Smoked Chicken with Butter Beans

Aug 04 2015

I seem to be getting more behind in my posting. My supper last night was nothing special but it all tasted so good I wanted to share it. I had a split fryer from my butcher that got brined for 10 hours.

I had some leftover jowl bacon and a ham hock that had some good meat left on it. I was hungry for some butter beans but not enough time to soak overnight so I used a can of butter beans and a can of cannelloni beans.

I had some tomatoes from my garden so made a favorite salad, tomatoes, cucumber, onions with vinegar and oil. I had a good loaf of bread to do on my Weber.

After the chicken had brined I put it in the fridge to air dry about 4 hours. I started my beans in my bean pot on my gas burner. I browned up the jowl bacon and then browned the ham hock some; I added the chopped onion to soften and then the drained beans and added enough chicken broth to almost cover. I brought it to a boil then turned the heat down to simmer.

When the beans were simmering I started my Traeger at 250 deg. As soon as it was settled down I seasoned the chicken with some Stubbs and on to smoke. After about 15 minutes I added the pot of beans to simmer along with the chicken. I had to add a little broth to the beans. I upped the temp to 275 deg., about 300 deg. at grill level; and added a temp probe to the chicken and took it to 185 deg. IT. I did the bread on my Webber while the chicken was cooking.  Total cook time for the chicken was just over 1 ½ hours.

I served the wife and me; she would not eat any of the good beans! We ate half the chicken, my wife had her usual breast and wing and I had the leg and thigh. She said it was awful good chicken, some of my best, moist and tender.

I thought that was my least amount of prep for chicken and it turned out great. For good chicken on a pellet grill I say the most important is to brine it at least 8 hours; rinse, dry and air dry in the fridge on a wire rack at least 4 hours. I prefer to have mine spatchcocked. Heat your pellet grill to 275 – 300 deg. grill level. Add chicken to the grill, you can spray a little olive oil on the grill first if you like. The next step to me is the most important, insert a temp probe in the breast and take to 180-185 deg. IT. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Some of you may think 180-185 is overkill; but I was tired of a little pink in the wish bone and not pull apart tender like I want for chicken.  Ever since I went to at least 180 deg. breast IT my chicken has gotten better. I use my grey thermopen to make sure all parts are up to temp.  If you brine first you will still get moist chicken and a skin that is eatable.

For the beans

Bacons on

Ham hock browned and onions added

All in and simmering

Ready for the smoker

Beans and chicken done

My salad

My supper