Sweet Georgia Brown Smoked Yard Bird

Smoked chicken, Georgia style, is big, bold, and assertive, but the skin, although it is packed with flavor, is not crisp. I can show you how to fix this.

Makes 3 or 4 servings

Takes 1 to 3 hours to dry brine, 60 to 90 minutes to cook

• 1 (3- to 4-pound) chicken
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¼ cup Meathead’s Memphis Dust (page 167)

1. Prep. Split the chicken in half or cut it into 8 parts, sprinkle the pieces with salt, and dry brine in the fridge for 1 to 3 hours. Dust both sides thoroughly with the rub.

2. Fire up. Get your smoker up to 225°F or set up the grill for two-zone cooking and shoot for about 225°F on the indirect side.

3. Cook. Put the meat on the indirect side of the grill and add wood. Add less wood than you normally do. Chicken doesn’t need much smoke. After you’ve tasted the finished product, you can decide if you want to use more wood the next time you cook it. Smoke for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the temperature in the thickest part of the meat (without touching bone) is 145°F. Now fire up your grill as hot as you can get it, lid open, and move the chicken there, skin side down, and sear it until the internal temperature is 160°F and the skin is crispy.