Mini-WSM cook number two, Spatchcock Chicken!!

dirtsailor2003 · Jan 5, 2013

So my Fiance and I live at two separate residences. Because of this My smokers have been pretty mobile during the holiday season. We did most of celebrating at her house, so the GOSM is there. Which is a good thing because it is forcing me to use the Mini-WSM. I should be pretty comfortable with it come camping season!

For tonight's dinner I am going to cook a spatchcock chicken. Simple seasoning SPPOG (I add paprika).

Currently its 29*F and snowing lightly no wind, hopefully in 4 hours it will still be that warm and the wind wont be blowing.

I have spatched, seasoned, and have the chicken air drying in the fridge. I was going to use lump, but I found another partial bag of briquettes (Kingsford). They're pretty popular here, they have a plant in Springfield, Oregon. So I will use those. Wood will be alder and apple.

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dirtsailor2003
Jan 5, 2013

Backbone removed. Used the knife, the kitchen shears are MIA. Gonna need to talk to the 6 yr old about that...

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dirtsailor2003
Jan 5, 2013

We don't let anything go to waste. Neck and backbone will boil down with the carcass for soup stock. The other parts and trimmed skin I'll fry up and give to the dogs tonight for a treat!

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dirtsailor2003
Jan 5, 2013

Seasoned and ready to air dry in the fridge. More in about 4 hrs!

dirtsailor2003 · Jan 5, 2013

The final product! I had some issues with my remote therm so I didn't get the temps in the MWSM

, etc while smoking. not happy with that, as I'm trying to get used to this little smoker! Oh well chicken turned out great!

Back bone and other goodies in the stock pot! Gonna make a great beginning to some chicken and something !

jetman · Jan 6, 2013

Do you deliver? I'm stuck in SLC working 7 days a week and forced to eat restaurant food everyday? Looks Great

Jetman<<<

dirtsailor2003 · Jan 6, 2013

Jetman said:
Do you deliver? I'm stuck in SLC working 7 days a week and forced to eat restaurant food everyday? Looks Great

Jetman<<<

Build a mini-wsm and hold a tailgater in the motel parking lot!!!!

jrod62 · Jan 6, 2013

Chicken looks great !!!

I need to build a mini-wsm . I keep thinking about it just haven't got off my butt and do it yet.

mdboatbum · Jan 6, 2013

Wow!! That looks perfect. I usually run my mini pretty close to wide open for chicken, so knowing the temps isn't so crucial. It usually tops out around 400˚- 450˚. Looks like you nailed the chicken temp anyway.

The mini is perfect for camping, at least it was on the one camping trip I've taken it on so far.

dirtsailor2003 · Jan 6, 2013

Mdboatbum said:
Wow!! That looks perfect. I usually run my mini pretty close to wide open for chicken, so knowing the temps isn't so crucial. It usually tops out around 400˚- 450˚. Looks like you nailed the chicken temp anyway.

The mini is perfect for camping, at least it was on the one camping trip I've taken it on so far.

Yeah I was shooting for 325* and I had it around 350* for about 30 mins. prior to putting the chicken on. Then the digital temp starting having issues! Oh well, it did turn out great. That's one reason I did chicken, it's pretty hard to screw it up! After I pulled the chicken I closed the lower vent almost all the way and used another temp gauge, I was able to get it riding right at 265*. I looked at it a couple times and after 2 hrs it was still right there. By that time it was too cold (25* outside) and I was tired so I went to bed. One of these days I'll do a morning smoke so I can watch it better.

dirtsailor2003 · Jan 6, 2013

Every time I smoke I learn something new. Yesterday prior to smoking the chicken I added a vent cover, and a new larger ash pan. Well It would make sense that with the vent cover one really wouldn't need a larger ash pan.

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dirtsailor2003
Jan 6, 2013

That's all the ash that came out.

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dirtsailor2003
Jan 6, 2013

The vent cover did it's job well

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dirtsailor2003
Jan 6, 2013

I used Kingsford charcoal and it burns ten times better than Stubbs!!! When I was using the Stubbs I always ended up with some unburnt pieces. The Kingsford left nothing but ash!

dirtsailor2003 · Jan 9, 2013

This one chicken went a long ways! After we finished eating the first night, there still was a thigh and drumstick left and a portion of a breast. That all made for two lunches and dinner the next night, chicken pot pie (sorry no pictures) . I boiled the carcass down the first night and yielded close to 16 cups stock. four of which was used in the pot pie. The rest I freeze and vacumn pac. I freeze the stock in ice cube trays and pac into 2 cup sizes. If I only need a cup (rarely) I can always re-real the bag. With my ice trays 12 cubes make a cup.

Here's four cups worth, eight more to go!

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dirtsailor2003
Jan 9, 2013

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dirtsailor2003
Jan 9, 2013

kathrynn · Jan 9, 2013

Really nice looking chicken! I can think of some good chicken stew for the broth and leftover chicken! :drool

dirtsailor2003 · Jan 10, 2013

Yep we make all kinds of good stuff from the left over stock! Come of the left over breast meat made really nice smoked chicken salad on pita flat bread!

05sprcrw · Jan 16, 2013

That is a great idea on the frozen stock cubes, I may just have to do that myself.

dirtsailor2003 · Jan 16, 2013

05sprcrw said:
That is a great idea on the frozen stock cubes, I may just have to do that myself.

It works great! Just don't forget that's what's in the ice tray when making your evening cocktail. Chicken gin and tonic isn't that great!

candycoated · Jan 22, 2013

Beautiful Bird!

So you didn't split the breast, just removed the backbone... and it looks like the bird presented well.

Thanks for the tutorial. :)

Keep talking, this newbie is listening!

p.s. chicken cubes + gin + tomato juice, sounds like that could be a tasty BBQ Bloody Mary. ;p

dirtsailor2003 · Jan 22, 2013

candycoated said:
Beautiful Bird!

So you didn't split the breast, just removed the backbone... and it looks like the bird presented well.

Thanks for the tutorial. :)

Keep talking, this newbie is listening!

p.s. chicken cubes + gin + tomato juice, sounds like that could be a tasty BBQ Bloody Mary. ;p

Yes the backbone is the only thing bone that I remove. I usually press hard against the cutting board, breaking the breast plate(?) to flatten it out. Sometimes on a stubborn bird I have to fold it backwards to get the breast plate to crack.

Velociraptor: 1 1/2 oz. Vodka, 4 tbsp. Chicken broth, 4 dashes Tabasco sauce

or how about some hot wings:

Wingin' it (Eugene Shaw, Comme Ça, Los Angeles):

•½ oz. chicken stock
•½ oz. lime juice
•½ oz. carrot juice
•½ oz. Bloody Mary mix
•¾ oz. ginger syrup (Peel ginger root and place through a juicer. Add sugar and ginger juice in a closed container and mix until dissolved)
•2 oz. Añejo tequila
•dash of tabasco
•cracked ice

Shake and pour.

Garnish with a celery stalk stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese.

Mini-WSM cook number two, Spatchcock Chicken!!

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