Brine, Cook, Eat - Chicken Thighs

Smiter Q · Aug 4, 2011

Brine, Cook, Eat. Had these thighs tonight. Juicccccccccyyy and Gooooood.

First my serrano pepper brine. Those are ALL serranos, no penos.
Looks like a frogs pond, but I think only cajun frogs would be able to sit in it. :-D

Do a down the middle indirect cook with Kingsford Blue and cherry wood chips. 1/2 way done.

NOW we are done. :clap2:

Served with some homemade salads. Yummm.

Thanks for looking! :thumb:

Chezmatt · Aug 4, 2011

Wow. Looks awesome. Care to share what you put in the brine?

Smiter Q · Aug 4, 2011

Hi Chezmatt,

Here is a complete cook thread with brine recipe. This is for wings, that was just posted 2 days or so.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=112751

Or... here is just the brine

SERRANO PEPPER BRINE
Per 1 quart of water
1/4 cup sugar(white this time though I have used brown)
1/4 cup of kosher salt
3 Tbs. of Worcestershire sauce
3 good sized Serrano peppers sliced very thin, seeds and all
1 Tbs of garlic powder
1 Tbs onion powder
1 tsp Old Bay(optional)
1 tsp of cayenne(can add a little more if you want)

What I do is add the sugar and salt in in the water then remove from heat as soon as it is. I do not usually boil it, as then it takes longer to cool down. Then I add in the sliced serranos and other spices as soon as the pan is off the heat. Let it come down to room temp. You can pour the brine into a glass or steel bowl to cool quicker if need be. Once it is room temp pour over the chicken in a plastic bag. Massage the chicken for a minute or two, then place in fridge for up to 4 hours. I go back after 2 hours and massage the chicken again, just to make sure that everything will have even exposure to the brine. This part may not be needed, but I find it a stress relief too!

If more brine is needed for a larger amount, just do an easy double of everything.

Enjoy!

Sammy_Shuford · Aug 4, 2011

Chicken Wings in the freezer, Jalapeno's on the counter, Friday Night here I come!

kitts21 · Aug 4, 2011

How spicey is this? It sounds good but I have never used serrano peppers before. I love chicken thighs by the way, great job

bondomerchant · Aug 4, 2011

ya never wanna underestimate a good brine:-D

Smiter Q · Aug 4, 2011

kitts21 said:
How spicey is this? It sounds good but I have never used serrano peppers before. I love chicken thighs by the way, great job

Thanks.

There is a little bite, nothing too bad, but I have been living in Texas for 11 years and eaten a fair few. It is NOT like a habanero. More like an upper level jalapeno with a brighter pepper flavor. If you can not find them, jalapenos probably can be substituted, but unlike jalapenos.. serranos always have heat where as penos are up and down. What I did for the cook on some of the thighs was lift the skin up, and place the slivered serranos under the skin. WOW.. these had the most flavor. The serranos absorbed chicken juices as it cooked, and blew me away with little flavor bombs. Little xtra heat too, but mostly more flavor. I will do this next time under all of them. The thinner the slice of the serrano, the better. Cut them to the thickness of a 1/2 silver dollar the most would be preferred. This allows more oils to get into the brine, and makes em fit nice and easy under the skin. If you want it really zapped up with heat, add crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne to the brine when under the heat to melt the salt and sugar. Remember, the brine will always taste stronger, saltier and hotter than the finished chicken.

kitts21 · Aug 4, 2011

Smiter Q said:
Remember, the brine will always taste stronger, saltier and hotter than the finished chicken.

That is unless you use table salt at the same measurment as you were supposed to use kosher salt. Because your silly farking noob a$$ didn't know better :icon_blush:. But thats how we learn though. Anyways, it sounds like a very tasty recipe and I am going to have to give it a try. Thanks :thumb:

Phubar · Aug 4, 2011

...need that for breakPhast!

SmokinAussie · Aug 4, 2011

Mmmmmm Damn Goooood! Love the brine!

deguerre · Aug 4, 2011

Geez! Where'd you find serranos that big? We only get the skinny ones around here.
Awesome looking thighs!

gtr · Aug 4, 2011

I'm pretty much thinking I'll never not brine chicken again. I usually do brine, and when I don't, I always wish I did. Great looking grub - I love thighs - as a buddy of mine says, chicken thighs are the champagne of meat!

Smiter Q · Aug 4, 2011

deguerre said:
Geez! Where'd you find serranos that big? We only get the skinny ones around here.
Awesome looking thighs!

You know how the saying goes.
EVERYTHING is BIGGER in TEXAS! :becky:

deguerre · Aug 4, 2011

Oh...go to the corner.

And kill some cockroaches while you're there.

Smiter Q · Aug 4, 2011

deguerre said:
Oh...go to the corner.

And kill some cockroaches while you're there.

LOL...... Seen one FLYING the other day in the yard.
About the size of the Flying Monkeys in The Wizard of Oz!
Picked up my dogs and ran in the house, afraid we were going to get carried off!

Now.. can we please leave the nasty buggers out of my chicken thread.

che22879 · Aug 4, 2011

That looks good! :thumb:

deguerre · Aug 4, 2011

OK, was that skin as bite through as it looks? I love the skin.

Smiter Q · Aug 4, 2011

deguerre said:
OK, was that skin as bite through as it looks? I love the skin.

Yes indeed it was. I keep meaning to take a photo of that to put in my threads.
Both the skin, and the juiciness of the meat that the brine brings.
But after the first bite....... EVERYTHING that I planned goes away and I become CAVEMAN CARNIVORE.

Now that you mention it, I will try to remember and use better impulse control. :thumb:

Smiter Q · Aug 4, 2011

gtr said:
I'm pretty much thinking I'll never not brine chicken again. I usually do brine, and when I don't, I always wish I did. Great looking grub - I love thighs - as a buddy of mine says, chicken thighs are the champagne of meat!

GTR, I am in the same line of thinking. I decided this myself this past year.
The benefits of brining are just too amazing not too. It takes a little forethought,
but well worth if done so. I have a few that I really like. Depending what you put in it,
you can make the chicken sweeter, hotter, spicier, Italian flavored, Mexican, etc.

cowgirl · Aug 4, 2011

looks so good!!!!

Brine, Cook, Eat - Chicken Thighs

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Got Wood.

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somebody shut me the fark up.

somebody shut me the fark up.

somebody shut me the fark up.

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somebody shut me the fark up.

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