Smoking birds at Barn and Company

July 19, 2013 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Gary Wiviott knows his way around a smoker, but unlike a lot of other pitmasters, the man behind the slow-cooked meat at Barn and Company in Lincoln Park tends to lean awfully hard toward chicken.

"Poultry is my passion. I love, absolutely love chicken," he said.

And he loves that he's figured out a better way to smoke it, mainly by breaking the leg and tucking the breast beneath it.

"What this does is it lets the heat into the thigh a little quicker so it cooks along the same speed as the breast. I move the leg up, over the breast to cover it, so it further protects it, further slows it down," said Wiviott.

The rub is a combo of salt, brown sugar, coarse black pepper, oregano and thyme.. plus some guajillo and pasilla chiles. Into the smoker for about three hours, then when they're removed, a bit more cooking.

"Because at the low, slow temperature the skin isn't crispy, we paint them with a little bit of sauce...put 'em on the live fire grill and crisp up the skin," he said.

And once the skin is crisped-up, the chickens are served with 'slaw, fries or crispy tater tots. Wiviott is rarely shy - or bashful - when it comes to his prized poultry.

"Our chicken, without a doubt, flat out, is the best low/slow-smoked chicken in Chicagoland," said Wiviott.

And not to be overlooked, the wings at barn and company, also brined, rubbed and smoked, then deep-fried, for a pretty great tasting wing experience.

Barn and Co.
950 W. Wrightwood
773-832-4000
http://www.barnandcompany.com/

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