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[pmillen]

I do plan to brine. In the past I have brined whole chickens and turkeys, but not smaller pieces of meat. How long should I go? Most of the stuff I have read says 4-6 hours, but I am thinking I may not need that much time.

Yeah, great question.  I've never brined cubed meat.

It seems to me that the larger the piece of meat, the longer the required brine.  So—It doesn't seem like small shish kabob pieces will need a very long brine.

This page says 30 minutes for boneless chicken pieces.

[Bentley]

When you say smaller, you mean quarters or cut up raw meat?  The quarters or even individual pieces I would treat just like a whole bird.  If you are gonna cut the pieces up before brining, no idea, never brined cubed meat.

[MysticRhythms]

This is based on my own initial thoughts, no expertise involved, so take it for what it's worth.
I would think that cut up pieces would deteriorate in a brine if left for any real length of time.
I could be way off base but that is what my initial thought would be.
Could you brine the whole piece and then cut up? I would think that this would produce a better end result.

[jdmessner]

I am going with leg and thigh chicken quarters. Even though the original plan was for chunks or strips, I gave up on that plan! I am trying to keep it simple.

[pmillen]

When you say smaller, you mean quarters or cut up raw meat?  The quarters or even individual pieces I would treat just like a whole bird.  If you are gonna cut the pieces up before brining, no idea, never brined cubed meat.

I was addressing cubed meat.  But, as I wrote, "I've never brined cubed meat."

Like you, I brine disjointed chicken pieces in the same way as I brine the whole bird.

I'd be inclined to brine shish kabob pieces (cubed) for ½ hour.

[pmillen]

I would think that cut up pieces would deteriorate in a brine if left for any real length of time.

There's nothing in a cold brine that would cause fowl to deteriorate.  Brines are salt water (preservative) plus whatever other flavors the cook is trying to infuse.

Marinating for an extended period may cause food to soften because marinades often contain a mild acid.

[Bar-B-Lew]

I have marinated cubed boneless, skinless chicken breasts in Lawry's Caribbean Jerk marinade over night and then smoked at 250° for an hour or so and it was some of the most flavorful chicken that I ever made.  Better than doing the same thing with whole cut.

[pmillen]

I have marinated cubed boneless, skinless chicken breasts in Lawry's Caribbean Jerk marinade over night and then smoked at 250° for an hour or so and it was some of the most flavorful chicken that I ever made.  Better than doing the same thing with whole cut.

 

That marinade has vinegar, lime juice and papaya juice.  They're all tenderizers.  It seems that overnight would be too long, but it's obviously not for your taste.

Lawry lists it as a 15-minute marinade.

[jdmessner]

The picnic was last Sunday and overall it was a success, but not without it's trials and tribulations! Brining the chicken was the saving grace, it was moist and juicy, people commented on how tender it was.

I had 80 pounds of chicken quarters. The goal was to keep it simple by cooking them at home early Sunday morning and keeping them warm in cambros until it was time to serve. I pulled out the Trager and the Louisiana around 3:30 a.m.

Since it was brined, I did not put a dry rub on it like I normally would, because I did not want the extra salt. I figured I would just mop some BBQ sauce on it toward the end of the cook and call it good. Both grills had issues with flameouts, something I haven't really had to deal with unless the grill was out of pellets (not the case that day). I was able to get them going again OK, but it was two extra steps and extra time I did not anticipate dealing with. I had a tight schedule as it was. When it was time to mop, I could not find the jug of BBQ sauce. It disappeared, still have not found it. I did not have the time, patience, or energy to get more. I thought about using melted butter, but I had too many other irons in the fire and thinking about it was as far as it got. 

I love using the cambros. The chicken was piping hot after pulling it at 8 am and serving it at noon. The skin was not crispy, but it had a nice color on it. At this point I think people have pandemic fatigue (no matter what their thoughts are one way or the other) and are just glad to be able to eat together in a group without worrying about masks! I am not sure it would have mattered what was served. The chicken was kind of bland, but it had a little smoke flavor and was hot and moist.

All together I think we served between 60-70 folks. I had baked beans, applesauce, and chips on the side. People brought a ton of different desserts.

My wife had my phone, so there are no pictures. All in all, a good day!

[pmillen]

The picnic was last Sunday and overall it was a success, but not without it's trials and tribulations! Brining the chicken was the saving grace, it was moist and juicy, people commented on how tender it was.

All in all, a good day!

Yay!

[Bentley]

Glad to hear of the success with a couple of bumps.

[Kristin Meredith]

Sounds to me like it was a success, but maybe you could use a sous chef for future cooks to help with those last minute things!

[Bar-B-Lew]

Another job well done.