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Removing the breastbone on a spatchcock?

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SmokyBear
SmokyBear Posts: 389
in EggHead Forum
Hey, gang..asked my butcher today if he could spatchcock a whole chick for me and he had no idea what I was talking about..(?!)

When I told him it was taking the backbone out and breaking the breastbone so it'd lay flat, he said "oh, yeah - I do that all the time"..and then asked if I also wanted the breastbone taken out so it would "truly" lay flat on the grill.

Have any of you guys ever done this?  I have no idea what taking the breastbone out also would do..

Thx..
Mini BGE, KJ Classic - Black, Cookshack SM025, Weber Gasser (mostly for Kamado storage!)
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  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
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    I don't have the patience to try this, but I really want to learn. Get this down and your on you're on the way to deboning it. And then you can do all kinds of cool, starting with stuffed whole chicken to turducken eventually.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
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  • TexanOfTheNorth
    TexanOfTheNorth Posts: 3,951
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    I have never removed the breast bone; but will "crack" it a bit with a knife. Never had any problem getting it to lay flat.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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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  • Hi54putty
    Hi54putty Posts: 1,873
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    TexanOfTheNorth said:

    I have never removed the breast bone; but will "crack" it a bit with a knife. Never had any problem getting it to lay flat.

    +1
    XL,L,S 
    Winston-Salem, NC 
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  • Terrebandit
    Terrebandit Posts: 1,750
    edited March 2014
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    I always remove it. It lays real flat and makes life easier to separate the halfs, after it's cooked. My wife and I typically eat only one half at a time. The other goes in the refrigerator or freezer.
    Dave - Austin, TX
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  • Egglegal_Alien
    Egglegal_Alien Posts: 113
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    It does help lying the bird perfectly flat, its very straightforward and easy procedure once you see it done. 

    Basically you need to cut into the cartilage part on top of it a bit sort of like this / | \ and then you can get your finger on each side of the keel bone and run it along it and it comes off, you can see it done in this vid around 1 min 45 secs into it.


    Hope this helps, cheers!


    XL BGE + Large BGE @ Monterrey, Mexico
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    I've never removed it, but usually snip the end of the cartilage a bit. Plenty flat on the grid. The thought of asking the butcher to spatch a chicken for me had never crossed my mind.  :D

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Terrebandit
    Terrebandit Posts: 1,750
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    Here is a decent video of the technique. This is how I remove the breast bone. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GGKLtbiUflk
    Dave - Austin, TX
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  • Conneggticut_Yankee
    Conneggticut_Yankee Posts: 132
    edited March 2014
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    I always spatch it myself and remove the breast bone. I guess that's how I've always assumed it's been done since I first saw it on Good Eats. It's easy enough. I've got a good (clean) set of trauma shears that make short work of that spine too. 
    Madison, CT
    LBGE June 2013. 

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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
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    I've done it both ways. Removing does allow it to lay perfectly flat. And doesn't take much time to remove.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • hondabbq
    hondabbq Posts: 1,980
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    I've never removed it. Just take the heel of your knife on the breast bone and hit the top of the knife with the heel
    Of your opposite hand and "crack/break" the breast bone. She will lay flat for sure.
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