Spatchcock chicken on the Smokefire


 

C Lewis

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I had an enjoyable time smoking last weekend, throwing a college graduation party for my daughter. Sorry, no pics, we were racing against time, the forecasted rain, and the inevitable early arriving guests. Overall went well, I did a pork butt on the 18, and just because I had two, another one on the Smokefire. Also had some brats and hotdogs on the Smokefire, and did some smashburgers on the Blackstone. None of our guests had ever heard of smashburgers before, and they were a big hit, though I probably won’t do them again for such a large crowd.

Dying to get back on the grills this weekend after a rainy week, I thawed out a chicken, spatchcocked it last night, and dry brined it. I had a little Simon and Garfunkel rub from a recent turkey smoke left over, so I used that under the skin on the breast. Also, it seemed like a good time to try out my new Oklahoma Joe’s injector, by injecting the breast with some melted butter, melted down in my Lodge melting pot.

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Overall, the injector worked real well, though the needle is a little shorter than I would like, along with the stroke on the pump. We’ll see how it works on a turkey, I may have some modifications coming up. I tossed some McCormick's Montreal Chicken rub on the outside, and threw on just a little paprika for color. At this point, I remembered that my wife wanted me to clean out the refrigerator, so I figured that I would start to help by removing some of that extra beer that was in there. :)

I put the bird on the Smokefire at 200F, and ran it for an hour. I was using Sam’s Club Smokehouse Blend pellets that have run great so far. I have run it this way at 200F before for a half hour, but wanted a bit more smoke, so I got brave and tried a whole hour, we’ll see.

Meanwhile, I cut up some red potatoes and onions, tossed them in olive oil with some minced garlic, salt, black pepper, thyme, basil, and topped with a little parsley. Just a basic recipe that we call roasted herb potatoes. I’ll drizzle with melted butter later, and probably add a little shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the top. (I did)

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Once the first hour was up at 200F, I cranked the SF up to 375, put the potatoes in, and let it roll. Lots of smoke and good smells on the patio, we’ll see how it comes out!

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Chicken came out excellent, very juicy and flavorful, crispy skin, but the potatoes were even more awesome. Normal great flavor, but just a slight amount of infused smoke flavor that was just right. About 2 hrs for the chicken, and about an hour and 10 min for the potatoes. Great meal with the family, and a nice start to the weekend.

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Gotta go now, need to help clean more out of that refrigerator. (y)

Charlie
 
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Great looking cook! And I'm sure you could find help "cleaning out the fridge" if you asked. 🍻
 
Thank you all very much. It seems that running on 200 for an hour really boosted the flavor. I'm not normally a huge fan of smoked chicken, (preferred mine fried), but the family loves it, so I make them quite regularly. This one came out on top for sure, and the potatoes had an extra little kick of flavor as well. Hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th!

Charlie
 

 

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