Planning my first spatchcock

Zmokin · April 2015

OK, this weekend I plan on cooking my first spatchcock chicken.

What homemade rub recipes do you guys recommend?

Legume · April 2015

Mickey's coffee rub is the only one I've made from a recipe - love it on poultry, everything else has been pantry surfing. I usually use Plowboys Yardbird or Chupacabra on chicken

ryantt · April 2015

Basic Chicken Rub. Best guess on amounts as we tend to dump things in. Taste and adjust to your liking, best of luck on your first bird....you'll never go back to beer can chicken.

1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup sugar in the raw
4 tablespoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons granulated onion
4 tablespoons granulated garlic
4 tablespoons habanero powder.
4 tablespoons smoked paprika

Mickey · April 2015

Spatchcocked Turkey and Chicken on the Big Green Egg

(you cut out the backbone and cook opened)

I like a 11/12 lb bird. If I need lots of turkey I just cook a couple ( 1 & 1/2 hr cook app)

Chicken 3 to 4.5lb bird or birds. Under an hour cook.

Or, just add a package of legs extra.

I do not brine the turkey or Chicken.

If time I like to leave uncovered in the fridge overnight (no problem if no time)

I cook "direct" @ 400 on a raised grill "skin side up" and never turn over.

I will use a coffee rub. Use what you like.

NOTE PLEASE (A LOT OF SMOKE IS NOT YOU FRIEND)

I use about a single handfull of mixed chips: Cherry & Pecan.

Cook to temp (not time) breast @ 165 and thigh @ 180.

Coffee Rub (turkey, chicken, beef & pork)

Equal part: Instant Expresso Ground coffee..

Equal part: Brown Sugar..

½ part: Black Pepper..

½ part: Kosher Salt..

½ part: Garlic Powder..

¾ part: Ancho Chili Powder..

Don't worry on exact, just close on measurement. I used to use turbinado sugar but we like with brown better. This is pulled from MollyShark, Hungry Man, & Richard In Fl then tweaked. I find the ancho chili powder is far less expensive in the bulk spice area than the bottled area ( have used both light or dark version). I make it starting with a half cup Instant Expresso Ground coffee and work from there as it seems to store well if sealed.

Sameydog · April 2015

If you don't want to make your own rub you can buy McCormick’s Total Seasoning for Chicken & Fish. It has been a big hit when I do chicken.

I put a couple slices of lemon under the chicken for some flavor and moisture. I've never tasted a more moist chicken than a spatchcock done on the Egg. You'll do fine.

Bill

tarheelmatt · April 2015

I like to infuse canola oil (and butter) with garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, flat leaf parsley, thyme, lemon zest, and whatever else you're feeling.

Just get a small sauce pan warm and add your oil and butter, then garlic. Let that get happy and other stuff. You're not cooking it, just releasing the flavors. I make it like a paste to spread well UNDER the skin, on the skin, and on the bottom side.

If you want some heat, add pepper flake, cayenne, etc... Want sweet, add some sugar, brown sugar, or molasses etc.

THEBuckeye · April 2015

Any number of the Dizzys. Check out Oakwood BBQ on-line too.

Your chicken world is about to be rocked.

JethroVA · April 2015

+1 on Mickey's coffee rub. Other things I've learned on here: lower, slower will give you more smokey taste than higher, faster. Air drying the bird for 24-48 hrs in fridge helps crisp the skin. I had good results this week with raised, direct @ 450*.

thegooddocta · April 2015

@ryantt - that looks spicy! tasty though

Papa1058 · April 2015

This may be the "dumb question of the day" but can someone demonstrate or explain how this chicken is 'cut' prior to cooking? Not sure how to get it flattened out like that?

theyolksonyou · April 2015

@papa1058 without being a smarta$$. It would be easier to google and watch a YouTube video. Basically you cut out the backbone and lay it out flat.

DMW · April 2015

@Pap1058 - Here you go:
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/spatch.htm

Zmokin · April 2015

I've never left chicken in the fridge uncovered, especially raw chicken.
I'm thinking if this is done to dry out the chicken skin so it crisps up better, do you guys put your dry rub on while it is still kinda wet so the rub sticks to the skin better? or do you use butter or oil on it after the overnight so the dry rub sticks?

THEBuckeye · April 2015

I have the butcher do it for me. I have shi$$y knives

theyolksonyou · April 2015

@dmw is nicer than me. And I hate the mobile version of this site.

Skiddymarker · April 2015

If you want, try two rubs, one on each side - one side with garlic because that’s what SWMBO asks for and the other side with a real BBQ rub like the rest of the world.... Actually, did one side with mild rub for the grandkids.

nolaegghead · April 2015

Zmokin said:

I've never left chicken in the fridge uncovered, especially raw chicken.
I'm thinking if this is done to dry out the chicken skin so it crisps up better, do you guys put your dry rub on while it is still kinda wet so the rub sticks to the skin better? or do you use butter or oil on it after the overnight so the dry rub sticks?

