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Spatchcock Experiments: skinless AND fresh herbs (suggestions appreciated)

BeaumontyBeaumonty Posts: 185
in EggHead Forum
I have made enough spatchcocked chickens with the skin that I am ready to branch out.  Skinless seems like a nice new direction for health and level of difficulty reasons.  I am doing two since I just got a grill extender and can do two level now.  One with rub/oil and one with fresh herbs since we grow our own herbs and because that's my specialty with skin-on.

The basic recipe is to remove skin and apply oil and rub.  Let set for 5 hours, cook indirect at 375.  

The herb recipe is....no idea.  I don't really know how applying oil, basil and chopped garlic is going to work out without the skin.  I'm tempted just to experiment with two different rubs ( make the second garlic salt and pepper) and just add a finishing-type sauce towards the end to carmelize.  Probably Sweet Baby Rays (kids love the sweet).

If anyone has suggestions on temp/method, I would appreciate it.


Comments

  • BotchBotch Posts: 6,100
    This month's issue of Cook's Illustrated did a bunch of experiments with skinless chicken on the grill, recommended!  
    _____________________________________________
     
    Live fast, die young, and leave a well-marbled corpse.  
     
    Ogden, Utard.  
  • jlsmjlsm Posts: 980
    Try rosemary and sage minced very finely with salt and garlic. I add the mix to oil and let it steep for a bit, then rub the bird and cook. 
    *******
    Owner of a large and a beloved mini in Philadelphia
  • Hi54puttyHi54putty Posts: 1,872
    I have been doing all of our chickens without the skin. I apply rub directly. No oil. They are always great and I think have better flavor.
    XL,L,S 
    Winston-Salem, NC 
  • Charlie tunaCharlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    I am going to have to try this -- we usually throw the skin away after serving it..
  • Hi54puttyHi54putty Posts: 1,872
    Charlie tuna said:

    I am going to have to try this -- we usually throw the skin away after serving it..

    I think you will be pleased. I was tired of throwing away the skin with all the flavor on it.
    XL,L,S 
    Winston-Salem, NC 
  • berndcrispberndcrisp Posts: 1,062
    The worst it can  be is wrong. Off the EGG it will still be great!
    Hood Stars, Wrist Crowns and Obsession Dobs!


  • cortguitarmancortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    Hi54putty said:

    Charlie tuna said:

    I am going to have to try this -- we usually throw the skin away after serving it..

    I think you will be pleased. I was tired of throwing away the skin with all the flavor on it.
    I 100% agree. It's the only way I do mine now.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • biznorkbiznork Posts: 112
    I've never understood why you put rub on the skin if you're not going to eat it.
  • JRWhiteeJRWhitee Posts: 4,393
    I never cooked one skinless so I cannot offer anything but I am interested in your outcome. Good luck.
                                                                        
    _________________________________________________

    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
  • calikingcaliking Posts: 10,737
    Have been making skinless chix for a while now. Always comes out great. You can try cutting a gash in the meat where it is thickest and rub some spices/seasoning in. I cook to an IT of 160ish then pull and rest for a bit before serving.

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • fletcherfamfletcherfam Posts: 932
    I have been doing skinless and everyone absolutely loves it, I put coconut oil on it prior to putting rub on.
  • BeaumontyBeaumonty Posts: 185
    The results are in on the chicken.  I don't think I'll go back to skin.  We simply don't eat it (unless it's on the wing, more on that later). 

    I had some nice whole chickens in the 4.5# range.   The skinning is sort of the hard part since there's no real easy, quick, non-messy way to do it.  I cut out the backbone first, so I think next time I will skin it first.  Plus, by the time you slice the skin off the thighs, they effectively separate from the breasts (after cutting out the backbone).  For ease and because they are so thin, i left the skin on the wings.


    So, I had a funky looking thighless chicken breast, sort of half-quartered since I didn't split the breasts.  Here it is with a drizzle of olive oil and rub:



    imageI let them set in the fridge this way for about three hours.  Here they are on the new grill extender:

    imageI chose to put the breasts on top since I thought the thighs needed more heat straight from the plate setter and would keep the breasts a tad lower in temp since I wanted to pull them at the same time.

    That is how it turned out.  I pulled the breasts at 165 and the thighs at 180.

    I made a few miscalculations.  I used tongs to shift it around.  The oil/rub mixture scraped off really easily.  Next time I'll use by pig tail food flipper and I'll probably split the breasts.

    I also started brushing sauce on one of them toward the last half hour to caramelize.  

    The flavor was outstanding.  Very juicy and very flavorful.  So good, that I think I'll do as as @caliking suggests and make a cut in the thick part of the breast to get more rub in it.

    I may also drop the oil from the rub mixture on one bird (and try coconut oil on the other).  either way, i don't think I will cook with the skin on anymore...except the wings.  I'm not a barbarian.
    :))
  • Charlie tunaCharlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    fletcherfam said:
    I have been doing skinless and everyone absolutely loves it, I put coconut oil on it prior to putting rub on.
    I heard there is a limit to temperature when using cocunut oil??
  • calikingcaliking Posts: 10,737
    Looks like a winner!

    Skinning a whole chicken may be easier after cutting it into quarters first. It does come out good though.

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Charlie tunaCharlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    Me and the wife are about "chickened out" -- but i will try this sometime this week!!  Might have to sneak it in!!
  • cortguitarmancortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    I always skin mine before cutting out the backbone. I leave the skin on the wings because it is a pain to get off. I noticed you used a platesetter. Try cooking direct sometime. You get more smoke.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • RV10FlyerRV10Flyer Posts: 140
    Thanks for the nice write-up.  I’ve been trying to get as much rub as possible between the meet and the skin but it is hard to get it even.  I’ll try this way without skin next time.  Thanks.

    North Texas

    XL and Small BGE

  • BeaumontyBeaumonty Posts: 185
    That was one of my motivations: I couldn't seem to maximize flavor in the meat that I was applying to the skin. This way was great. The leftovers were even better. I really don't know why I waited since I know how the Egg does chicken so well.
  • fletcherfamfletcherfam Posts: 932
    @CharlieTuna, I have never had a problem with coconut oil, I have heard that about olive oil, but have never gotten a "burnt" or "off" taste using coconut oil.
  • egger aveegger ave Posts: 721
    Botch said:
    This month's issue of Cook's Illustrated did a bunch of experiments with skinless chicken on the grill, recommended!  
    Great article, thanks for the suggestion.
    1 Large BGE, 1 Mini BGE, 1 Minimax BGE, Original wife and 3 dogs living in the heart of BBQ country in Round Rock Texas. 

    "The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."

    Albert Einstein
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