Friends are looking to spatchcock and smoke some chickens.
They're looking for 3-4lb birds vs the more readily available 4-5lb , saying they think the smaller birds will smoke better.
When asked what "better" meant, they said they were looking for a more even smoke and the larger breasts on the bigger birds seemed to not take as well
Hard to find 3-4 pound in the stores, unless the air-chilled folks are running them a bit smaller.
Most, if not all plants that supply grocery stores are pushing 6lbs, sometimes more. Weights drop a bit when it gets really hot, but that typically doesn't last more than a week or two. Plants adjust.
My dad and the K.C's back home had to stop using chicken for fundraisers cause 1/2 chicken was taking up the whole container, so they switched to pork chops.
They could also try to find a local grower that targets that weight.
We figure there's also something to be said about avoiding birds with extra injection broth/brine solution when it comes to smoking, but since brining is typically a good thing didn't know which way to go with that
At the facility I work at they removed the injector. Apparently those orders are going elsewhere. And if it says up to 12%, with
whole birds I rarely saw more than 8%. The customer (Walmart, Kroger) tells the facility what to ship them.
I also prefer the smaller birds as they seem to cook more evenly and have less chance for a woody breast.
I also have trouble finding them below four pounds, so just opt for the closest I can find which is usually just above 4 lbs.
Here in NY I usually have the most luck at Whole Foods (either WF branded or Bell and Evans) for this size compared to “normal supermarkets” which tend to have frankensized chickens well over 6lbs
> Weber Genesis EP-330
> Grilla Grills Original Grilla (OG) pellet smoker with Alpha/Connect
> Grilla Grills Pellet Pizza Oven
> Pit Barrel Cooker (gone to a new home)
> WeberQ 2000 (on "loan" to a relative (I'll never see it again))
> Old Smokey Electric (for chickens mostly - when it's too nasty out
to fiddle with a more capable cooker)
> Luhr Jensen Little Chief Electric - Top Loader circa 1990 (smoked fish & jerky)
> Thermoworks Smoke
> 3 Thermoworks Chef Alarms
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> Joule Turbo Sous Vide Circulator
> Searzall torch
> BBQ Guru Rib Ring
> WÜSTHOF, Dalstrong, and Buck knives
> Paprika App on Mac and iOS
Why not move down in size just a little bit farther ... and grab some "big" Cornish hens instead? They smoke at least as well, if not better than, "normal" chickens.
Personally, I don't think the weight of the chickens will make that much of a difference if they are all close to the same weight.
Spatchcocking helps them cook evenly.
A few thoughts:
1. Rotisserie will cook evenly and provide excellent smoke flavor even with large yard birds. I do it all the time on my SNS using charcoal and hickory.
2. I've never spatchcocked anything, but I don't understand why a larger bird would have less smoke flavor. I would expect exactly the opposite because a larger bird would require more time to cook, which means it would get more smoke.
3. I usually use hickory with chicken because it has a stronger smoke flavor so it gets "picked up" quicker which is important on a short cook. Mesquite is another excellent wood for a short cook for the same reasons. I use it when I have it, so they might try one of these two types of wood.
4. Make sure they are using wood that is not kiln dried. A little moisture in wood is a good thing.
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