Saiko
is One Chatty Farker
The Mission: Smoked chicken flavor, but with a crispy skin and a char like grilled chicken. Some firsts for me:
1) First time using high temps, going to hold at around 300 degrees.
2) Using WSM sand mod for first time. Makes for stable temps, but man it took a long time to get up there, guess it takes a lot of energy to heat up all that sand. Hit 225 pretty quick, but 300 took a while. For low and slow cooks, I think I am really going to like it.
3) First time saucing on the grates. I usually just hit everything with a glaze after I pull it, but this time I am going to try to get a little char on the sauce.
The Rub: Used my "kitchen sink" rub: 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup seasoned salt, 1/4 cup garlic salt, 1/4 cup celery salt, 1/4 cup onion salt, 1/2 cup paprika, 1/4 cup chili powder, 2 TBSP black pepper, 1 TBSP lemon pepper, 2 tsp rubbed sage, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp cayenne.
WSM Fuel: RO lump and apple chunks.
My Fuel: Avery 15 Anniversary Ale.
The Sauce: I don't think I've ever made the same sauce twice. Don't know what I call this, but it tastes pretty good. Added the honey as an after-thought when I thought it was missing something: 2 cups plus 2 TBSP ketchup, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3 TBSP yellow mustard, 1 TBSP onion powder, 1 TBSP garlic powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1 TBSP chili powder, 1 TBSP paprika, 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 TBSP honey.
Bottom Rack:
The Final Bounty: Little more char than I wanted, but that happens some times. I THOUGHT I sauced em on the grates when the thigh temp hit 175, that way the sugar and the honey in the sauce wouldn't have time to burn. However, after I sauced I check a couple of other thighs and they were only 160. Lesson learned: Next time check a few more thighs for temp before saucing. Would have been perfect if I had.
Tastes damn good though. Mission accomplished though, got the skin and char I wanted, along with a nice smokey chicken flavor. Thanks go to SoEzzy and a few other Brethren for the tips on high temp smoking.
Bonus shots - Spring time in Georgia means goldfinches and hummingbirds at the feeders:
1) First time using high temps, going to hold at around 300 degrees.
2) Using WSM sand mod for first time. Makes for stable temps, but man it took a long time to get up there, guess it takes a lot of energy to heat up all that sand. Hit 225 pretty quick, but 300 took a while. For low and slow cooks, I think I am really going to like it.
3) First time saucing on the grates. I usually just hit everything with a glaze after I pull it, but this time I am going to try to get a little char on the sauce.
The Rub: Used my "kitchen sink" rub: 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup seasoned salt, 1/4 cup garlic salt, 1/4 cup celery salt, 1/4 cup onion salt, 1/2 cup paprika, 1/4 cup chili powder, 2 TBSP black pepper, 1 TBSP lemon pepper, 2 tsp rubbed sage, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp cayenne.
WSM Fuel: RO lump and apple chunks.
My Fuel: Avery 15 Anniversary Ale.
The Sauce: I don't think I've ever made the same sauce twice. Don't know what I call this, but it tastes pretty good. Added the honey as an after-thought when I thought it was missing something: 2 cups plus 2 TBSP ketchup, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3 TBSP yellow mustard, 1 TBSP onion powder, 1 TBSP garlic powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1 TBSP chili powder, 1 TBSP paprika, 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 TBSP honey.
Bottom Rack:
The Final Bounty: Little more char than I wanted, but that happens some times. I THOUGHT I sauced em on the grates when the thigh temp hit 175, that way the sugar and the honey in the sauce wouldn't have time to burn. However, after I sauced I check a couple of other thighs and they were only 160. Lesson learned: Next time check a few more thighs for temp before saucing. Would have been perfect if I had.
Tastes damn good though. Mission accomplished though, got the skin and char I wanted, along with a nice smokey chicken flavor. Thanks go to SoEzzy and a few other Brethren for the tips on high temp smoking.
Bonus shots - Spring time in Georgia means goldfinches and hummingbirds at the feeders:
Last edited:
