Butterflied Chicken on the grill how to...

[flfoodie2]

Plan to make a butterflied whole chicken on the grill for the first time. Any great recipes or pointers?
Can be gas or coal grilled. Thx.

[j8715]

I want to resurrect this thread to recant my earlier suggestion of brining. After cooking both ways, use a spice rub (simple, maybe cumin, garlic salt and pepper and thats it) and pull it off at 160 deg. not quite as juicy, but much better color, not dry and crispier skin.

[vafarmwife]

I like putting a paste of lemon juice, fresh chopped rosemary and chopped garlic under the skin and rubbing all over the chicken.

[flfoodie2]

Thanks for the great ideas...guess we'll be heading out today to pick up a few bricks!

[caseyjo]

Pick up a couple of bricks from the hardware store and wrap them in aluminum foil. You can use the bricks to press the chicken so that it cooks evenly. Also, the legs and thighs should be more exposed to direct heat than the breasts (i.e. the legs should be pointing towards the hot coals, the breasts should be pointing away from the coals). I'll echo what others have said about keeping the coals on one side: it's nice to sear it over direct heat and then finish it up over indirect heat.

[sparkareno]

I second the foil wrapped brick method. I marinate first (coconut milk, tons of garlic, lime juice & zest, hot sauce) and then brine. Under the brick gives you a super crispy skin and the brine makes is extra moist. I use a charcoal fire with wood chips.

[thew]

google spatchcocking chicken. tons of informative sites on it

[GraydonCarter]

Spatchcocking
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/765739

[stomsf]

Look no further than our beloved site here. :-)

http://www.chow.com/recipes/28389-arg...

I also love how the chicken splayed out looks like a frog.........

[j8715]

this seems like a very strange way to cut up the bird? how do you turn that thing without it falling apart??

I cut out the backbone and the breast bone and that is that. I am thinking maybe forget the breast bone removal and cut out the wishbone instead to make super easy carving.

[todao]

There's plenty of fat in chicken for using oil is totally unnecessary. I'd brine it briefly (perhaps an hour) then rinse and pat dry. Grill skin side down until it's nice and brown (good grill marks) then flip it once to finish cooking until proper internal temperature is reached. Sprinkle with desired herbs/spices during grilling. Don't rush it. Keep the heat level moderate and take your time.

[j8715]

I recently did this as a chicken brine:

2 qt water
1/2 cup kosher salt
3tbsp honey
3 or 4 bay leaves
4 cloves of garlic, crushed enough to peel
4 or 5 springs of thyme

it is weak enough to do an overnight brine of a whole chicken.

I haven't tried it on a grilled butterflied chicken yet but i plan on it soon.

and yes use a thermometer. If you use charcoal i would put the coals only on one side. that way if it is very brown on the outside but 130 degrees at the thigh you can move it to the other side and close the lid for a while.

[Woodfireguy]

I agree, Chicken and pork love the brine. Using an indirect cooking method on a Weber and place two foil covered bricks on top of the bird. I saw this on Cooks Country once and tried it. I liked it.

[audreyhtx1]

My Weber grilling cookbook does it weighted down. I was going to use a 12 inch cast iron skillet and put something heavy in it - or just the skillet.

[Woodfireguy]

Put a brick in the pan, that should do it.

[smilingal]

this is what I am planning on doing when I try it this summer!

[audreyhtx1]

My husband HATES black marks on his chicken. So I've been a little anxious about trying spatchcocked. I know to use medium indirect heat. But I'm so afraid of burning the chicken skin or getting black marks. Brown OK.

The reason my husband hates black marks is because it does impart a bitter taste to the chicken. He's always asking at the restaurants for brown grill marks only.

I did the vertical roaster (you know - a more formal version of beer can chicken), and it came out beautifully. No black marks there! Actually, it was AMAZING and the gravy got out of the drippings the next day was so intense - I should have watered it down. Incredible!