# Question about timing for smoking butterflied chicken?



## AllenOK (May 30, 2005)

I was wondering if smoking a butterflied chicken is quicker than smoking a whole bird?  The mass is the same, but it's of a more uniform shape, and you don't have to worry so much about fluids building up in the body cavity.  Has anyone tried this?  I may try it the next time I smoke a chicken.


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## Andy M. (May 30, 2005)

I've never done it myself, but thinking about it logically, it would seem that it would smoke and cook faster butterflied as more of the chicken's surface area is directly exposed to the smoke and the heat.


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## htc (May 31, 2005)

Allen, you've been on a roll smokin' meats! Did you just get a new smoker? Or is it summer that has been inspiring you?  I've yet to use the electric smoker I borrowed from my Dad. Hope to use it w/in the next couple of weekends!


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## AllenOK (May 31, 2005)

I try.  My time is very limited, between my work schedule, and home schedule (small children, other activities, etc.).  I'd LOVE to be able to smoke up a brisket, or pork butt, but I just don't have the 8 - 10 hours required to do a really good job.  And, PeppA doesn't really go for something that's been smoked more than about 4 hours. It's to strong of a flavor for her, as she wasn't raised on the stuff, like I was.

I'm thinking that maybe, what I need to do, is get the brisket or pork butt, smoke it for four hours or so, take it out of the smoker, wrap in plastic wrap, then in foil, and put it into the oven, @ 250°F, for the remainder of the cooking time.  This ought to keep it moist enough so the connective tissues break down (PeppA doesn't understand about that yet, as many times as I've told her), and give it enough of a smokey flavor to make me happy, but not so much that she won't touch it.

I received an electric smoker back in March from a co-worker.  That's what I've been using lately.  I've got a couple ideas to modify it slightly, to increase the shelf-space inside, as well as make it easier to load it with more wood, so I don't have to feed it every 30 minutes.

I also just bought a huge charcoal grill, that can double as a smoker.  I'm thinking about sending off for the optional side-mounted firebox so I can use the entire main cooking area to smoke foods in.

I got a wild hair up my rear about doing this, since there is NO good BBQ restaurants around here.  That's what I get for moving north.


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