Spatchcock

[MadBob]

To Spatchcock or not.

A long time ago in a land far, far away (SoCal to be exact), I was enlightened to a recipe for a chicken that was "spatchcocked".

Now, me being the complete novice, I went to my local Stater Bros. Grocery and hit up the Butcher and asked for a spatchcocked chicken. "What the ?" he replied. So, I told him what I wanted. Begrudgingly he proceeded to comply with my request.

All these years I have never spatchcocked another chicken. Now, I have come across "the rest of the story". What I had requested back then was a deboned chicken. Still, cooking time was greatly reduced, not too dry (for a rookie) and still pretty tasty.

Just this morning I was viewing recent episodes from the BBQ Pit Boys and came across a "spatchcocked chicken" recipe.
Hmmm, all you do is cut out the backbone, it lays flat, some indirect heat and voila!

http://bbqpitboys.com/recipes/spatchcock-grilled-chicken#.VaJkZ19VhHw

So, further investigation revealed the same: "cut out the backbone"....

But in case anyone is interested in deboning a chicken, and making a "stuffed chicken bun"  (from Scott Rea) this could be interesting!  Just sayin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MBYdoSMk1Y

[robertl]

It's been awhile but I spatchcocked a White Oak Pastures' chicken the other night.  Got out the kitchen shears and started cutting the backbone out, got half way though one side, started cussing, cut some more, cussed some  more, and finally got through the first side.  Started on the other side of the backbone and really started cussing (apparently my shears have grown much duller since last time I did this), cat came in the kitchen and wouldn't shut up, threatened to spatchcock her, she skulked out, threw the shears in the sink, cussed come more, opened a beer, pulled out the chef's knife and hacked at that f-ing backbone till the little bugger came out and then cracked the breastbone to flatten it out.  Cat came back in the room - no yelling this time.  I seasoned it (the chicken, not the cat) with some salt, pepper, Slap-Ya-Mama (hot version), oil and lemon juice.  Let it sit for a while and then grilled it under a brick - well under a big damn iron skillet with a brick in it.  Came off the grill with crispy skin and juicy on the inside.  At least that's the way it seemed to me but that could of just been how the beer remembers it.

Speaking of beer, where did you find the Habanero Sculpin?  Been looking for it up around Roswell/Alpharetta but no luck so far.

Thanks,
Robert

[Mike GadgetGeek Stock]

It's been awhile but I spatchcocked a White Oak Pastures' chicken the other night.  Got out the kitchen shears and started cutting the backbone out, got half way though one side, started cussing, cut some more, cussed some  more, and finally got through the first side.  Started on the other side of the backbone and really started cussing (apparently my shears have grown much duller since last time I did this), cat came in the kitchen and wouldn't shut up, threatened to spatchcock her, she skulked out, threw the shears in the sink, cussed come more, opened a beer, pulled out the chef's knife and hacked at that f-ing backbone till the little bugger came out and then cracked the breastbone to flatten it out.  Cat came back in the room - no yelling this time.  I seasoned it (the chicken, not the cat) with some salt, pepper, Slap-Ya-Mama (hot version), oil and lemon juice.  Let it sit for a while and then grilled it under a brick - well under a big damn iron skillet with a brick in it.  Came off the grill with crispy skin and juicy on the inside.  At least that's the way it seemed to me but that could of just been how the beer remembers it.

Speaking of beer, where did you find the Habanero Sculpin?  Been looking for it up around Roswell/Alpharetta but no luck so far.

Thanks,
Robert 

Good going on the spatchcock..    Hab Sculpin is around sometimes, the last I had was from Lincoln Fill Station in Snellville.  Call around.   You mean in a growler or bottles/cans ?

...........

[MadBob]

I got mine at the Smoke Rise Bottle Shop off of the 78 and Hugh Howell Rd. by Stone Mountain.
I guess I will see just how dull my kitchen shears are this weekend. Right after I procure a cinder block and use up my foil so I dont use my cast iron skillet!