Cornish Game Hens on the Pit Barrel Cooker (NOW WITH PICS!)...

[The Tradition]

That's the plan for tomorrow.

I have three birds in the brine right now. The brine consists of salt (obviously), brown sugar, thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, granulated garlic, and the secret ingredient: two quartered Red Rhode Valencia oranges from my yard tree.

The birds will swim for about 4-5 hours and I'll take them out of the brine (reserving the oranges), rinse them, pat them dry, and then put them on a rack in the fridge before I go to bed. This will help ensure the skin gets crispy.

Tomorrow, I will rub them down with mayonnaise and a heavy coat of Bone Suckin' poultry seasoning and a light second layer of Weber Kickin' Chicken seasoning. The orange slices from the brine will be stuffed into the cavities.

I have these skewers for the PBC that are perfect for these hens.

I will tie the legs together and run the skewers from the back to the front, so the legs and thighs are hanging closest to the fire.

I also made some Alabama White BBQ Sauce for this occasion. I can't wait! This is gonna be awesome!

 

[Fijimn]

You got to watch them because they have zero fat but all the weird areas of a bird.

 

[The Tradition]

You got to watch them because they have zero fat but all the weird areas of a bird.

That's why I wet brined.

 

[Nipigu]

Not a fan of Cornish hens, quail, or pigeons. Too little return on investment.

 

[The Tradition]

Not a fan of Cornish hens or pigeons. Too little return on the investment.

Dude! It's like your own personal chicken! It's awesome!

 

[Nipigu]

Dude! It's like your own personal chicken! It's awesome!

lol....too much work to cook and pick at to eat only to need a sandwich afterward. Enjoy!

 

[The Tradition]

lol....too much work to cook and pick at to eat only to need a sandwich afterward. Enjoy!

You could also eat two hens, fatty.

 

[swagsurfer02]

Why’s it gotta be white BBQ sauce?

 

[The Tradition]

Why’s it gotta be white BBQ sauce?

Because it's made with mayonnaise.

 

[swagsurfer02]

Because it's made with mayonnaise.

White people

 

[The Tradition]

White people

Don't be a hater. It's guuuud on smoked chicken.

 

[swagsurfer02]

Don't be a hater. It's guuuud on smoked chicken.

Don’t talk to me about good chicken

 

[The Tradition]

By popular demand, HERE ARE THE PICS!

Chillin' in the fridge:

Ready for the smoker:

Hangin' in the Pit Barrel Cooker and lookin' good!

Finished product:

THIS was OUTSTANDING, y'all.

The meat was juicy and flavorful and the oranges really kicked this up a notch. The skin was not rubbery with a nice bite through. The Alabama White Sauce was out of this world on this chicken.

Man... what a meal.

It was in the mid-90s here at Tradition Manor and I was worried that the sun beating down on the PBC would cause the temps to spike, but no worries. That barrel ran like a champ between 250 and 280 for the entire cook. Greatly impressed on how it performed today.