Follow a large holiday cook with overnight chicken brining, practical seasoning, a 275°F offset-smoker plan, efficient drumstick placement, and safe hot holding.
Published 2017-07-2316:0733,675 views in recorded analyticsUpdated 2026-08-05
What happens in this video
A holiday cook is a production job. The food has to be seasoned, loaded, monitored, finished, and held in a way that protects quality and safety for a crowd.
Mr. B brines chicken under refrigeration, builds a poultry seasoning with herbs and peppers, and runs the Shirley around 275°F. Drumsticks are alternated head-to-tail so the rack uses space more evenly.
The modern safety line is clear: brine at 40°F or below, verify chicken at 165°F, and hot-hold finished food at 140°F or above until service.
Mr. B’s Pitmaster NoteWork backward from serving time. The best crowd cook is the one that gives you a safe holding window instead of forcing every pan to finish at the exact same minute.
Food and fire safetyKeep poultry brine at 40°F or below and discard it after raw-chicken contact. Cook chicken to 165°F. Hold cooked food at 140°F or above and monitor the holding temperature.
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