APPLEWOOD FOR SMOKING MEAT RECIPES

Steps:

• Put the kosher salt and poultry seasoning in a large reusable and sealable container or a plastic freezer bag. Add the chicken thighs, then add enough water to submerge the chicken, seal the container, shake it around and put in the refrigerator. Let brine for 45 minutes or so (letting brine too long will make it hard to have crispy skin).
• While your chicken brines, start your smoker or grill and control your temperature at around 250 degrees Fahrenheit. If using a grill, you will be using one burner and setting your chicken on the opposite side of the lit burner, to capture indirect heat and smoke. Before you light the burner, add a few apple wood chunks underneath the grill grates and above the deflector plate, if possible. Otherwise, just set the wood chunks directly on the grill grates. As the grill heats up, so will the wood and it will start to smolder slowly. If your wood chunks are in flames, your grill is too hot. A few chunks should last for your whole cook time.
• In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the chili powder, sugars, four tablespoons of salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper. This is your chicken rub.
• Pull the chicken out of the brine and dry. Trim the excess skin off the edges of each thigh using kitchen shears. Apply chicken rub evenly to the bottom side of each thigh and flip them over. Using your thumb to get between the skin and the meat, and being careful not to pull the skin entirely off the thigh, create an opening and apply rub directly onto the thigh meat underneath the skin. Apply rub evenly on top of the skin of each thigh.
• Place stainless rack into the aluminum cooking tray. Place chicken thighs skin side up onto the rack and space evenly so they do not touch. The cooking rack should lift the chicken off the bottom of the aluminum pan allowing smoke to get underneath the chicken. If cooking on a kettle grill, as a moisture insurance policy, you can add the water-apple juice mixture to the aluminum pan. Just make sure there is still space between the grates and mixture so smoke can get underneath the chicken.
• If you are using a grill, you will place the pan on the opposite side of your lit burner to cook indirectly. If you are using a barbecue kettle, place the pan on the opposite side of the coals.
• Note the time: Depending on the ambient temperature and your cooking apparatus, total cook time should be two to two and a half hours. Grab your favorite beverage or book and relax outside for an hour. Resist the urge to open your cooker. Control temperature with the smoker dampers or fuel dials.
• Butter spritz time: When you eat chicken thighs, you want bite-through skin, not rubbery skin that pulls off all at once. So after one hour of cooking and every 15 minutes thereafter, you will want to spritz the skin lightly with butter. Also, use this first spritz interval to inspect things visually in your cooker and make any tweaks to the pan position, wood chunks, vents, etc.
• At the two hour mark, take a quick temp check. You are looking for an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (and you should be pretty close). You can gauge the rest of your cook time from that point.
• If you are at 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the skin starts to firm up and look crisp (not burnt), you are in good shape; time to apply your favorite barbecue sauce. I like to get a big bowl of sauce and some tongs, carefully grab a whole thigh, quickly dunk it in the sauce and return it to the pan. When dunked, the glaze sets evenly and the presentation is consistent and clean. Or, if you are not trying to impress anyone, simply brush your sauce onto the chicken.
• After the thighs are glazed, crank up the heat. This will help the glaze set and crisp the skin. Some folks like to put the chicken directly onto a hot grill to finish (which I sometimes do), but if you know your cooker well, you will know how to crank up the heat and position the hood to force the air flow back down onto the chicken almost like a broiler (which is also an option in the oven if you want to cheat). Keep in mind the chicken is at temperature, so you are just setting the glaze and further crisping the skin. Don’t burn or dry out the food you just spent hours cooking!
• Once the glaze is set, pull the chicken off the cooker. Let the chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes and serve.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl combine the Brown Sugar (1/4 cup), Kosher Salt (1/4 cup), Honey (1/4 cup), Cayenne Pepper (1 teaspoon), Smoked Paprika (2 tablespoon), Ground Cumin (1/2 teaspoon), and Curing Salt (2 teaspoon), stirring until well mixed.
• Rinse the Pork Belly (5 pound) with cool water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Place the belly in the plastic bag and add half of the curing mixture to the top of the belly. Use your hands to rub it into the flesh, evenly coating. Flip over and rub the remaining curing mix onto the other side of the pork belly.
• Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Place the pork into a shallow baking dish, to catch any leaks and refrigerate. Flip the belly once a day for the next 7-10 days.
• Remove the pork belly from the cure and thoroughly rinse the pork. Use several paper towels to COMPLETELY dry the pork belly on all sides. Place a rack over a baking sheet and rest the pork belly on the rack. Refrigerate uncovered for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight.
• Now at this point, the bacon has cured. It can be sliced and cooked and will be absolutely delicious, but it won't have that smoky flavor that we all associate with bacon. To achieve that flavor, you have to smoke your pork belly.
• Add 3 cups of Wood Chips to a large bowl and fill with water. Submerge them in the water by placing a plate or some other weighted surface on top of the chips pressing them into the water. Soak for an hour.
• Meanwhile prepare the smoker according to your manufacturer's instructions. Preheat the smoker to 170 degrees F (75 degrees C). Add wood chips according to the manufacturer's directions.
• Place the pork belly directly on the grate and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F (65 degrees C). This will take 3-4 hours depending on how large of a pork belly you have.
• When the bacon is cooked, transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• To cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top of it. Set aside.
• Use a long, thin, sharp knife to slice the bacon. Lay the slices on the wire rack next to each other, but not touching.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (maybe longer depending on how thick your slices are) or until crisp.
• Transfer to a platter lined with paper towels.
• Serve and enjoy!