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Why Spatchcock Chicken?

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thailandjohn
thailandjohn Posts: 952
in EggHead Forum
Just curious why people do their chicken spatchcock rather than just doing chicken halves....... When I need to do a lot of chicken, I find that I could definitely get more halves on my grills then doing it the spatchcock way


http://jvp.smugmug.com/Barbeque




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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    edited October 2013
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    A spatchcock is just two chicken halves still stuck together. When we buy chicken I usually 1/2 spatch them, only two of us and we don't need leftovers. 
    When company is here, may do two full birds spatched, depends on the crowd. 
    If you part them out further, leg/thigh, breast, wing (6 pieces to the bird) I can get three on my MBGE. Thighs/legs go on 10 minutes before the breasts and wings, everything finishes together. 
    The reason to spatch is like beer can chicken, it is presentation, not result. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
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    A whole chicken is cheapest for me and I can use the whole bird rather than parts getting thrown away. Leftovers get repurposed into chicken salad or other dishes.
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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
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    I usually only cook 1 bird for just 2 of us and I spatch because I think it cooks faster and more evenly than a whole bird. And like @Eggcelsior said a whole bird runs me less moola

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • stevesails
    stevesails Posts: 990
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    I will do quarters if the thighs fall off when I cut out the backbone
    XL   Walled Lake, MI

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  • SteveWPBFL
    SteveWPBFL Posts: 1,327
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    One simple cut and you're there, and, not as much breast leakage (sorry for that).
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  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,674
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    That's the way I was told to do it ~:>
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    I think John is talking about spatchcocking and taking the keelbone out and separating the halves.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    edited October 2013
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    I think John is talking about spatchcocking and taking the keelbone out and separating the halves.
    Nothing wrong with this. I actually take the keelbone out so it is only held together by soft tissue. Eat one half and save the other for later.
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    edited October 2013
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    I do too.  I will even do a Suprême de poulet on occasion. :((

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Grillmagic
    Grillmagic Posts: 1,600
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    Little Steven said:
    I think John is talking about spatchcocking and taking the keelbone out and separating the halves.

    This works best for me plus it's easier to handle.
    Charlotte, Michigan XL BGE
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    I prefer the halves. Easier to handle. Cut the chicken down the breast and down the spine with shears - no messing with taking any bones out.

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • TexanOfTheNorth
    TexanOfTheNorth Posts: 3,951
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    Because it's more fun to say "spatchcock"!
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    The **** is still despatched :P

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
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    I do too.  I will even do a Suprême de poulet on occasion. :((
    Me too LS, Me too. I quarter, sauté skin side with S&P down to get color, flip and braise with stock, cream, and white wine after deglazing with onions. Once cooked through, I add tarragon and dijon mustard to the pan sauce and serve over rice pilaf. One of my favorite dishes. I guess it's technically not supreme, since I done remove the breast from the rib cage to protect the meat. Perhaps more of a Chasseur?
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Sounds good!  A sauce supreme is typically made by combining a veloute with stock but yours sounds more heart healthy.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
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    Little Steven said:
    Sounds good!  A sauce supreme is typically made by combining a veloute with stock but yours sounds more heart healthy.
    The lady I learned it from thought so too. Her comment about people that dislike skin? "Screw those guys, it's just 40 calories anyway". 
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Good one! It's funny, my daughter is on a healthy eating kick right now and she took the skin off the ones I did the other night and scraped the residual fat off and ate it. I think Thirdeye was doing thighs a while back, taking all the skins off and scraping them (while raw) and then replacing and cooking. He was getting a lot of fat off the skin. To me, it just melts but whatever.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,741
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    i find the breast meat to be juicer if done whole instead of split, i dont buy the whole bird and spatchcock any more but do buy just the whole breast and split it after cooking
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Try my upside down one sometime.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    Eggcelsior said:
    Me too LS, Me too. I quarter, sauté skin side with S&P down to get color, flip and braise with stock, cream, and white wine after deglazing with onions. Once cooked through, I add tarragon and dijon mustard to the pan sauce and serve over rice pilaf. One of my favorite dishes. I guess it's technically not supreme, since I done remove the breast from the rib cage to protect the meat. Perhaps more of a Chasseur?
    I don't care what you call that - it sounds damn good! Added to the list of pan sauces I want to try. Got a recipe for proportions, per chance?

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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