Whole Deboned Chicken with Chorizo-Shiitake Stuffing

Ingredients

The Whole Bird

• 1 whole roasting chicken (approx. 4-5 lbs)
• Butcher's twine (for trussing)
• 2 tbsp your favorite smoky BBQ rub or poultry seasoning (heavy on paprika for that brick-red color)
• 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter (binder for the rub)

The Chorizo-Shiitake Stuffing

• ½ lb Mexican chorizo sausage, casings removed
• ½ lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 4 cup fresh baby spinach
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cook and Cool the Stuffing

1. Brown the chorizo: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the chorizo, breaking it down into a very fine crumble with a wooden spoon until browned and crisp. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.

2. Sauté the mushrooms: Add the cubed shiitake mushrooms to the hot chorizo fat. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until golden brown and glossy. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.

3. Wilt the spinach: Toss the spinach into the pan, cooking just until completely wilted.

4. Combine and chill: Mix the chorizo back into the mushroom and spinach mixture. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Crucial Step: Let the stuffing cool completely to room temperature before packing it into the raw chicken to ensure food safety and prevent the meat from tearing.

Tunnel-Debone the Chicken (Working from the Inside)

1. Stand the chicken upright on its tail or lay it on its back. Working through the neck cavity, use a sharp boning knife to carefully cut the meat away from the wishbone and the top of the breastbone.

2. Slowly slide your knife and fingers down between the ribcage and the meat, peeling the meat away from the skeleton. Work your way sequentially from the neck down to the tail along the inside, keeping the blade pressed flat against the bone to ensure you do not puncture the skin.

3. Cut through the shoulder and hip joints from the inside to separate the wings and legs from the main carcass.

4. Pull the fully loosened carcass out through the cavity in one piece. Carefully scrape and slip the thigh and leg bones out from the inside, leaving you with a completely boneless, pouch-like whole chicken.

Stuff, Secure, and Season

1. Fill from the bottom: Place the deboned whole chicken on your cutting board. Spoon the cooled chorizo, shiitake, and spinach stuffing into the cavity beginning at the bottom (tail) end, packing it tightly to prevent air pockets.

2. Tie the base: Use butcher's twine to tie off the bottom skin securely, locking that end closed.

3. Finish from the top: Stand the bird up and finish packing the remaining stuffing tightly into the cavity from the top (neck) end.

4. Secure the top: Thread a few toothpicks through the neck skin to pin it securely closed, then loop a final piece of twine around the wings and upper body to keep the bird compact and uniform.

5. Season the skin: Pat the outside skin completely dry. Rub with olive oil or butter, then apply a heavy, even coating of your BBQ rub.

Smoke to Perfection

1. Preheat your smoker or charcoal kettle grill to 275°F with oak, pecan, or fruitwood chunks. Set it up for indirect cooking.

2. Place a foil pan beneath the cooking grate to catch drippings. Position the trussed chicken on an elevated wire rack above the pan.

3. Insert a wired meat probe into the thickest part of the chicken roll.

4. Smoke: Close the lid and smoke for roughly 1.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches about 160°F.

5. Rest and carve: Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before snipping the twine. Use a very sharp chef's knife to carve it into clean, stunning wheels.