Capon Help

BaltimoreCooking

I got home tonight and my wife told me that my platesetter arrived and that she went out and bought two five pound capons for the twelve people she invited to dinner tomorrow night. As it turns out, all of this was news to me. I guess my wife figured that I've been waiting for all of these accessories for so long, that I shouldn't wait any longer until I start using them.

The background is that I am a relatively new egger, and I've never cooked a full bird on my egg, just on my old style charcoal grill that started with a W. So, I could use some input on suggestions on what to do with these two capons. As it turns out, I only have one vertical roaster, so I will cook both horizontally in a v-rack. In addition to lump, I have cherry and pecan smoking shavings and hickory and mesquite chunks. I won't have hours to cook, so really low temp suggestions won't work this time around.

Help! Advice welcome. Thanks.

EdF

You can roast like you do in an oven. First prep the bird with whatever herbs, rub etc you might like. Then coat the outside with oil or butter. Have some on the side for basting.

Set up the fire at about 425 indirect using plate setter and a drip pan. Start it up, breast up for 5 or so minutes. Baste, turn on its side and baste the side. Let it go another 5 minutes, then baste, turn to other side and baste again. Let it run 5 minutes more.

At this point, you have to decide whether to keep the high heat or drop to 350 (probably makes more sense for 6 pounders). Adjust temp as you decide. Baste every 10 minutes or so from here on out.

When you've hit half the total roasting time (probably 2 hours for these guys, assuming they were at room temp when you started them), salt and flip to the other side again. Continue basting regime.

15 minutes before end of roasting time, salt top and flip so breast is up.

Follow the usual wasys of determining whether it's ready.

All this basting and flipping is a bit labor-intensive, and there are other ways of doing it, but the skin comes out good. And since you have to attend the thing, it's a good excuse to have a few beers while you're doing it.

EdF

Ah, I reread and see they're 5 pounders. Figure more like 1:45 total cook time.