smoker pete
New member
After smoking many Spatchcock Chickens using different spices and smoke flavors (Apple, Pecan, Cherry, and Hickory) I decided to try Spatchcocking a Turkey to have some data available come Thanksgiving and the Holidays. Took my last Turkey/Bone-In Turkey Breast from last Thanksgiving when most supermarkets practically give them away to get you in the door. Great time for stocking up the freezer in order to enjoy Turkey the rest of the year. Now I have room for more Turkeys come next Thanksgiving.
Some call it "butterflying" a Turkey but I prefer to use the term "spatchcock" which is poultry or game that is prepared for smoking, roasting or grilling by removing the backbone of the bird and flattening it out before cooking. A 12 to 14 lb Turkey is a great size for smoking on most grills.
I chose to rub the 14 lb Turkey on and under the skin with Annie's Roasted Garlic EVOO and Fagundes Seasoning.
While the MAK 2 Star General was pre-heating, I took the opportunity to have a BLT using some of the fantastic bacon cooked on my MAK a few days ago.
Using American Broadleaf Pure 100 Apple Pellets. MAK Setpoint to SMOKE for 1½ hours. At this point the Internal Temperature (IT) of the Turkey breasts were 82º and 84ºF respectfully. Used two Food Probes to monitor how even the Turkey was cooking. The temperatures stayed within ± 2º of each other.
After experimenting, I have chosen to smoke/cook my spatchcock poultry skin side down. Both methods are acceptable but it boils down to personal preference.
After an 1½ hours of SMOKE the temperature was bumped to 325ºF until an IT of 170ºF was reached in the thickest parts of the Turkey Breast. From experience with my equipment and our preferences I choose to pull at 170º vs 165ºF. The smoked Turkeys and Chickens that I have done in the manner are still remarkably moist and there is no hint of redness internally near the bones which is what SWMBO demands.
Took 4 hours consisting of 1½ hours of smoke (170 - 185ºF) and 2½ hours at 325ºF for this 14 lb Turkey. When smoking/cooking at the lower temperatures that I prefer to use, the skin for the most part does not come out as crispy as I would like but I don't eat much poultry skin these days anyways. Leaves more room for the poultry.
The money $$shot ... A sampling of some Apple Smoked White/Dark Turkey with trimmings. The Dark meat had a wonderful smoked reddish color and tickled the senses while the White meat was scrumptious and moist ... Bon Appétit !!
One of the great benies of doing a Smoked Turkey is the grazing on the leaftovers and the wonderful Sammies topped with some smoked cheddar cheese.
Some call it "butterflying" a Turkey but I prefer to use the term "spatchcock" which is poultry or game that is prepared for smoking, roasting or grilling by removing the backbone of the bird and flattening it out before cooking. A 12 to 14 lb Turkey is a great size for smoking on most grills.
I chose to rub the 14 lb Turkey on and under the skin with Annie's Roasted Garlic EVOO and Fagundes Seasoning.
While the MAK 2 Star General was pre-heating, I took the opportunity to have a BLT using some of the fantastic bacon cooked on my MAK a few days ago.
Using American Broadleaf Pure 100 Apple Pellets. MAK Setpoint to SMOKE for 1½ hours. At this point the Internal Temperature (IT) of the Turkey breasts were 82º and 84ºF respectfully. Used two Food Probes to monitor how even the Turkey was cooking. The temperatures stayed within ± 2º of each other.
After experimenting, I have chosen to smoke/cook my spatchcock poultry skin side down. Both methods are acceptable but it boils down to personal preference.
After an 1½ hours of SMOKE the temperature was bumped to 325ºF until an IT of 170ºF was reached in the thickest parts of the Turkey Breast. From experience with my equipment and our preferences I choose to pull at 170º vs 165ºF. The smoked Turkeys and Chickens that I have done in the manner are still remarkably moist and there is no hint of redness internally near the bones which is what SWMBO demands.
Took 4 hours consisting of 1½ hours of smoke (170 - 185ºF) and 2½ hours at 325ºF for this 14 lb Turkey. When smoking/cooking at the lower temperatures that I prefer to use, the skin for the most part does not come out as crispy as I would like but I don't eat much poultry skin these days anyways. Leaves more room for the poultry.
The money $$shot ... A sampling of some Apple Smoked White/Dark Turkey with trimmings. The Dark meat had a wonderful smoked reddish color and tickled the senses while the White meat was scrumptious and moist ... Bon Appétit !!
One of the great benies of doing a Smoked Turkey is the grazing on the leaftovers and the wonderful Sammies topped with some smoked cheddar cheese.
