So I made my first batch of Memphis Dust (tasted great!) and I coated one side of the chicken. As I turned it over, most of the rub ended up on my hands. I coated the other side, turned to redo the first and more ended up on my hand.
I had prepped the bird by rinsing and pat drying before getting the rub involved. Most of the rub ended up clumped on the pan or in my hands.
I ended up spritzing with a bit of olive oil and reapplied rub after running the rotisserie through it and sprinkled more rub on it.
I got enough rub to stick to make the skin taste fantastic!!! How can I apply it next time to have less waste and mess?
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JaySwen I use water, typically. Just lightly wet the surface, then sprinkle the rub on, then pat it, not rub it, onto the skin. Olive oil should be even better. Sometimes, when I’m doing an herb based rub, I create a thick paste with water first, then rub onto the surface.
I loosen the skin by sliding my finger under and then apply my rubs between skin and meat. I also sprinkle a little on the top side of the skin. Don't usually bother with the bottom side.
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#1 - Don't rinse your poultry. You're only spreading any potential pathogen to your sink and anything in it. If you leave the pathogen in place, the cooking should take care of it. So, don't rinse poultry unless you're going to disinfect your sink.
#2 - Don't pat dry. If it's a little wet, that's good. If not, sprinkle with a bit of water. MMD will release flavors better in water than oil. There's an article on the free side about that. With MMD, I do not rub under the skin, but do rub the bottom side of pieces and the skin. MMD is engineered for bark-i-fication. Under the skin it will generally stay in sugar format... If I'm using Simon and Garfunkel, that can go under the skin, because it's not 70% sugar like MMD. Under the skin, on the skin and maybe on the bottom. My wife likes S&G, I'm not that fond of it, so won't go on the bottom with it. S&G I believe will bloom well in oil, so that'll work.
But if you stop with the rinsing, you will not really need a binder.
In the past I would make my own rub with freshly chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. After cleaning and drying the bird as previously described, I would spritz with lemon juice, distribute rub under the skin of the thighs and breast. The bird would then be coated in rub, it stuck fairly well. Finally, a bit of the lemon juice into the cavity, or the cut lemons if using fresh, and the remainder of the rub.
I've not really been a fan of marinades or finishing sauces, generally. I prefer a spice rub/coating. I'd usually roast the chicken vertically but sometimes horizontally. Recently I've been breaking down the bird to cook a bit quicker during the week. Now with the rotisserie, I'm back to whole birds and trying new things again.
Thanks for all your ideas. It seems as though there are many ways to get this done and whatever works is ok. Potkettleblack This is the first time I've heard anyone recommend NOT cleaning chicken before processing and cooking. Would this also apply if you were breaking down the bird and cooking the pieces? Then I'd be concerned about possible contamination of all the surfaces it came into contact with.
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