Chickens.  Low and Slow!

It’s been a while..

Back in the day, I owned one of those barrel smokers with the offset firebox.  Loved it.  I could line up 8 chickens for smoking.

Oddly, for as long as I have had an Egg, I have never smoked yardbirds.  No reason why not.  So, it was time to rectify.  2 birds, about 6 lbs each. 

Initial prep was simple.  Just a nice coating of Oakridge Game Bird and Poultry Rub.  I tied them up so they don’t go flopping all over the place.   

 

I had all afternoon, so no need to rush things.  The XL Egg was filled with Fogo Premium.  They don’t put Super Premium in the 8.8 lb bag for some reason.  I initially set the temp at 240.  A pan of beer sat below the bords to help maintain moisture.  I was mentally planning on about 4 hours.  It sounds long, but trust me, it works. 

I took a quick peek 2 hours into the cook.  The birds look virtually the same as they did when they went on.  But things are happening: the skin is starting to pull back on the legs.  Most of the beer in the pan has evaporated away.  I add a little more.   

 

 

 

Here’s a quick look at the setup.  I used a Flame Boss 300 to manage the Egg temperature.  More on that later. 

Once the breast temperature reads 160, I pull them off.  I used a digital thermometer to test the thighs, you want those a little warmer, about 170.  Also, use the thermometer to make sure that the reading you get from the Flame Boss probe is correct. 

Again, they do not look a whole lot different.  But they are definitely cooked.  All juices are running clear.  They are going to be immediately wrapped in heavy duty foil for a short while, so the internal temp will likely rise a degree or two. 

 

 

Back to the Flame Boss.  Below is a screenshot from the phone app.  Notice on the left how the Egg temperature increases to reach the target temperature of 240 and once it does it levels off immediately.  That’s what you want.  And, without the Flame Boss, you will not get. 

 

I changed the cook temperature a couple of times.  And the Egg tracked it perfectly.  Those downward spikes you see are when I opened the Egg and the pit temperature dropped. 

Sorry, no money shot.  But, the early indication of tenderness was when I pulled off the wing tip.  It practically fell off.  Absolutely perfect.  Both dark and breast meat are super tender and super flavorful.  The breast especially has that wonderful low and slow BBQ flavor, but not too much.  And so tender, my actually says it’s a little too juicy. 

I will take the criticism.