Surprise! I cooked Chicken!

Yeah, I know, I eat a lot of chicken. It's good though, especially when you grill one whole, on the bone.

This isn't so much a recipe post, as it is a technique post -- A technique I learned from Mr. Alton Brown. Yeah, I'll include a rub recipe, just for you.

Since I didn't take any pictures of the process, the good folks over at the San Francisco Chronicle will provide those. How to Spatchcock a Chicken I will give you the step by step instructions though.

Step 1. Cut a hole in the box.
Step 2. Put your... wait, wrong instructional

Ok, for real this time
Step one. Place your chicken on the cutting board breast side down, and cut (using a knife or better yet, kitchen shears) down one side of the backbone.
Step two. Cut down the other side of the backbone. You should know have your shears in one hand, and a chicken backbone in the other -- save this bone for the next time you make stock.
Step three. Use your paring knife to cut the membrane over/around the breast bone (from the inside -- you should have easy access to this, as it's directly opposite the now removed backbone)
Step four. Place both hands on the chicken's shoulders and flex him, similar to the way you'd open a book and stretch the spine. You should hear an audible pop.
Step five. Lever the breastbone (keel bone) out of the chicken. You're now done.

Not only does this method allow for quicker cooking, it makes it real easy to get some good flavors under that skin. Now that your bird is more flexible, you should be able to go under the skin at the former neck hole and spread your rub all around.

I grilled my bird last night, and decreased my cooking time even further by placing two foiled bricks on the bird. Started skin side down, finished skin side up. About 25 minutes per side over LOW heat -- your grill in the 350-375 range. I'm not telling you your bird will be done in 50 minutes -- your bird is done when it reaches the right temperature, which took 50 minutes for me last night.

Last night's bird was rubbed with a Chinese 5-spice blend, and served with some grilled asparagus.

5 Spice Rub
1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Kosher salt
black pepper to taste
enough toasted sesame oil to turn the above mix into a paste -- 1/2 to 1 tsp

Rubbed that all over the bird, both under and on the skin and prepared as directed above.

The asparagus got a bath in sesame oil, black vinegar, a little soy and salt and pepper. It hit the grill about 10 minutes before the bird was done.

Tonight, what to do with the leftovers (other than have them for lunch) the next day.

--Brad