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Spatchcock Chicken / Direct or Indirect

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wnbasac
wnbasac Posts: 34
in EggHead Forum
Gonna give this a try for SuperBowl Sunday but i've been reading posts with both methods of cooking ( Direct and Indirect )?

Either method will achieve the same results or not?

Is this a matter personal preference or more of a BBQ Science????

Forum i'm listening---

and thank you

  
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  • Nanook
    Nanook Posts: 846
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    I've done them both ways. Always turn out good.
    GWN
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    I've done both and they both yield good results. The last one i did was ID and it was as high in the dome as I could get. It was the best skin yet...
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  • jhl192
    jhl192 Posts: 1,006
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    Personal preference. My guess is most may say direct 350-375 or indirect at 400-425 for a slightly crispier skin. Both are great!
    XL BGE; Medium BGE; L BGE 
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  • Deviledegger
    Deviledegger Posts: 271
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    I like both myself, however the last Spatched I cooked I went indirect and made stock our of the drippings
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  • Chelnerul
    Chelnerul Posts: 153
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    Tried both, prefer the indirect method indicated above, getting it as high as possible in the dome. I try to do all my chicken like that now, even wings.
    Manning our FOB in occupied Northern Virginia...
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  • bweekes
    bweekes Posts: 725
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    I've done both with good results. Nowadays, I almost always go raised direct 350ish - usually give the skin side a good 20 min before flipping over for the rest of the cook, until I reach IT. 
    Ajax, ON Canada
    (XL BGE, MED BGE, La Caja China #2, and the wife's Napoleon gasser)
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  • anton
    anton Posts: 1,813
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    I have done both, but now tend to go raised direct, at high temp 375-400, I like crispy/kinda burnt skin, and I don't mind overdone chicken every now and then, even overdone chicken on the egg doesn't suck. I also use cornstarch on every form of poultry I cook now, wings, spatch, cornish hens, last Thanksgiving turkey, works great.
    :-bd
     Using a MBGE,woo/w stone,livin' in  Hayward California," The Heart Of The Bay "
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  • Hey_Bulldog
    Hey_Bulldog Posts: 55
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    I just did my first spatch yesterday; went 350 - 400 direct (standard sub-felt height).

    Turned out very moist and flavorful.  Skin was a little limp, but theres a pill for that I hear, like a higher temp or indirect even higher still.

    I have not attempted indirect yet, but you best believe I will be experimenting.
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  • mgd_egg
    mgd_egg Posts: 476
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    I've done direct and raised direct at gasket level and both were amazing! I have not achieved a crispy skin yet. Next time I'll try to get it higher in the dome based on the comments here.
    Lg & MM BGE, Humphrey’s Battle Box | Palatine, Illinois  
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  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,231
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    Raised Direct
    New Albany, Ohio 

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  • greenenvy
    greenenvy Posts: 87
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    I've made this all of once. Wrapped the PS in foil and cooked indirect on a small bed of lime slices. No drip pan. Not raised since I didn't have an AR yet. Came out great, but not quite as crispy in the skin as I had hoped. Helped the skin a bit to flip them at the end.

    Per all the tips I had gleaned around here, I stuck the legs towards the back, the probe in the breast, and pulled at 165.


    image

    “your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential

    LBGE in SATX

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  • Eggerty
    Eggerty Posts: 220
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    theyolksonyou said:

    I've done both and they both yield good results. The last one i did was ID and it was as high in the dome as I could get. It was the best skin yet...

    @theyolksonyou do you give more credit to the higher placement in dome or ID that produced the skin? Or both...

    LBGE - Nov/'14
    A Texan residing in Denver, CO.
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  • Jeepster47
    Jeepster47 Posts: 3,827
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    jhl192 said:

    Personal preference. My guess is most may say direct 350-375 or indirect at 400-425 for a slightly crispier skin. Both are great!

    The above from jhl192 is probably your best summation.  I fill to the top of the fire bowl with lump, so would change "direct" to "raised direct."  It's hard (maybe tending towards impossible) to fail on a spatch bird.  The futzing with temps, direct vs indirect, flip vs don't flip, brine vs don't brine is not to improve the cooking of the meat, but to get the "perfect" crispy skin.

