Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Three Spatchcocked 3lbers on a large?

Options
ThinkandDrive
ThinkandDrive Posts: 84
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I volunteered to cook dinner for a family at our church tomorrow night. I have three 3lb birds spatchcocked and marinading in a Peruvian roast chicken marinade I've been working with. Two of the chickens are for the family and one is for my dinner tomorrow night. I'm wondering if I'll be able to cook all three at the same time.

I don't have a true raised grid setup. Rather, I have a smaller stainless steel grid with ss carriage bolt legs that I sit on the standard porcelain grid. That gets it up to the correct height, but is slightly smaller in witch than the standard grid. If the birds are hanging off the edge, they might all fit. OR should I lower the temp slightly, put two birds on the default height and use my raised grid to elevate one of them? I could rotate them around to make sure they all spend some time in the direct heat.

Another option, I guess, is to bunch the chickens up a little more to make them fit. But I figure that's not the best option since the point to the spatchcock chicken is to have them in a single layer all opened up.

If all else fails, I can cook the two for the family, take them off and then put mine on while I drive their dinner over to them, I guess.

Didn't think this one through. :blush:
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Big'un
    Big'un Posts: 5,909
    Options
    They don't take that long to cook. So it is possible that while you are eating the first two, you could be cooking the third. Until I bought an adjustable rig, I would use emptied beer cans and balance an additional grid on top. I always cook mine SC's indirect, so I would raise the third chic onto the top grid. You'll be fine either way.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Options
    I have always cooked indirect also, usually with a pan of potatoes and onions (topped with cheese at the end of the cook) under the chicken(s).

    The two layer idea will work, you just need to watch the temp of all chickens. The top chicken will drip on the birds below.

    I think I would cook for the family, put your meal on then deliver the meal come back and finish your cook. You won't be away from your cook for that long.

    I try not to crowd food on the grid if possible.

    GG
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    Options
    Joel, I like your last idea best, and agree with Big'Un and GG. If it were me, cook 2 for the family, pull, and put yours on while you're delivering. I have done SC's direct successfully, but it has been a raised grid at 350. They take less than an hour. Wishing you success! Thanks for taking the time to do for others. :)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ThinkandDrive
    ThinkandDrive Posts: 84
    Options
    Thanks for your replies, guys.

    I think I'm going to go with your recommendations and cook the first two and then put the third on while I'm delivering to the church family. I'll report with photos, hopefully.

    I should have gotten photos of the birds marinading. The kitchen STILL smells great from last night! *drools*
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ThinkandDrive
    ThinkandDrive Posts: 84
    Options
    I did the first two birds direct for ten minutes skin-side down and then flipped for another 20 or so. After that, I put the platesetter feet-side up and then let the birds come up to temp. No drip pan, just some foil on top of the bottom of the platesetter.

    They looked good, but I got no pics of them. Will have to get a "dinner report" from my friend if he shows up at the Men's morning group on Tuesday.

    I pulled the birds and then tossed a drip pan (elevated on the BGE "feet") under the grid. The last bird was placed skin-side down while I drove the finished birds to the church family. That took like 20-25 minutes. I was freaking that the bird was upside-down with nobody watching the temp. Even indirect, I was afraid the skin would burn. As soon as I got in, I flew outside and checked. Looked good!

    I flipped the bird back skin-side up and pulled the platesetter out to go direct. Used my improvised elevated grid to bring it up to rim height. Cooked maybe another five minutes (for like a total of 30?) and checked the temp. It was about 165 and climbing! So I pulled and put in a glass dish with a lid to hold until the rest of dinner was done. Steamed Broccoli and Garlic and Rosemary fingerling potatoes.

    Excellent!

    3188898203_a4c76c379a.jpg?v=0

    3188899813_06b8dc838b.jpg?v=0

    3189920876_115a2a28ff.jpg?v=0

    This was an attempt at recreating this Peruvian roast chicken from this joint here in Baltimore. Close, but I need to work on it a bit more, I think. Not that this wasn't the most delicious chicken I've ever made. But it doesn't have "it".
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories