Update and Redux: J – Normal Pollo al Mateo needs a bit of preparation technique. Add a deboned version, and you need some good practice. Christina’s knife skills are up to the challenge. The result is moist, quick and even cooking on the grill. Worth the effort.
C – This is a technique I need to practice.
Deboning a chicken, leg quarter and all. Well … not all. The chicken wings won’t be deboned this time. I am getting better at it. The technique really focuses on understanding a chicken’s anatomy and working to get as much meat off the bone as possible … without out making it jagged and messy.
One thing I learned was to work with a really sharp knife and a stable cutting board. Either can mess you up.
A high quality, small fileting knife will allow you to cut around the joints without struggling. Place a towel underneath the cutting board to secure it.
After practicing a few times, I got the hang of it. Luckily, we had to debone two chickens so I had lots of practice.
Grilling a deboned chicken was great in so many ways. I loved that it didn’t take much time to cook.
The meat was cut evenly, so it really made it perfect for grilling. If the breast is thick, pound it out a little and it will work perfectly on the grill.
| Chicken Week: Deboned Pollo Al Mateo |
- ½ medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 fennel stems and fronds, rough chopped
- 4 to 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 pepper corns
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ cup golden brown sugar
- 8 to 9 cups water
- 1 whole chicken,
- Canola oil as needed
- Mix all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil
- Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature. This is very important.
- In a medium storage pan, pour brine over chicken pieces.
- Brine the cut pieces overnight.
- Using a very shape knife, debone the chicken. Leave the skin intact where possible.
- Wrap a brick tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil.
- Heat grill on medium high.
- Pat chicken dry and remove herb bits. Coat with a small amount of oil.
- Place chicken meat side down. Top with the brick and cook for five to seven minutes on each side.
- Remove from the grill and let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.
- Serve.
- Enjoy!
I really loved this chicken. The only problem is I will need a lot of bricks for grilling all the chicken I want. I could eat this all day. Especially, with the bones removed.
So glad I am practicing my deboning skills. It’s allowing me to eat more of this recipe.