Yes, by desiccating the skin in the low humidity of the refrigerator it helps the skin dry and become crispy in the oven/egg. You can add your rub before you do this or, if it doesn't stick, moisten it with some water before you season.

I wouldn't lay my lettuce on the raw chicken, but as long as it doesn't drip or touch any other food, there are no worries about aerosolized salmonella waging jihad on your refrigerator contents. Nor with accelerated bacteriological decay above and beyond it sitting covered for another day.

lousubcap · April 2015

In addition to fridge air-drying you can dust the skin with corn starch just before cooking. That does wonders for crisping up the skin.

Zmokin · April 2015

lousubcap said:

In addition to fridge air-drying you can dust the skin with corn starch just before cooking. That does wonders for crisping up the skin.

How much dusting? I tried adding corn starch to a dry rub once, and even though i thought it wasn't very much, it seemed excessive when the chicken was done. I think it was about 1 tsp of corn starch to about 6 tsp of seasoning.

MaC122 · April 2015

spatchcock is the way to go. best chicken ever. The best thing I ever bought was the scissors that are heavy duty

Zmokin · April 2015

Another question. One of my monitoring devices crapped out.
So I only have 2 probes for this cook.
Which 2 things should I monitor out of the following 3 and why?

Grid
Breast
Thigh

Zmokin · April 2015

Skiddymarker said:

If you want, try two rubs, one on each side - one side with garlic because that’s what SWMBO asks for and the other side with a real BBQ rub like the rest of the world.... Actually, did one side with mild rub for the grandkids.

Cute foil booties. May I inquire as to the purpose? Is it to keep the skin from breaking so the meat can't pull the skin back exposing the bone? Is there a reason why that is a bad thing?

THEBuckeye · April 2015

No foil required IMHO

theyolksonyou · April 2015

Zmokin said:

Another question. One of my monitoring devices crapped out.
So I only have 2 probes for this cook.
Which 2 things should I monitor out of the following 3 and why?

Grid
Breast
Thigh

Don't see the need for any of them. Set it up 350-400, put it on, come back in 50 min, see where you are, come back in 10 more you should be close depending on the size of bird.

lousubcap · April 2015

@Zmokin- regarding the "dusting" I have never measured-just a very light amount on the skin. I don't aim to cover the entire bird. I have used a very fine strainer to dispense but most times just shake from a wide mouth container. I am quite sure my final ratio was way less than your 6 to 1.

About probes-I cook with the thighs to the back of my LBGE (hottest area on the grid) and monitor the breast (only one probe) and once the breasts hit around 160*F I check the thighs with a thermapen. The thighs are always done (180+) at the same time.
BTW-I always cook with the dome thermo-never have worried about the grid. FWIW and YMMV- Enjoy the cook.

Carolina Q · April 2015

I almost never use probes except for a long butt cook. I have a Maverick that hasn't been used in years. Totally unnecessary IMO.

Here's a good rub...
http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1166301/wow-chicken/p1

Zmokin · April 2015

theyolksonyou said:

Zmokin said:

Another question. One of my monitoring devices crapped out.
So I only have 2 probes for this cook.
Which 2 things should I monitor out of the following 3 and why?

Grid
Breast
Thigh

Don't see the need for any of them. Set it up 350-400, put it on, come back in 50 min, see where you are, come back in 10 more you should be close depending on the size of bird.

When you say "see where you are", is that checking with a thermapen? I own a cheapy version that doesn't stabilize in 3-5 seconds, it can take 30-60 seconds to stabilize. When the piece of meat is big enough for a probe, I prefer to monitor remotely, and not open my Egg until it's done. Steaks, ribs and chicken wings are about the only things I cook by time & appearance, not internal temp.

THEBuckeye · April 2015

Carolina Q said:

I almost never use probes except for a long butt cook. I have a Maverick that hasn't been used in years. Totally unnecessary IMO.

Here's a good rub...
http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1166301/wow-chicken/p1

Agree. For spatchcock you just need a sanity temp check 35-40 minutes in.

theyolksonyou · April 2015

Yes, I was referring to check the temp with a pen, pop, etc...

Zmokin · April 2015

OK, bird is spatchcocked, seasoned, and placed in the refrigerator waiting for tomorrow.
I haven't worked up the courage to try coffee grounds in a rub.
So I went with:

1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground rosemary
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp ground savory
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp cayenne powder

That's 11 herbs & spices and NO MSG

Image: http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/zb1ll/spatchcock-raw_zpsjxcomowm.jpg

theyolksonyou · April 2015

Gonna be good!

Planning my first spatchcock

Comments

Categories