bone-in breast is the best

[syndicate559]

If you can find them, I really think that bone-in chicken breasts are the way to go. They always cook up great for me. These brined for about 3 1/2 hours, sat uncovered in the fridge for about 45 minutes to dry, then into a 300 degree WSM for around 2 hours until a perfect 165. The skin crisped up pretty nicely, but we usually peel it off anyway. Perfect, super-moist chicken with awesome flavor and, on top of everything, HEALTHY!

[tamadrummer]

I agree in the case of boneless/skinless v. bone in skin on breast but when you take the whole bird into account, I prefer the thigh. Just so moist and flavorful every time and imho much more forgiving of my knack for getting involved in more than one thing at a time. Nice looking cook though. Did you do anything more than brine? Rub/season with anything in particular? What smoke wood did you use if any?

Oh, and you are right, it is really hard to find them bone in skin on. Save-a-lot has them on sale but they sold out right quick as soon as the ad came out.

[Rookie'48]

Good lookin' eats right there!

Was that just a simple water, salt and sugar brine or something special?

[syndicate559]

First of all, I'll be the first to admit that on taste alone, the best chicken breast in the world can't be a thigh or leg quarter. But my wife likes me to cook white meat a lot of the time, because she's really trying to watch what she eats (and I should be too), so I try to make the best tasting healthy stuff possible.

As far as my brine goes, I generally use the same ingredients, but don't measure. For chicken, I use regular iodized salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, some Tabasco or Frank's and that's usually it. I might throw a couple of chile peppers in now and then. Once I drain and get them dried a bit, I rub with canola oil and sprinkle with rub. I'll use a couple of my different home made rubs on chicken, but actually what I've really been enjoying on it lately is Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning. It's just salty enough, gives some heat to the outside of the chicken and everybody likes it around here. As far as fuel, I normally run a mixture of briquettes and lump in my WSM, with 5 or 6 chunks of apple wood. Today's charcoal mix was RO lump and Kingsford Blue and the chicken didn't go on until a 7-pound butt and a big pan of red potatoes had already been cooked.