How many of us have woke up and wished they had one or more ingredients to make a meal? To be honest, it happens to us more times than we would like to admit. Monday morning was no different, we decided we should cook a chicken in the smoker for Memorial Day. In the past, we had to go to the store and pick up a whole chicken or desperately tried to defrost one in time. Not this year though.
9:00 am - Pick out Dinner
We walked down and selected a mature Cornish Cross rooster. This rooster we raised since he arrived in the mail at 1 day old. He controlled and monitored his intake and ensured he only consumed organically grown grains.
9:10 am - Dispatch, and Pluck
This bird was dispatched humanely and quickly to prevent prolonged suffering. Next the bird was dunked in 135 degree water for :30 sec to loosen all feathers and dirt. The chicken was then placed in our backyard plucker for :15 sec to remove all feathers. Next the bird was brought to the table for the removal of any remaining feathers and the feet.
9:20 am - Eviscerate and Dress
Next the chicken's internal organs were removed. We separated the kidney, heart, and neck and kept them as treats for the dogs. The chickens rinsed and inspected one last time for any pesky pin feathers.
9:30 am - Ice Bath Time
After the chicken was inspected into the ice bath it went. The ice bath allows the meat to rest and increases tenderness in the meat. On average we allow the chicken to rest at least 1 hour before removing from the ice water.
12:20 - Dry Rub and Seasoning
If we had more time, we like to let out bird sit in a salt-water brine at least 24 hours prior to smoking. This time though we added a chili-lime dry rub seasoning to the skin of the bird. The chicken was placed in the smoker at 225 degrees for 6 hours. This chicken dressed at 6 pounds.
6:30 pm - Time to Eat
The chicken was pulled from the smoker at 6:30 pm. The skin was crispy and golden. The meat was juicy and flavorful. Everyone at our Memorial Day gathering enjoyed the farm to fork chicken. Nothing gets fresher than this.
If you are interested in trying our fresh farm to fork chicken reach out and let us know. Get on the list now for our fall broilers. Chickens average around 6 pounds. Chicken sell for $5.50 a pound, and a $10 deposit is required to get your name on the list.