Grilling Notes: Spatch-Cocked Wednesday (Smoked) - 4 November 2020

Sscottfitz

Well-known member
Messages
117
Location
Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
Grill(s) owned
  1. Trailblazer
  2. Bullseye
  • Grill Location: Hot Springs Village, AR.; 34 37 60.0N 92 54 55.4W - a nice mid-week Fall afternoon in “The Village"
  • Weather at time of Grill: Not as nice as the start of the week, sort of a hazy sunshine (high wispy clouds) a little breeze but not overwhelming - another great day for grilling outside. Temp ~72F, Humidity 34%
  • Total Grill Time: ~1 Hr. 34 Min (14:42 - 16:26 CST)
  • Total Event Time: ~1 Hr, 57 Min Includes Spatchcocking the Chicken, seasoning, plating, ready to eat, etc.
  • Grill Plates: No
  • Grill Mat: Yes
  • Temp Probes: Yes x 1 for the higher heat portion of the cook
  • Pellets Used: Rec Tec Ultimate Blend

  • Meat & Meat Prep
    • Meat: 1 ea. small whole “young” chicken - ~6.66 lbs listed on package - yes another whole chicken from Walmart
    • Total Meat Prep Time: Not including the thaw period, ~15 min, Light coating of olive oil as a binding agent, Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning & Freakin Greek rub as seasoning…. ~15 min prep time not including the “thaw”….
    • Meat on at ~15:04 CST NOTE: This is another perfect application for the Grill Mat!

  • Sides:
    • Roasted Medley of Veggies (Asparagus, Bell Peppers, Onions, & Potatoes) - Olive Oil, Colden's Freakin Greek Rub - oven at 350 F

  • Grill Helper:
    • 2018 Pinot Noir - Francis Coppola (Oregon)

Misc Grill Observations - all times are CST
  • Grill Start to Target Temp Smoke: 63F to Smoke 180 F ~10 min (14:52 - 15:02)
    • Smoked Chicken for ~30 min
  • Grill Smoke Setting to 375F: 180F to Higher Heat setting 375F ~13 min
  • On the grill ~15:04 CST, (Chicken on a Grill Matt on top of OEM Grill Grate)
  • Grill set to 375F to get Temps up to 165 - this is where we inserted the temp probe (~15:34 CST)
  • Temp probe set in one of the breasts

General Comments:

  • First time we’ve done a whole “anything”, getting ready for Thanksgiving where we’re probably gonna do a small turkey
  • Took advantage of the “RecTeq Remote” capability as we THOUGHT we’d timed our late afternoon dog walk perfectly to be home in time to catch the chicken at 165, BUT we were a couple minutes out and it hit 165, so with my trusty iPhone I turned off the grill while walking down the road - this is a great example of where that capability really makes this grill easy to manage…..
    • NOTE: After taking the chicken off, our OTHER hand held probe said the 158F, so being poultry and NOT needing any OTHER medical issues right now, we slipped it into the oven for a couple or minutes so we could be “confident” we were at the recommended 165F - OBTW, big advantage of the SpatchCocked Chicken, if you look close at my veggies in the oven pic, you’ll see the chicken at the bottom warming up - fit perfectly in an area a normal chicken wouldn’t fit…..
    • NOTE 2: Even after the first round of Oven post smoker cooking, and temp taking, the spousal unit wanted one more round of cooking once the cut and looked at the breast meat……..temps were 165+, but she insisted, and sometimes the only correct answer is “yes dear”….<grin>
  • OBTW, the chicken was GREAT! Highly recommend the Colden’s Freaking Greek Rub on Chicken is great, and even better if you can score some Tony’s Chachere’s Creole Rub. Also note we usually garnish the veggies with either Blu and Fetta Cheese for dinner.
 

Attachments

  • Chicken Ready for Prep 20201104.jpeg
    Chicken Ready for Prep 20201104.jpeg
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  • Butter Under the Skin 20201104.jpeg
    Butter Under the Skin 20201104.jpeg
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  • Seasond and Ready for Grill 20201104.jpeg
    Seasond and Ready for Grill 20201104.jpeg
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  • Grilling Helper Coppola Pinot 20201104.jpeg
    Grilling Helper Coppola Pinot 20201104.jpeg
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  • On Grill with Probe 20201104.jpeg
    On Grill with Probe 20201104.jpeg
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  • Near the End 20201104.jpeg
    Near the End 20201104.jpeg
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  • Veggies and Chicken in the Oven 20201104.jpeg
    Veggies and Chicken in the Oven 20201104.jpeg
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  • Taking Temp 3rd Time 20201104.jpeg
    Taking Temp 3rd Time 20201104.jpeg
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  • Veggies and Chicken Ready for the Plate 20201104.jpeg
    Veggies and Chicken Ready for the Plate 20201104.jpeg
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  • Plated Chicken and Veggies 20201104.jpeg
    Plated Chicken and Veggies 20201104.jpeg
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SSF, that is a really great looking chicken, and I love the detailed journal entry! I used to keep super detailed notes like these, but now it's just a few key things (time, temp, fuel, etc.) and some keywords to remind me what happened in case I want to change anything.

....and, yes, if she wants her chicken cooked another minute, best to oblige! :)

R
 
Looks good, spatchcocked is definitely the way to go. I cooked one this past Saturday quite similarly to your cook. My difference was I kept it at LO for 30 minutes. Much better and easier this way than the traditional way.

Keep up the great entries.
 

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