Cooking with Suhru: Cabernet Franc & Dry Rub Smoked Chicken

Cabernet Franc is one of the classic poultry pairings which is why you may have heard it recommended paired with Thanksgiving dinner! The rich red fruit notes and dried herbal quality that Cabernet Francs are known for lend themselves to being excellent pairing wines for turkey, chicken, and duck. While we all have our favorite family Thanksgiving turkey recipe, I wanted to take this opportunity to share our new take on the classic!

This past Spring our General Manager Shelby and her husband Brad bought a smoker which has revolutionized the way they cook! In recent months Brad has been smoking chickens to great success and is planning to try out this dry rub on a spatchcocked smoked turkey this Thanksgiving. (Spatchcocking is the removal of the backbone so that the piece of meat lays flat and cooks faster.) While still yet to be tested on a turkey, it is a proven winner when it comes to chickens!

Brad's Dry Rub Smoked Chicken

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup paprika
• ¼ cup coarse salt 
• 2 tablespoons black pepper 
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 whole chicken

Directions:

1. Pat your chicken dry inside and out with paper towels and allow it to temper on the counter for at least 15 minutes while you prepare your dry rub and smoker. 
2. To make your dry rub, combine brown sugar, paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in a bowl, whisk until well combined. 
3. Light your smoker and heat to at least 250°F.
4.  Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and rub it all over with oil. Next, season generously with the dry rub, including seasoning the cavity and then let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
5.  Place the chicken on the cooking grate, breast side down. Close the door and adjust grill temperature so that it remains at 235°F.
6. Do NOT open the door for at least the first hour.
7. After 2 hours of cooking, flip over your chicken.  Also, this would be the time to rotate positions if you are smoking more than one chicken. Continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.  Approximate cook time 3-4 hours.
8. When the chicken is done, remove it from the grill and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.

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