A well cooked spatchcocked chicken always makes for a great looking presentation at the dinner table. This bird was dusted with a traditional poultry rub and additional ancho chili powder, comino (cumin), cracked black pepper and garlic powder.
Served with sliced lime wedges for a great fresh flavor.
I'm starting off with whole young roasting hen. This one is 6 pounds.
Remember we are working with a raw bird here. Cleanliness really counts. Please make sure you thoroughly clean all working tools and surfaces after you prep your bird.
Simply cut the spine out of the bird. When you spread the bird apart you'll see the center keel bone or breast plate bone. Some folks simply cut through it, I remove the bone and get it out of the way.
Gently lift the skin from the breast meat and insert 2 pats of butter on each side.
Dust the bird on both sides and put into the refrigerator for about an hour.
Time to fire up your Mini. Ive got about 15 or 20 briquettes in the chimney.
Half of the charcoal basket is filled with unlit briquettes. This will give a long steady burn for this cook. I'm using Apple Chips for smoke.
A properly spatchcocked 6 pound bird is a perfect fit for your mini.
Slow steady Thin Blue Smoke throughout your cook. Regulate your temps between 225 and 250. Time should be around 3 hours. Always test your internal meat temperature. The bird should reach 165 degrees at the breast.
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