First chicken (and porkchops)

[grogorat]

Brined with a "mad scientist" concoction: several cups of water a dribble of siracha, soy sauce, a few drops of italian dressing, garlic powder, onion powder, two bay leaves, some dill weed and a light dusting of some rub.  Got it to a boil to marry the flavors.  Let it cool in the fridge before adding the bird.  Left it overnight.
Pulled it out, drained, patted dry.  Sprinkled paprika and little more rub for color.  Stuffed it with the rough cut mirepoix (great suggestion) and put it in with 3.5 oz of cherry at 235 with a water pan.  Got a probe in the breast to look for the magical 165 temp.

I figured since I'm doing the bird to throw in some dark meat pork chops (light seasoning) too and I remembered to put those on the top rack and the chicken below so I won't give everyone the green apple splatters.
I will post pics and taste test results when done.  Wish me luck!

 

[gregbooras]

Best of luck Gary,

Sounds like it should be good.

Greg

 

[elkins20]

Good luck Gary, looking forward to the pictures. Am getting ready to do another 3# pork belly.

 

[DivotMaker]

Let us know how it goes, Gary!  Not to be picky, but what you are doing is a marinade, not a brine.  Brining must involve salt, as it is what makes the chemical reaction with the protein molecules in the surface of the meat.  Nothing wrong, at all, with marinades, but it will not achieve the same "moisture-retaining" qualities that a brine will.  Check out this primer on brining, when you have time.

Brining 101

 

[grogorat]

Hey Tony,
It was a borderline brine; the rub I used in the solution was the Salt Lick rub I used on my ribs.  I figured it was salty enough, haha.
Anyway, the results were mixed: I left the chops in too long, thinking that when the chicken got up to temp, that they'd be done.  The outside of the chops were a little tough but the meat wasn't dry and fairly tender.

For some reason, the chicken maxed out at 156, even when I pulled the chops and increased the temp to 250 for an additional hour.  I finished it in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes to be safe.  Still turned out very juicy.  I even used another meat thermometer and it also read just a shade below 160.

 

[DivotMaker]

Got it, Gary.  Brines usually involve about 1 cup of salt per gallon of water, so your rub probably didn't quite get there.  No harm, no foul!  From the looks of the chicken pic, you cut your onion and such pretty big.  I might suggest chopping them a lot smaller, and mixing well before stuffing.  It keeps one of the flavors from overpowering another.  Could be wrong...just looked like pretty big chunks of onion.

 

[grogorat]

Yeah, I took the rough cut mirepoix too literally, lol but I did mix them up before stuffing the bird.

 

[DivotMaker]

Gary, that's the best part of all of this hobby (obsession?)...it's always a learning experience!  Seems like I learn most the hard way, though. ???

 

[grogorat]

+1

 

[grogorat]

Update:
Stripped off the last of the meat and put the carcass and the mirepoix into a pot to make chicken broth.  The first thing the wife noticed as it came to a boil that it smelled like ham, presumably due to the smoking process.  Definitely not a bad thing but it should make for an interesting base.  Might have to make a lentil soup or throw in black eyed peas for New Year's.

 

[elkins20]

Looks really good Gary.

 

[DivotMaker]

That'll be a great broth, Gary!