Smoked Rooster Recipe

by Danielle
(California)

Use butter under the skin to keep the breast moist.

Will a smoker work for a rooster?

I have some backyard roosters that aren't quite a year old that I am ready to part with. I processed their brothers at 18 weeks and wow- delicious! I've been warned that the older they get the tougher the meat gets and the only way to get edible tasty meat is to stew the heck out of it. Would smoking work? Could I just follow one of the game recipes? What would you suggest. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Answer

Smoking is a great way to tenderize meat because of the slow roasting process. If you want to further tenderize then look at my barbecue marinades section for some ideas. I guess that this depends and whether you want to do the whole bird or not.

I don't have a smoked rooster recipe to be exact but for sure, as the birds get older, the meat does get tougher. Having said that, I would have thought you'll be OK given that your roosters are under 12 months.

I usually work on about 45 minutes per pound at 225ºF or 110ºC but you may need to go a little longer (see this smoked chicken recipe). In other words your first may be a little experimental.

A few other tips:-

1. Don't eat the skin or try to crisp it - it will be like chewing leather
2. Before you cook, slip your hand under the skin taking care not to puncture it and insert some strips of butter (see picture of how I did this with a turkey). This will help keep the breast moist
3. Use a water bath. Because you may need to cook for longer than normal to tenderize the meat, you need to take every step to keep the bird moist.

Good luck and let me know how you get on.

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