Ultimate Cheater Pulled Chicken

Name: Ultimate Cheater Pulled Chicken
Yield: makes 8 servings
Ingredients: 5 pounds chicken parts—pick-of-the-chick pack, leg/thigh quarters, breasts, or a combination, trimmed of excess skin and fat; 1/4 cup kosher salt; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 tablespoons cheater dry rub (you pick, pages 45 to 47); 1/2 cup bottled smoke

January 24, 2012

A crock of pulled smoked chicken is the original white meat’s answer to pulled pork. And because it’s chicken, it has endless uses in sandwiches, casseroles, soups and stews, tacos, and burritos. The key is having the chicken cooked, pulled, and ready to go; then you can bid farewell to that dried-out supermarket rotisserie bird. An hour in a simple saltwater brine adds moisture and freshens up the bird. We limit brining time for smaller cuts like chicken pieces and pork chops to an hour to keep the salt flavor under control. When we brine for longer periods, we usually go lighter on the dry rub or switch to Cheater No-Salt Dry Rub (page 47). To us, the best pulled chicken is all dark meat or a light and dark meat combination. If you use breast meat only, the meat will be stringier and noticeably drier. There’s nothing you can do about it except brine first and add sauce at the end.

Recipe notes

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