![\"Garlic](\"http:\/\/www.cooking-outdoors.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/IMG00137-20110717-1747-640x480.jpg\" "\\"Garlic")
<\/a><\/p>\nAs much as I would like to, you can\u2019t eat beef and pork all the time. This BBQ post is all about chicken, and awesome chicken. There is a technique to cooking poultry that elevates it from just an everyday piece of white meat to something spectacular. \n The Rotisserie<\/strong> \n The Grill<\/strong>
\nYears ago before refrigeration, people would pickle and brine meats to make them last through the long winters. Nowadays people brine to add flavors and enhance the juiciness\u00a0of meats. A few years ago I started brining poultry, and by poultry I mean either Turkey or Chicken. Much to the dismay of my wife I started my first brine on the Christmas Turkey, in order to convince her that this would not ruin Christmas, I had to cook 2, one of them brined, and one the \u201cregular\u201d way. Needless to say the brined turkey was a hit, and it was the first one completely devoured by our 10 guests. From that point on we have been brining every chance we get.
\nYou can do this on either a propane or charcoal grill, you need to set the grill up for indirect heat on the birds.
\nThe Brine<\/strong>
\nThe first thing you need is a good container to hold the brine and the birds. I use a cooler in the winter months to do this because you can set it outside and it keeps cool without freezing (depends on the temperature of course). For this recipe I used a large cooking pot, and put it in the refrigerator once the chicken is in the brine, as it is important to keep the food cool during the brining process.
\nBrine Recipe
\n4 litres of cold water
\n2 cups of kosher salt \u2013 do not use table salt
\n\u00bd cup of suger
\n1 crushed and chopped head of garlic
\n1 squeeze of lemon
\n2 tbsp rosemary
\n2 tbsp tyme
\n2 tbsp black pepper
\nOne good test to know if you have enough salt in the brine is that a raw egg will float when it reaches the right amount.
\nOnce you have the brine put together, add the whole chickens, cover and refrigerate. Leave in the brine for 4-6 hours, no longer than 8.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nAfter the birds have soaked in the brine for 4-6 hours, take them out, pat them dry and position them on your rotisserie. If you don\u2019t have a rotisserie that\u2019s ok, just ensure when you put them on the grill that they are not over the direct heat of the coals or the burners. One thing you do need to do is make sure you have positioned a drip pan underneath the chickens to catch the drippings, otherwise you will make a lovely grease fire on your grill that will coat the chickens in a filmy oily black coating \u2013 definitely need to avoid that.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nSet the grill up for indirect grilling, and get the heat up to about 400 F. At 400 F the birds will develop a nice golden crispy outer skin. The chicken will cook for about an hour and 15 minutes, give or take 15 depending on the heat of your particular grill. You should have a good meat thermometer for cooking poultry; you don\u2019t want to under or over cook them, undercooked is gross and will ruin your reputation, and overcooked is dry and will do the same. The chickens are done when the internal breast temperature is at 165F exactly.<\/p>\n