours, so add/modify as you want.

We did the test on Thanksgiving, with two turkeys. The family voted for the brined bird 100%. They didn't know which was which.

The common comment is "it makes the meat mushy" Well, I've done a lot of tests and don't find that to be true unless you brine a really long time. Long enough and you will affect the protein molecules. Most comments are that it's juicier than normal.

roxy · Posted: Thu Sep 29 05 1:30 am Post subject:

SmokinOkie:

Thanks dude, I am going to try this for sure with our thanksgiving bird. My smoker is not big enough, height wise to hold a big turkey so I am lookng for a small turkey or a big assed capon to do, in the 8 lb rage I think. From what I have found, about an hour a pound seems the norm, would you agree with this..?? And if I may ask for your advice on temp what do you think is best, in the 170 range..?

Your input is most appreciated.
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allsmokenofire · Posted: Thu Sep 29 05 3:00 am Post subject:

Roxy....and hr/lb is too long for a turkey. Mine go 6-6.5 hrs for a 12 lb. bird at 250-275. I don't cook to temp on them as much as the feel of the thigh. When its got some good wiggle to it and the thigh juices run clear....youre done.

Good Luck!!
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dholcomb1946 · Posted: Thu Sep 29 05 3:16 am Post subject: Chicken Brining

I use the 1/2 cup each salt/sugar and some other spices to preference. I actually soak the birds overnight in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator.

Before I brined, I would get some birds with really dry meat even when not overcooked. Since I started brining I get a moist, tender, pull apart bird. Since I rub it before smoking, it has a smoke ring, pink like ham color, and is as spicy as what you put on it.

If I have the time, I won't cook without the brine Exclamation

roxy · Posted: Thu Sep 29 05 5:52 am Post subject:

PDXsmoker · BBQ Fan Joined: 30 Jun 2005 Posts: 141

It might depend on the brine you use (salty), how long to do it. I do 20-24lb birds and brine them overnight. I use apple juice and cranberry juice mixed with spices (rosemary ect) and then I throw in some papaya with it. It always comes out juicy and very flavorful. I think I usually inject it with juice and spices as well, I'll have to check, then I smoke it breast side down. Mmmm I'm gettin hungry!.....and tired lol

Alien BBQ · Posted: Thu Sep 29 05 6:54 am Post subject:

Roxy,
Not big ebough? What type of smoker do you have?
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SmokinOkie · BBQ Super Pro Joined: 16 Aug 2005 Posts: 2078

Roxy.

Do a test run before the big day just to verify what brine flavors you like. I always hate to wait until a big day to experiment.

Brined birds will do faster.

And turkey is like chicken. If you smoke chicken at too low a temp, you get good smoke flavour, but not great skin. I have good success doing them above 300.

Here's my link to another "how to" I do occassionally. I haven't updated in a while, but it helps on Turkey. Smoker doesn't matter, I've had them all and I try to post recipes that are smoker independent.

Turkey 101:
http://cookshack.com/barbeque_guide/101/Turkey_101.htm

roxy · Posted: Thu Sep 29 05 8:26 am Post subject:

Alien BBQ · Posted: Thu Sep 29 05 1:05 pm Post subject:

allsmokenofire · Posted: Thu Sep 29 05 9:27 pm Post subject:

If'n it were me, I'd poke a few holes in the bottom of the aluminum pan to let the liquid run out so you don't end up braising the turkey. However, some might want the juices for smoked turkey gravy, in which case I'd put a wire rack over the aluminum pan on the bottom of the smoker to keep the turkey from sitting in its juices.

Just my 2 francs worth...
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roxy · Posted: Fri Sep 30 05 12:12 am Post subject:

roxy · Posted: Fri Sep 30 05 12:17 am Post subject:

OwenStubbs · Posted: Sat Sep 26 09 2:39 am Post subject:

Does the type of salt used make a difference? I brined some chicken pieces a few weeks back... I used 1/2 cup each salt and sugar. Salt was basic table salt (Morton Iodized), not kosher, sea salt etc.... Both wife and one of my kids immediately commented that it was really salty - and neither knew I had brined it.