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Erin
05-21-2012, 07:08 PM
Hello O-Wise-Ones :wink:
I am going to cook my spatchcocked chicken and found that I have a couple of questions. I removed the entire breastbone and cut the bird into two halves because the first video I found did it that way. After I did this I watched other videos and no other video did it this way. They left the breastbone and cartilage in. Now I am thinking that the breast meat will be more moist had I left it in. Any thoughts on bone in or bone out?
Thank you,
Erin

Gore
05-21-2012, 07:20 PM
If you're talking about just the solid bone in the middle, with the cartilage attached, then yes, I remove it. I leave the ribs in place. I think many people leave it in place because it takes a bit of force to cut through. Don't forget to post pics!

Erin
05-21-2012, 07:28 PM
Yes, just the solid bone and cartilage in the middle only and then I cut the bird in two pieces where that bone was. Is your breast meat ever dry without the bone? Do you know if leaving the bone in makes the breast meat more moist? This is my first spatchcock.

Mark M
05-21-2012, 07:29 PM
I must've found the same video on youtube that you did, which directed me to cut out the breast bone/cartilage and split the bird in half. Mine turned out great and I'm going to continue to cook them that way. The 2 parts were easy to handle on the grill versus one large piece. Good luck!

nucornhusker
05-21-2012, 07:41 PM
I cut out the spine, then once it is open I remove a small piece of bone from between the breasts so it lays out nicer.

Gore
05-21-2012, 07:50 PM
Looks like we all do pretty much the same thing. I don't have a problem with dryness this way. I have no idea how you'd get your chicken to lay out nice and flat if you didn't remove this.

coastrat
05-21-2012, 09:22 PM
I did my first Spatchcock on Sunday - cut in half like the video - and it turned out amazing.


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El Ropo
05-21-2012, 10:15 PM
I don't know what to call it "split spatch"? But I prefer to cut the whole bird in half, makes it easier to handle and easier to keep the dark meat towards the hottest part of the fire. Always turns out great for me.

Traditional spatch gives you one big floppy hunk of chix that is harder to manage.

Midnight Smoke
05-21-2012, 10:18 PM
I only remove the Backbone and with a sharp knife make a split in the Breastbone from the inside of the bird. Works perfect for me.

martyleach
05-21-2012, 10:29 PM
Should be no problem. For fun and a moister chicken try taking two bricks and covering them with foil. Put them over high heat as your grill is heating up. Lay them on top of the chicken. It cooks the top side and flattens the chicken.
Gotta have fun while you cook :)

mtbchip
05-21-2012, 10:45 PM
Should be no problem. For fun and a moister chicken try taking two bricks and covering them with foil. Put them over high heat as your grill is heating up. Lay them on top of the chicken. It cooks the top side and flattens the chicken.
Gotta have fun while you cook :)

I did that with a 12"x12"x2" concrete paver. Plopped it on the spatch and it cooked a bit quicker and "juicier"..... then again .....we ARE cooking in ceramic :wink:

gtr
05-21-2012, 11:44 PM
I cut out the spine, flip the bird (:heh:), cut into the cartilage at the top of the breast, and pull out the keel bone. Works great for me. I've been wanting to try that brick thing Marty's talking about.

I've been getting great results with brining overnight (I put a little rub in the brine), letting the chix sit uncovered in the fridge for a few hours, sweating 'em with seasoned salt (usually SM Season All), then sweating 'em with the rub, then cooking around 300-350 till I hit 165 in the thigh, rest a little, then eat. :hungry:

A mini WSM (Smokey Joe with tamale pot mod) is a fanfarkingtastic single chix cooker btw.

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/gtrbbq/photo-35.jpg

landarc
05-22-2012, 12:31 AM
LTNS Erin. I have cooked thousands of split chickens and there is no problem with splitting them. GTR gave you a good run down. They cook up great split.

Erin
05-22-2012, 04:31 PM
gtr that looks great. I will have to try the brick thing. All was going well on Traeger, but I accidentally let the pellets run out and to make the story short I had a small flash fire and tons of nasty smoke. I pulled the chicken off because it was very evident that that smoke was not good smokin' smoke. Rinsed it off, seasoned it and put it into the oven. I proceded to leave in oven too long and pulled it out at 185. Argh!!!! It just wasn't my night, but it wasn't for lack of trying! Thanks for to all for your advice.

DaveMW
05-22-2012, 04:38 PM
Get back on that horse and try it again another day. We all have failed making something. Good luck and let us know when you try again. :thumb:

gtr
05-22-2012, 04:45 PM
gtr that looks great. I will have to try the brick thing. All was going well on Traeger, but I accidentally let the pellets run out and to make the story short I had a small flash fire and tons of nasty smoke. I pulled the chicken off because it was very evident that that smoke was not good smokin' smoke. Rinsed it off, seasoned it and put it into the oven. I proceded to leave in oven too long and pulled it out at 185. Argh!!!! It just wasn't my night, but it wasn't for lack of trying! Thanks for to all for your advice.

Everybody here has at least one or ten stories like that! It's all good - try it again soon!

Wait till you go to clean your smoker one day and find the last run of chicken sitting in it cold and overcooked. :doh:

fingerlickin'
05-23-2012, 12:12 AM
Everybody here has at least one or ten stories like that! It's all good - try it again soon!

Wait till you go to clean your smoker one day and find the last run of chicken sitting in it cold and overcooked. :doh:

I thought you said you stopped partying?

I take the keel bone out. It's a bit of a PITA but if I get it started with my knife I can work my fingers around it and pull it out.

Tatoosh
05-23-2012, 12:44 AM
It would be nice to see a photo sequence about spatchcocking the bird, including removing the "keel" bone of the bird so it lays so flat. I just cut out the backbone at the moment, but would like a flatter bird if possible.

I've seen the idea of using bricks, foil wrapped pavers should work. I'd like to heat them and try that approach too!

GreenDrake
05-23-2012, 06:55 AM
To flatten it out, once you take out the spine and gently spread it, just take a paring knife and make a slight notch in the cartilage at the top of the breast bone, it will snap right down to flat. I then also just get my fingers under the breast bone and pull it out, when lucky I get the keel cartilage as well with it, if not, I just use the shears to slice the bird and not worry about it. Never had an issue with it either way. I prefer mine halved, easier to work with and present well when plated.

razrbakcrzy
05-23-2012, 09:02 AM
I do not remove the bones at the breast. I cut down either side for the spine with poultry shears and use a paring knife to score down the inside if the breast bone and snap it open from the back to break it along the score line,

After cooking I lay the bird on a cutting board and use my big cleaver placed gently against the breast boane from the fornt and push down to seperate the halves. Now I remove any loose bones... Just my way, maybe not the correct way...