Spatchcock Chicken

[bbqpigskin]

What exactly does it mean to "spatchcock" a chicken? I know what one looks like, but how and why would one do it?

 

[VitaminQ]

Cut the backbone out and lay it flat on the grill. I use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone. I then cut out the keel bone from between the breasts. There's a good pictorial description on the virtual weber bullet site somewhere..

I do it because I get much better results that way, and a faster cook time. Plus, it makes for a really cool presentation.

 

[keale]

I don't know if this will help or not, but it was informative...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGQr8xmxRT0

 

[Norcoredneck]

Theres other videos out as well. I think there is one on a Weber grill that is good.

 

[tonto1117]

This is a good tutorial:

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/spatch.htm

 

[rookiedad]

why would anyone want to spatchcock a chicken anyway? i just cut the backbone out and cut them in half. they are alot easier to manage that way. is there a reason for spatchcocking, aside from the way it looks? thanks .

phil

 

[deez20]

Heres another video from the virtual weber bullet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-8tMEwBnSA

 

[Ron_L]

Spatchcocking makes a great presentation. The first You Tube video made me nervous. I was waiting for him to cut his hand. Kitchen shears are sooo much faster. Also, removing the keel bone as the Virtual Bullet site video shows makes the chicken lie flatter.

 

[ZBQ]

I agree Ron!! Especially when he turn his knife around and was cutting toward the neck!

I kept thiking "THAT is EXACTLY why I use poultry shears!"

I agree about removing the keel bone. The key to removing it is the little triangle shaped piece of cartalige.

I think the advantage to spatchcocking the chicken it will cook faster since there is no air cavity. At least that is what I have heard. When I do mine indirect on the OTG I place it so the legs are toward the charcoal.

Spatchcocking makes a great presentation. The first You Tube video made me nervous. I was waiting for him to cut his hand. Kitchen shears are sooo much faster. Also, removing the keel bone as the Virtual Bullet site video shows makes the chicken lie flatter.

 

[qman]

why would anyone want to spatchcock a chicken anyway? i just cut the backbone out and cut them in half. they are alot easier to manage that way. is there a reason for spatchcocking, aside from the way it looks? thanks .

phil

Doing the chickens in halves gives you the same cooking advantage as spatchcocking.

The only advantage to spatchcocking other than presentation is that if you are cooking a bunch of birds, you only have to handle half as many pieces during the cook.

 

[CarbonToe]

why would anyone want to spatchcock a chicken anyway? i just cut the backbone out and cut them in half. they are alot easier to manage that way. is there a reason for spatchcocking, aside from the way it looks? thanks .phil

I thought is was mainly to aid cooling it though uniformly and it keeps the two halves together so you get the whole chicken rather than two halves.

 

[backyardchef]

I thought is was mainly to aid cooling it though uniformly and it keeps the two halves together so you get the whole chicken rather than two halves.

It cooks more evenly, too. The dark and white meat finish at the same time. Generally.....Cooking halves or quarters is the same principle. Butterflying them makes cooking quantities alot easier, as was mentioned above, because you have less pieces to move.

 

[The Pickled Pig]

No matter how many times I try, I cannot say Spatchcock without smiling. What a great word. It is so much better than butterfly.

 

[icemn62]

The even cooking process was always my understanding, and the cool presentation when finished.

 

[Single Fin Smoker]

So much more fun shoving a beer can up a chickens ass for a good 3 hour smoke torture.

 

[swamprb]

That used to be the way I did my birds on the GOSM. 4 racks 4 birds

Brian

 

[thirdeye]

Using the same set-up as spatchcocking (raised direct), I do the Pollo al Mattone thing. I put the dark half on for 15 minutes, then turn it when I add the breast. The time difference allows them to be done at the same time. Instead of the brick, I just use my pizza stone. It heats up for 30 minutes while the fire gets established.

 

[ultramag]

So much more fun shoving a beer can up a chickens ass for a good 3 hour smoke torture.

Man, you sure know how to make dinner sound elegant. :wink:

 

[Bill-Chicago]

Heres a pretty good reference, for the early years

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6974

 

[ultramag]

Good link Bill. It's a shame I missed the early years. I could have contributed. Probably not much useful, but I could have contributed nevertheless.

BTW, I was spatchcocking when spatchcocking wasn't cool.