Kosher Chicken

scruffy1

A question for Jewish Eggers. In order to kosher-ize chicken or any other meat it is always heavily salted as part of the process. Smoked chicken should spend the night in brine before smoking. Since the meat is already salty salty will the brine bath make it uneatable. Should the brine contain less salt?

fishlessman

my best results with kosher turkey is no brine, would assume chicken to be the same

Killit_and_Grillit

I’m not an expert on the process (someone will come along and attest to my heathen ways shortly I’m sure) but my dad’s kosher chef at his work explained the process to me last year. (I thought it had more to do with the salt but apparently it was more focused on the blood) 

Im think all you really need to do is clean the bird, drain the blood and get the feathers off, then soak the bird for half an hour in water. Afterwards hit the bird with kosher salt, then let rest for an hour. Then you can rinse the salt off. 

So in theory, you could buy an organic bird so it’s not already packed in a ton of salt, do the kosher thing, then brine the bird after. 

Killit_and_Grillit

But yeah like @fishlessman said you absolutely do not have to brine to smoke a chicken. 

If youre dead set on it I would rinse that bird good or it may end up like a salt lick. 

HeavyG

Are you starting with an actual kosher chicken - one that has been properly slaughtered/inspected?

Killit_and_Grillit

Ok, curiosity got the better of me. 

I called my dad. He was with the school rabbi and the cchef about to sit down in a meeting. 

Apparently the real real question is “how kosher are you keeping?” 

I have way too much info to type. PM me and I can give you a walk through tomorrow of what they told me.  

HeavyG

http://www.thaikashrut.com/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/980989/jewish/An-Explanation-of-What-Makes-Food-Kosher.htm