Tuscan Rosemary Smoked Whole Chickens Recipes

GRILLED TUSCAN CHICKEN WITH ROSEMARY AND LEMON

Steps:

• Heat grill to medium. In a small saucepan, bring 1/3 cup water and rosemary to a boil; remove from heat, cover, and let steep 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender. Add oil and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth; let cool.
• Combine chicken and rosemary oil in a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag, and turn to coat. Cover, and let marinate at least 15 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator, turning chicken occasionally.
• Remove chicken from marinade; place on grill. Discard marinade. Cook, basting frequently with lemon juice and turning as needed to prevent burning, until cooked throughout, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with Grilled Zucchini and Squash.

TUSCAN PORK CHOPS (OR CHICKEN) WITH ROSEMARY

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, cover the sun-dried tomato pieces with chicken broth and madeira; bring to a boil, remove from heat and allow to stand about 10 minutes to plump the tomatoes.
• Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-heat.
• Add the pork chops and brown on both sides; remove from skillet and set aside.
• Add shallots and garlic to the skillet and cook briefly (till they become fragrant).
• Stir in tomatoes with the liquid and chopped rosemary.
• Return the chops to the skillet, cover tightly and cook over low heat (just simmering) for 5 to 6 minutes (longer as needed for chicken breasts) until they are cooked through.
• Remove the meat from the skillet to serving platter.
• Combine water and cornstarch; add to the skillet.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.
• Top the meat with the sauce and serve.

SMOKED WHOLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat a smoker to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Combine paprika, chili powder, cayenne, black pepper, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix completely with a fork until well combined.
• Spatchcock the chicken by placing chicken, breast side down, on a work surface. Starting at the tail end, cut along both sides of backbone with kitchen shears. Remove backbone. Grabbing hold of both sides of the chicken, open it like a book. Turn breast side up. Push down on each side of breast with your hands until you hear it crack. Flatten. Rub with the seasoning blend.
• Smoke until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, reads 140 degrees F (60 degrees C), about 3 1/2 hours. Turn up the heat to 350 to 400 degrees F (175 to 200 degrees C) and get direct heat on the skin to finish out with an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).
• Remove from heat, cover in foil, and allow to rest until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 10 minutes. Cut and serve.

SMOKED WHOLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prepare chicken for even cooking: Lay chicken on a flat surface, breast-side up. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut through the breastbone, then all the way down to the opening at the other end. Open the chicken like a book, exposing the cavity, and flatten it; the backbone should crack a bit, which is normal.
• Brine: In a 1-gallon container, combine water, salt, and sugar. Seal and shake to dissolve salt and sugar. (Alternatively, stir with a whisk.) Place brine into 2-gallon container, followed by the chicken; make sure the chicken is fully submerged. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15-24 hours, optimally 20 hours.
• Smoke the chicken: After chicken has been brining for 20 hours, light the smoker and heat to 250 degrees F. Remove chicken from brine, and place skin side up on a flat surface. Pat dry with paper towels. (Chicken will be about ½ pound heavier from absorbing brine.) Flip over and dry the other side.
• Sprinkle BBQ Spice Rub on both sides of the chicken, then rub it into the chicken, making sure the entire bird is covered. Place chicken onto the grill, cavity side down. Cover and cook undisturbed for 2 hours. Add charcoal and use vents as needed to maintain a temperature of 250 degrees F through the duration of cooking.
• After 2 hours, flip chicken over so it's skin side down. Cover and cook for 20-30 more minutes. (Removing the lid of the smoker will reduce the temperature, so bring it back to 250 degrees F by adding more charcoal.)
• After 20-30 minutes, check chicken for doneness by gently tugging on the legs. They should be loose, but not pulling away from the bird. A digital thermometer placed into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone, should register 165 degrees F.
• Carving the chicken: Cut chicken in half along the backbone. Cut each half in half again, so the breast and wing (white meat) form one serving and the drumstick and thigh (dark meat) form another. Serve.