Early Spring Cook-out
Brined & Smoked Chicken;

I love cooking out and trying different techniques and recipes so it should be no surprise that yesterday, while still chilly it was sunny and dry. A great day to fire up the ol' Weber kettle and do a little yard clean-up.
It just so happened that I pulled a 7,75 lb. roasting chicken out of the freezer last weekend and threw it into the fridge to thaw. I knew the missus would be off and I usually like to cook a decent meal for her days off.
Brine: 1/2 tsp. Thyme
2 tsp. cayenne
2 Tblsp chopped dehydrated garlic
1Tblsp. dehydrated onion
1 Tblsp. black pepper
1/4 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar
Add all the above to
2 quarts Water.
This recipe makes 8 cups of brine I cut the recipe in half a couple weeks ago and used half on some pork chops and stuck the remaining 2 cups in the fridge.
In a large stainless steel bowl that held the bird nicely I added the the brine almost covering the chicken.
Marinade the backside of the bird for 2 hours and then rolled it over and marinaded the breast side for 2 hours.
While my chicken was marinating I made,
Dirty Rice:
This isn't the actual recipe you'll find looking in a cook book or on line. One of our kitties was feeling poorly so I was making some bland rice and ground beef for her and figured "what the hell!" Make enough so I can spice some up and have it as a side with the chicken.
1 lb. ground beef
1 and 1/2 cup long grain white rice
3 cups water
Cooked on low flame 20 min. till the water is absorbed.
I ended up with about 6-8 cups of cooked rice and beef. Of that I used about 3 cups In a sauce pan I put;
1 Tblsp. bacon grease
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced green pepper
Saute the vegetables and when translucent add
3 cups cooked rice and beef
1 Tblsp. Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste.
Bring back up to temp and serve.
Back to the chicken

I used 36 briquettes total 18 at a time and soaked a hand full of apple wood smoking chips.
I fired up the charcoal and added the wet wood chips to create a wonderful smoke.
Total cook time was about 2 hours. At the half way point I threw some carrot planks on and refreshed the coals. I pulled the chicken off the grill when internal temp was 160°



I have made and used this brine several times and it never disappoints. The chicken came out tender, moist and flavorful with a slight smokiness.
Till next time,... Eat well and live large.