First Spatchcocked

Hoss

I have been reading the forum for a couple weeks.I tried my first spatchcocked chicken last nite.Meat was great but skin was gross.Should I brine first or cook @ higher temp?I went indirect @400 for about 1 hr 40 min.

tjv

-start with grade A bird, better chance skin is intact - no tears
-spatchcock
- add rub/seasoning under the skin, starting with each breast working fingers back to legs, don't be shy with salt or rubs, don't break the skin.
- raised grid
- direct set up
- dome temp 400ish
- start the bird skin side to begin the rendering
- after 5-10 minutes, depending on how the skin is progressing, flip bird over - skin side up
- during the cook, I may flip over again momentarily to hit the skin with direct heat or add a pan under the bird to go indirect to protect the bottom. Kinda depends on how things are progressing.
- done at 160 internal in breast and thigh

Last nights bird about 30 minutes in when I added foiled corn. I flip this bird couple times to help skin rendering before dropping in the pan to go indirect.

Hoss

Thanks!Yours looks GREAT!

Hoss

Thanks!Yours looks GREAT!

PhilsGrill

You're showing raised indirect with the drip pan.

tjv

yes, I start spatchcock cooks direct and may go indirect with the pan depending on how the cook is progressing. I like to keep the pan close to the felt line, makes for easy in and out with the pan.

At the end of some cooks, I'll go back to direct, skin side down again to finish the skin crisping. Playing with the pan and flipping the bird gives me something to do while drinking a beer, LOL. T