Spacthed, brined, rubed chicken on BGE: Any suggestions?

jjdbike

Hey everyone,

I've been enjoying beef on the BGE. 1st time in what feels like years I'm doing chicken. Seriously, years... 

I got two small free-range, slow growing birds. Spatchcocked them. I actually removed all of the bones except distal - inferior drumstick bones & wing bones to make it easier to serve to guests. I rinsed them and brined them for 12 hours w/ some seasoning and spices Thursday night. Then Friday morning I rinsed them well again to remove any excess surface salt. I patted them dry with towels and laid them out on a cooling rack in the fridge for a day and a half to dry out the skin. Today, I'm thinking mid-day I'll, oil the skin and rub them w/ Meat Church Deez Nuts pecan rub. Gonna cook them on the BGE indirect w/ apple chunks. For tonight I'm thinking about cooking them at 350. Once bark is set, moping them w/ melted butted w/ some honey to glaze the skin. Take them to 170 in the drums. Pull, wrap & rest in warm cooler for 45 - hour.

My balancing act is to render the fat, get the dark meat to temp (texture), and crisp the skin w/out burning the sugar in the rub or drying the white meat. My other concern is, if I rub too soon (i.e. to let seasoning - salt permeate) will it be too salty because it's been pre-brined? 

Gonna serve quartered chickens w/ mashed potatoes, haricot verts sautee'd in bacon & slivered almonds, and several barbecue sauces on the side (i.e. Carolina Gold, Alabama White, & Kansas). 

Sound about right? Any suggestions?

JD

jjdbike

I know 350 is a little low for crisping skin. I'm hoping the brine and drying will help that. Also hoping the butter - honey glaze will help too.

I'm going to build a really small fire (small amount of coals). It's a short cook. Plus, I want to do my best to maximize circulation (air flow) to help keep apple chunk smoke clean and help crisp skin. 

Does this logic hold up?
JD
P.S. I'm looking forward to picking up a used KBQ tomorrow. That'll be the start of a whole new journey of burning sticks.

Money_Hillbilly

@jjdbike asking how to cook chicken on here is equivalent to asking about lump, 100 different opinions.  My preferred method is brined and dried as you described.  I go raised direct high in the dome @400-425 until the breast hits 155.  The legs and thighs can go over temp without any problems but the breast cannot.  Don’t see a need to hold them after grilling.  You will get potato chip skin at the higher temp. If you tent you will sacrifice the skin and make it soft and soggy.