Flat Iron Chicken

ALRIGHT.....yesterday I decided to try something a little different. This was a cooking method that I had seen before and that my good friend Jeremy had told me about......You have your beer can chicken, Fried Chicken, Pan Fried Chicken, Baked Chicken, etc. But now there is another weapon for the arsenal...... I call it Flat Iron Chicken. So simple even a Bear can do it (sorry, just another play on commercials).
For this it is nice to have a heavy Cast Iron Skillet.

You start of with a nice whole chicken.
Using a sharp knife....or better yet....a GOOD pair of poultry sheers (also known as culinary sheers or more accurately "Heavy scissors").....cut the chicken from "stem to stern"along the back bone and lay the chicken flat. Then simply remove the keel bone. Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry.
From here on you can marinate or season the chicken any way you want....the Sky's the limit. However this is how I did it:

  1. Preheat your grill and skillet on high for at least 10 minutes
  2. Liberally season the entire bird with dry rub (Adkins Western Dry Rub)
  3. Oil your cooking surface. I use a plastic spray bottle with an oil with a high smoke point.
  4. Place the chicken bone side down on the cooking grate
  5. Place the Iron Skillet on top of the chicken (don't forget it's HOT)
  6. If using a gas grill (which I do), lower your heat to low and close the lid.
  7. After about 15 minutes Turn the chicken and again place skillet on top.
  8. After about another 10-15 minutes, I turned the bird again and sprinkled some Mexican Seasoning on top.
  9. Just before the chicken appears to be done I squeeze some Black Magic Finishing Sauce over the bird.
Cooking the chicken this way shortens the time needed and quickly cooks the chicken throughout.
REMEMBER....this is how "I" did it. As long as you have a chicken and some good marinade or seasoning mix you can't go wrong.

Things you will need:
  • 1 whole Chicken
  • GOOD poultry sheers (or a very sharp knife)
  • Dry Rub (or any other seasoning / marinade you prefer)
  • 1 Cast Iron Skillet
  • Black Magic Finishing Sauce
  • Tex Mex Spice Seasoning.