1head of garlicbroken down into individual cloves, peeled and smashed
1 ½cupsKosher salt
1 ½quartswater(12 cups)
Instructions
Brine the Chicken:
Mix all of the ingredients of the brine solution together. Stir well, until all of the salt has dissolved. This will take a minute or two of stirring.
Place the whole chicken inside a plastic Briner Bucket, zip-top bag, or plastic container.
Pour the brine solution over the chicken, making sure there is enough solution to cover the entire bird. Lock the lid of the briner bucket into place and place the lid on. Alternatively, seal the bag allowing as much air to escape as possible.
Brine for 12 hours or overnight.
Fire Up the Grill and Prepare for Rotisserie:
Prepare the grill for indirect heat. For long cooks, David loves using the snake method (also known as the fuse method) for longer cooks on the Weber kettle. It’s easy to control and practically maintains itself with consistent heat without having to tend the grill.
To cook using the snake method lay a chain of charcoal in a half-circle along the outer edge of the grill. There should be 3 layers with 2 charcoals on the bottom with one charcoal on top. Place a chunk of mesquite wood every few inches along the top of the “snake”.
Turn the charcoal chimney upside down and light only a small handful of charcoal. When the charcoals are hot, drop them onto one end of the “snake” to start the cook.
Drain the Chicken:
While the grill is heating up, prepare the chicken for smoking. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Turn the brine out into the sink and collect the garlic and herbs, placing them back inside the chicken cavity.
Truss the Chicken:
Trussing the chicken will help retain its shape and keep it from flopping all over the place while turning the rotisserie.
Truss the chicken with butcher’s twine. (see video for demonstration)
Place the Chicken on the Spit:
Place the spit through the chicken. Ensure that the chicken is secured as close to the center as possible. This will allow the spit to turn smoothly and will not tax the motor on the rotisserie.
Once you have it centered clamp the chicken down and try to turn it by hand to get a feel for how it will spin on the rotisserie.
Smoke the Chicken:
Place the hot coals at the beginning of the “snake”. Then secure the spit on the rotisserie, flip the switch! Watch the chicken twirl a few times to ensure it’s secure and rotates smoothly. Put the lid on and start smoking!
Low and Slow…
About 1 ½ hours into the smoke, remove the lid and check on the chicken. Take a look at the color and make any adjustments needed to the coals and wood at this time. Place the lid back on and keep on cooking.
The chicken is done when the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees within the breast area and about 170 degrees within the thighs (thickest parts). Most pitmasters will pull the chicken off about 160 and expect carry-over heat to finish taking it up to the ideal done temperature. We tend to pull ours off at 170 to ensure it's done all the way through and so tender it nearly falls apart.At about 2 ½ hours in, remove the lid and stop the rotisserie. Use an instant-read thermometer to take the temperature reading from the breast and the thigh area. This will give you an idea of how much more time is needed to cook the chicken.
Baste the Chicken:
During the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking, melt about ½ stick of butter in a small saucepan.
Baste the chicken with butter every 10 minutes or so. This will help crisp up the skin a little. Caution: Be careful not to spatter too much butter onto the coals as the butter will cause them to flame up.
Remove the Chicken and Allow It To Rest:
All the spinning and cooking has made this chicken tired. Turn off the rotisserie and carefully remove the chicken from the grill. Remember that spit is hot so wear some gloves to protect your hands.
Place the chicken onto a cutting board. Remove the spit and forks from the chicken. Tent loosely with foil and allow the chicken to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
Carve and Serve:
Use poultry shears to cut up the smoked chicken for serving.
Notes
Tips for Brining: If possible, it’s helpful to mix all of the ingredients of the brine solution in a clear bowl so you can make sure all of the salt dissolves before adding the chicken.Mesquite Wood: The brine solution and mesquite complement each other very well but feel free to use whatever wood you like.Temperature: As always, it is more important to cook by temperature than by time. We found that smoking a chicken between 225 and 250 degrees F will take about 1 hour per pound. You can crank the heat up a bit, and the chicken will cook faster, but it probably won't be as tender and juicy.
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