Time for the Yardbirds

Time for the

Yardbirds BY JIM MATHIS

Iused to work with an older guy who always referred to chickens as yardbirds. Apparently, when he was a kid, his family had chickens roaming the yard around the family farm. His mother would send him to the yard to dispatch one of the brood; that luckless hen would become supper.

Things are a little easier for us. We can go to the mega-mart or butcher shop and select chicken ready-to-cook in dozens of ways; a whole chicken, 30 wings, two hindquarters or four boneless breasts; your choice, ready to cook as you wish. For a long time, I would buy just chicken parts; I’d get breasts to grill, thighs for paella, tenders for stir-fry, just pieces and parts as needed. But I’ve since discovered that it’s best to buy the whole bird. It’s more than the two of us need for a meal, but the extra parts are better when they’re all cooked together. This weekend I’m going to roast a whole chicken. A simple yardbird cooked with a few ingredients. When I’m done, we’ll have dinner for the night and precooked chicken for a salad later in the week.

Beer Can Chicken?

As I guy who likes to grill, you know I’ve tried the beer-can chicken method. It’s a pretty simple idea really. You use a half full can of beer inserted into the cavity of the chicken to help it stay upright while it grills. The proponents of this method say the steam created as the beer boils helps to keep the chicken moist. But the reality is that the steam is released from the top of the can right near the opening at the neck of the bird, so it finds the path of least resistance and escapes without really adding much to the party. Kind of a waste of a good beer.

But I’ve found there are devices you can buy that hold the chicken upright, release steam lower in the cavity and let the bird cook evenly and develop a nice crispy skin. The versions I have are made by Weber from cast aluminum and steel. They have nice builtin drip pans that catch the fat and juices, a shallow area to fill with beer, wine, or chicken stock, and it leaves room in the cavity for herbs and aromatics. I’ve found this works much better than the beer can and produces a finished product that is much like the

rotisserie chickens you buy at Costco, Look’s or the grocery store. And that’s not bad at all.

Brick Chicken

Another legendary way to cook a bird is under a brick. Typically for this method, you will ask your butcher to spatchcock the chicken for you. If the guy behind the counter doesn’t know what you’re talking about, leave that store and go to a real butcher shop. What does spatchcock mean? Good question: it means that the fowl has been split open like a book. You can do it yourself by simply cutting out the backbone of the chicken with a pair of poultry shears and pressing it flat. Save those backbones in the freezer until you’ve got six or eight and use them to make chicken stock. If your butcher does it, they may also remove the breast bone and ribs and you’ll have two halves of the chicken pretty much ready to cook.

For the brick chicken, you’ll want to wrap a couple of bricks in aluminum foil and heat them in the oven or on the grill for at least a half an hour. Then you’ll put the spatchcocked bird skin-side down in a large, hot skillet, either cast iron or carbon steel. Then those hot bricks go on top of the chicken, so the pan cooks the chicken from the bottom while the brick heats from the top and ensures good contact with the pan. The result is a bird that cooks quickly and gets a nice crispy skin. But personally, I think it’s more work than it’s worth.

Grilled Chicken

After much experimentation and testing, I prefer to simply grill the spatchcocked chicken. It’s so simple and it produces juicy, flavorful chicken that’s as good as you’ll get in just about any restaurant. I let the boys at Look’s Market do the dirty work and prepare the birds. Then I make a simple herb and garlic rub with parsley, sage, and thyme from the garden, a few cloves of minced garlic, and generous amounts of salt and pepper. Spread the mixture on both sides, drizzle with olive oil and grill over medium coals. I start with the

“What does spatchcock mean?”

skin side down, flipping once and keeping an eye on it till it’s done. Depending on the temp of the grill, it will take somewhere between 30 to 40 minutes. I find that the slower it cooks, the juicier the bird, so don’t rush it.

The Most Important Tool

Whenever you’re dealing with raw poultry, you’ve got to be careful not to contaminate other foods. Safety first! Chickens are notoriously dirty. Use separate cutting boards, separate knives and tongs, and make sure you clean up after yourself. Remember the four rules of food safety; clean, separate, cook and chill. These are crucial rules when working with poultry.

So what’s the most important tool? A really good instant-read thermometer! I use a ThermoPen. They are quick and accurate albeit a little expensive; they run about a hundred bucks. That’s still way cheaper than medical bills when the whole family gets food poisoning. Get a good thermometer and use it. Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees, but cook it too long and it becomes rubber. I recommend pulling the chicken off when the thickest part is at 160 and letting it rest for ten to fifteen minutes. The carry-over heat will get you up to 165. An instant-read thermometer helps you walk the fine line between safe-toeat and over-cooked.

When served with some grilled vegetables and a bottle of white or rosé wine, a simple roasted chicken becomes an elegant dinner. And there’s the bonus of some really good leftovers for later in the week. Do yourself a favor, eat something good today.

Jim started cooking chicken as a short-order cook in college, now he runs ADwërks, an advertising agency in Sioux Falls where he cooks up marketing communications ideas.