Back to Barbecue Basics
By Daniel Hale
I first came across this Tuscan-style chicken under a brick recipe in Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue. It is one of those old-school grilling techniques that looks unusual at first, but makes perfect sense once you try it. In Tuscany, pollo al mattone is traditionally cooked under the weight of a brick over wood embers or charcoal.
For this version, I adapted Steven’s recipe for the Wildfire Ranch Pro 30″ Griddle. The idea is simple: flatten the chicken, season it well, press it under a brick, and let the heat and pressure create crisp skin and juicy meat.
Why I Used a Griddle
I chose the Wildfire 30” Ranch Pro griddle for this cook because chicken under a brick is all about contact. The weight of a brick presses the chicken down, and I liked the idea of putting that pressure against a flat, hot cooking surface instead of grill grates.
Photo Credit: Daniel Hale
That direct contact helps the skin brown and crisp while the chicken cooks. The griddle also gave me enough room to work around the bird and manage the heat.
Prepping and Cooking
For pollo al mattone, the first step is spatchcocking the bird. This simply means removing the backbone so the chicken can be opened and pressed flat. You can do this with kitchen shears or a sharp knife. Once the backbone is removed, turn the chicken over and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten it.
Flattening the chicken is what makes this technique work. The bird cooks more evenly, and the skin has better contact with the hot griddle once the brick goes on top. Since I was using one whole chicken, I wanted it as flat as possible so the brick could press it evenly against the griddle surface.
Photo Credit: Daniel Hale
The seasoning was simple: garlic, rosemary, sage, black pepper, and coarse salt. I seasoned the chicken on both sides with the Tuscan-style herbed salt, making sure to get some into the crevices.
Once the griddle was hot, I lightly oiled the surface and placed the chicken skin-side down. Then I set a foil-wrapped brick on top to press the bird against the griddle. Almost right away, you could hear the skin start to sizzle as it made contact with the hot surface. You could also use any type of grill press, but where is the fun in that?
While cooking, I kept an eye on the color, adjusted as needed, and flipped the chicken once the skin had browned. From there, I continued until the chicken reached the proper internal temperature.
Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness, especially with a whole chicken. The breast should reach 165°F, and the thighs can go a little higher and still stay juicy.
The Results
The chicken came off the griddle with crisp, browned skin and a lot of flavor from the garlic, rosemary, sage, and salt. The brick did exactly what it was supposed to do. It kept the chicken pressed against the hot surface, which helped build that color and texture while the meat stayed juicy.
Photo Credit: Daniel Hale
I finished the chicken with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon. That little bit of lemon really helped cut through the richness of the skin and brightened up the herbs.
This was a fun way to take a great recipe from Planet Barbecue and adapt it for the griddle.
What I liked most was how well the griddle handled the technique. Chicken under a brick can feel like an old-school charcoal recipe, but the griddle made it easy to manage the heat and get steady contact with the cooking surface.
A big thank you to Wildfire Outdoor Living for sponsoring this cook.
Wildfire Outdoor Living is an Arizona-based company specializing in high-performance gas grills and premium outdoor kitchen solutions. Wildfire brings a commitment to cutting-edge technology and industry-leading innovation. Their 304 stainless steel design and illuminated LED knobs, cast stainless steel burners, and laser-cut stainless steel cooking grates create products that will provide peak performance. They also allow you to customize your outdoor kitchen with designer finish knobs and handles to meet the growing demand for designer outdoor kitchens.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is chicken under a brick?
Chicken under a brick, or pollo al mattone, is a Tuscan-style cooking technique where a flattened chicken is pressed under a brick or grill press while it cooks. The weight helps the chicken make better contact with the hot surface, which helps crisp the skin and cook the bird more evenly.
Why do you spatchcock the chicken first?
Spatchcocking removes the backbone so the chicken can lay flat. This helps the bird cook more evenly and gives the skin better contact with the griddle once the brick goes on top.
Can you cook chicken under a brick on a griddle?
Yes. A griddle works well for chicken under a brick because the flat surface gives the chicken direct contact with the heat. In this version, the Wildfire Ranch Pro 30″ Griddle gave enough room to cook one whole chicken under a foil-wrapped brick.
What temperature should chicken under a brick reach?
Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness. The breast should reach 165°F, and the thighs can go a little higher while still staying juicy.
What do you serve with Tuscan-style chicken under a brick?
Keep it simple. Extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon, rosemary, and sage all work well with the garlic-herb seasoning. Grilled vegetables, roasted potatoes, or a simple salad would also fit nicely.
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