I tried spatchcooking a whole chicken (4.5 lbs) for my second time today. Everything went well except that it took forever to get the breasts to 160 degrees. I cooked it in a gasser smoker at 325 degrees. I had to cut off the thighs wings and legs at about 1 hour 15 minutes and an internal temp of 175. The breasts stayed on at an internal temp of 145 for another 45 minutes to get to 162. At that point I pulled the breasts and let them sit for 10 minutes before caving them out. The thighs and legs were kept warm in an oven till the breasts were done. The legs and thighs were very juicy and moist yet the breasts were on the dry side. This is the second time with the same results. Am I doing something wrong?
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make sure you are dry brining, and i inject my breasts. I kinda like that ENHANCED look.... lol -
Forgot to mention I did dry brine 4 hours before it hit the smoker. Under the skin and on top of the skin. The skin was amazing with the Simon and Garfunkel rub!Comment
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Don't have an answer, don't have a gasser, BUT...
More qualified/experienced help is doubtless on th way!
Howdy from Kansas Territory, Welcome to Th Pit!
Glad yer here, to learn along with me!
#M60GunnerComment
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Wife said if you cant afford a plastic surgeon, a good pushup will do wonders.Comment
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I Was in a tactical shooting class taught by a crusty old First Sergeant (as if there's any other kind) when one of my fellow students asked what to do about his belly getting in the way while prone. With an icy stare the Sarge replied "a lap". -
CaptainMike Me "Baby, did you put my shirt in the dryer, I think it shrunk." Wife "No, but you can put it on the treadmill to make it fit better...."
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one thing i have done by mistake a few times is push the instant read in too far and it pops out into the cavity and you get a wacky reading. other than that i cant say im sure whats upComment
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I don't think you are cooking hot enough. I use a full chimney of KBB in the SnS and both vents are wide open. I just let 'er rip. And I pull the chix when the breast reads 158*. Also, once the temp settles on the Thermopen, I move it slightly in and out to make sure it is getting the correct temp. You want to move it until it shows the lowest reading - that spot marks the center.
According to Federal guidelines, ~ 23 seconds at 158* kills all the nasties. Here is their chart, (page 6):
https://meathaccp.wisc.edu/validatio...%20Poultry.pdf
Looking at the chart, you can see that you can actually pull at a much lower temp as long as the required time is also met.
Temp will continue to rise when you pull the chix, and the hotter you cook, the more it will rise, so you should be perfectly safe pulling "early" as long as you can wait ~ 20 sec to eat.
Last edited by RonB; April 29, 2018, 08:44 PM.Comment
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Thanx for the addendum texastweeter Dark meat does need to go higher than 145*, and I also want white meat higher. Safe to eat and edible are not always the same...
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Welcome from Winnipeg. I agree on hotter temp, and try a few diff spots for a temp reading.Comment
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I forgot - Welcome to The Pit.Comment
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I get some bone dry at 157 and some plump and moist even when overcooked. I'm no expert but I wonder if it has something to do with the actual chicken itself, as in the breed/quality from the supplier. I like to wet brine my chickens, I believe wet brining helps a tad with moisture in pork chops and chickens.Comment
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Even with you cooking at 325 that seems way too long. Also, the breasts should finish before the thighs and legs. I usually take my breast’s up to 150-160 and let the thighs go to 180 as they don’t get dry like breast’s.
I did a spatchcock chicken tonight at about 425 which I posted for you to see. I put the probe in the thigh to start and switched it to the breast where the temp dropped a bit. I then used a instant read to check the thighs.
I’d recommend a higher temp cook and double checking probe placement as it can be tough on chicken.Attached FilesComment
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FireBoard thermometer. It was recommended to me by fellow members and I’ve used it twice. I really like it. Funny thing is I usually wouldn’t temp probe a chicken and just use my instant thermometer but I wanted to continue using this new toy. Glad I did so I could show you the cook. -
cook with the drums/thighs towards the heat. If in a vert smoker, get a chicken rack, or hang your chicken. This is one of the reasons the PBC is such a chicken cooking machine!
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Usually when cooking a spatchcocked chicken the breast should hit 150-155 when the thights hit 175-180.
I’ve has this happen before when I didn’t really flatten the bird out enough and one side didn’t finish because of the way it was sitting. I now make a point to crack the chest a bit to ensure the whole thing is as flat as practical.Comment
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As a noob I really appreciate all your input here. Definitely a few things I will tweak. I do feel like it would be just easier to stay with legs and thighs though!Comment
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