    Pick one method that appeals to you and don't look back.  If the skin is not exactly to your liking, then adjust on the second cook and you'll be on your way to experimenting and futzing.

    Washington, IL  >  Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max

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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,396
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    I'm of two minds on this cook so I use the following-if chix alone then I go raised direct.  If I'm planning on cooking the chix over a pan of veggies, then I go indirect; ball-park temps as mentioned above.  Either turns out great eats.  That's the BGE-many ways to achieve an eggcellent outcome.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    @Eggerty I think higher in the dome is the main factor as I've done both at felt level. The heat radiating back from the dome crisped the skin. At least that's my theory.
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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
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    theyolksonyou said:

    @Eggerty I think higher in the dome is the main factor as I've done both at felt level. The heat radiating back from the dome crisped the skin. At least that's my theory.

    This. Also, you are getting the convective effect from the heat circulating around the plate setter/indirect piece. Roasted vegetables are my favorite when roasting a chicken and the only better than roasted vegetables are roasted vegetables that have been basted with chicken drippings.
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  • Dobie
    Dobie Posts: 3,365
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    Indirect at 425 and pull when breasts are 155 to 160, dont over cook.
    Jacksonville FL
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  • Hungry Joe
    Hungry Joe Posts: 1,567
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    I'm probably the only one here who does this because I've never seen it mentioned but I go skin down for the first 15 minutes or so and always get a nice crisp skin. 375-400 raised direct until the legs are 180. I season the skin after I flip it up.
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  • Dobie
    Dobie Posts: 3,365
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    No need to cook skin down, never flip
    Jacksonville FL
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  • Jeepster47
    Jeepster47 Posts: 3,827
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    wnbasac ... are you confused yet? 

    I'm laughing because I walked the same path you're going down right now.  I was sure there was one and only one right way to cook a chicken ... nope!  Ask them which lump they prefer ... that usually gets a little crazy too.  Good luck, you can' go wrong with what ever method you try.

    Washington, IL  >  Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max

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  • wnbasac
    wnbasac Posts: 34
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    Dang, your right its all good no right or wrong way I see its just Egg'n .... Practice makes perfect ..

    Thanks guys for your input , i really appreciate it!!

    To the East stay warm and To the West stay cool

    Have a Great Superbowl weekend be Safe 
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  • wnbasac
    wnbasac Posts: 34
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    Oh, anton

    Cornstarch how so?
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,898
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    Haven't read all the rest of the threads but I'm in the raised grate, direct crowd at 350.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,674
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    Chicken- Turkey- & Wings all the same. 400 Direct / Raised..... 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.
    image
    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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  • Hungry Joe
    Hungry Joe Posts: 1,567
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    Dobie said:

    No need to cook skin down, never flip

    No need to flip but that is the way I like it. It's a hard cook to mess up no matter how it is cooked..
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  • Sameydog
    Sameydog Posts: 154
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    Hungry Joe said:

    Dobie said:

     It's a hard cook to mess up no matter how it is cooked..

    That's what I found out but I prefer indirect at 375-400 degrees. I use sea salt on the skin, pressing it in, and that seems to crisp it up better than not using the salt. Doing two chickens tomorrow so we'll see it continues to work for me.

    Bill
    From the deep south...land of saltwater fish...west central Florida
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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
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    Also. ..raised indirect with an aluminum pan filled with veggies underneath. Cut the veggies large and keep an eye on them so they don't get mushy. Evo and season. ..maybe a little chicken broth. ..stir occasionally.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • HendersonTRKing
    HendersonTRKing Posts: 1,803
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    Raised direct. 375. Mix 1/3 cornstarch into the rub and let it sit in the fridge uncovered overnight. Best skin evah.
    It's a 302 thing . . .
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  • Terrebandit
    Terrebandit Posts: 1,750
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    Indirect is by far the best, IMHO. I like to make them felt line or higher in the dome.
    Dave - Austin, TX
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  • Eggerty
    Eggerty Posts: 220
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    @theyolksonyou sweet! I will work that bird up higher next time...
    LBGE - Nov/'14
    A Texan residing in Denver, CO.
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