Spatchcocking is the bees knees — or rather, it’s the chicken’s body, flattened and spineless. More specifically, it’s a preparation of chicken (or other birds) that involves removing the spine and collapsing the breast bone, allowing for the bird to lay flat and cook more evenly. Lately, spatchcocking has become the darling of food writers and cooks alike. And even though it also has its fair share of detractors, it’s still worth a try for the spatchcock-curious. However, for many home cooks, the act of spatchcocking can be scary, to say the least. Taking a pair of poultry shears to a chicken spine is enough to put off almost anyone.
But that doesn’t mean you should forgo the preparation method altogether. All you need to do is ask someone at the butcher counter to spatchcock a chicken for you. They can help you out with other birds as well, including turkeys. However, large birds might require you to give your butcher advanced notice.
How to find the butchering services (or videos) you need
Most large supermarket chains or grocers equipped with functioning butcher departments have meat processing and cutting services available to customers. For example, Whole Foods offers several free butcher services, including deboning. But these types of services are open to each retailer’s discretion. If it is against policy, the butcher on duty may refuse. It’s also important to note that chickens must be thawed or fresh (not frozen) to be properly spatchcocked. You may also find that your grocery store offers pre-spatchcocked chickens, either behind the meat counter or with other packaged meats.
If none of these options are available, all hope is not lost. You can try your hand at spatchcocking a chicken. This requires some patience and trust in the process, but despite its scary name and rather aggressive preparation, it’s actually a pretty simple procedure. Ultimately, all you need to do is cut the spine out, then flip it over and press down on the breastbone until it collapses. There are copious online tutorials available to get you through it. Just search YouTube for “how to spatchcock a chicken.”
If you can’t bring yourself to do it, you might also try contacting a local butcher shop rather than a grocer to ask about their spatchcocking services. One major difference between a grocery store and butcher shop is that butcher shops often have more personalized service in addition to specialty cuts.
