Spatchcocking, another term for butterflying, is basically cutting the backbone out of a chicken or turkey splitting it in half and placing on the grill skin side up.
Spatchcocking takes a piece of meat that is configured like a football and brings it down to a more symmetrical size providing a more even cook across the entire bird. It also makes crisping the entire skin easier, provides more surface area for seasoning and lessens the cook time.
Spatchcocking is simple and here’s how it works:
Lay the bird breast side down on a cutting board.
Cut on both sides of the spine and remove it.
Spread the two halves apart.
Turn the bird over placing your hands over the breast bone and push down hard, like giving CPR.
Season both sides, place on the grill or smoker and that’s it.
