Chicken Under a Brick

The first step in this endeavor is to spatchcock a chicken. What is that you say? Basically it means you are going to butterfly the bird by removing it’s backbone, but I just like saying spatchcock better. The best way to remove the backbone is to lay the little fellow breast side down on a cutting board and use some kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut along the spine. You will be busting up some ribs as you go so it will take a little force. Don’t worry, your bird is already dead so just muscle through it. After you remove the bone (saving it for stock, of course), I like to give the breast a little push on the edges giving that keel bone a pop so the bird will lay out nice and flat. Give your newly spineless fowl a rinse and dunk it into our standard Gateway Drum chicken brine (1/4 kosher salt, 1/3 cup brown sugar, dissolved in 1/2 gallon of water and chilled). Let it brine for 2 hours.

While you wait on the brine, make a garlic butter. Put 2 tablespoons of the Sweet and Savory rub into a bowl with a stick of butter and the garlic. Give this mix a good stir until it is well incorporated. Set the butter aside and wait for the brine to work it’s magic. After 2 hours have passed, pull your chicken out, rinse it well, and pat it dry with several paper towels.

Loosen the skin of your chicken by running your fingers under it around the breast and thighs and start stuffing it full of your compound butter. I used about a 1/4 cup of our butter total making sure to give the top of the skin a good rub while I was at it. Give the bone side of the bird a coat of rub, flip it back skin side up and do the same to buttered skin.

Put a grate on the middle rack of your Gateway Drum dialed in at 300 degrees. Put your chicken skin side down on the middle of the drum, put a spoonful more of the butter on the back of each side, and cover the chicken with your heavy pan or bricks.

Let this go for 45 minutes or so before pulling the bricks off the cooker and giving your bird a flip being careful not to lose any delicious skin on the grate. Let it go until your thermometer reads 160 degrees in the breast and 165 in the thigh, about 15 minutes longer.

Take your bird inside and “sauce” it with a little bit more butter. Let it rest for 10 minutes or so and tear right on in! As always, enjoy!