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    Spatchcock Chicken / Direct or Indirect

    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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    • Posts: 846
      I've done them both ways. Always turn out good.
      GWN
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    • Posts: 18,459
      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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    • Posts: 1,006
      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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    • Posts: 271
      I like both myself, however the last Spatched I cooked I went indirect and made stock our of the drippings
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    • Posts: 153
      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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    • Posts: 725
      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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    • Posts: 1,813
      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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    • Posts: 55
      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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    • Posts: 476
      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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    • Posts: 4,232

      Raised Direct
      New Albany, Ohio 

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    • Posts: 87

      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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    • Posts: 220
      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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    • Posts: 3,827
      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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    • Posts: 34,663
      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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    • Posts: 18,459
      @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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    • Posts: 14,414
      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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    • Posts: 3,457
      Indirect at 425 and pull when breasts are 155 to 160, dont over cook.
      Jacksonville FL
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    • Posts: 1,577
      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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    • Posts: 3,457
      No need to cook skin down, never flip
      Jacksonville FL
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    • Posts: 3,827
      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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    • Posts: 34
      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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    • Posts: 34
      Oh, anton

      Cornstarch how so?
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    • Posts: 26,182
      Haven't read all the rest of the threads but I'm in the raised grate, direct crowd at 350.
      Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time!
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    • Posts: 19,708
      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). Just given a Mini to add to the herd. 

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    • Posts: 1,577
      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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    • Posts: 154
      Hungry Joe said:

      show previous quotes
      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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    • Posts: 16,025
      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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    • Posts: 1,803
      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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    • Posts: 1,750
      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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    • Posts: 220
      @theyolksonyou sweet! I will work that bird up higher next time...
      LBGE - Nov/'14
      A Texan residing in Denver, CO.
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