Last Minute Saturday Chicken

Pork Belly

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About three hours before dinner time we decided on chicken, this is how it came together in a hurry.
Last Minute Saturday Chicken

3 whole chickens about 3.5 pounds each, spatchcocked and spines removed.
1 can Coors Light
1/2 bottle of soy sauce
Four tablespoons kosher salt
Four tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup roasted pecan flavored breakfast syrup.
1 tablespoon pink salt
House Seasoning
Three tablespoons bacon grease

Place spatchcocked birds in large bowel and dump remaining ingredients except bacon grease and house seasoning on birds and mix with your hands until ingredients are dissolved. Soak for 30 minutes turning birds frequently to insure even application of the brine. Remove from brine do not rise but allow to drain. Trim excess fat and reserve. separate skin from meat to allow access to apply house seasoning and bacon grease directly to meat surface. Insert trimmed pieces of chicken fat between breast and skin were it will render onto the meat during smoking. Season skin side of chickens with House seasoning, tuck wing tips behind the breast and arrange legs and thighs so bird lays flat. Place fan near birds until surface is dry and sticky. Place on racks in lowest positions in smoker. These were smoked on 250 for 2.5 hours with 1.7 oz of Sugar maple. They hit 180 IT and fell apart when lifted off the racks. Excellent taste and color. The picture of the three birds on one rack is while they were in front of the fan, they cooked one on the lowest rack two on the next rack up.
 

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Looking good, Brian!  Just wondering - why 180?  Chicken is fully done, and moist, at 165.  Did you find it a little dry?
 
It was very moist, I ended up at 180 because when I inserted my probe thermometer while the birds were in front of the fan it read 116. My instant read said 45. So I ran these without a thermometer. My plan was to check them at 3 hours but I opened it up at 2.5 when I heard grease sizzle on the fire box. It all worked out. Personally I like chicken a little more done where the joints easily separate. I would have pulled it at 170 and rested it to 175 carryover.
 
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