Turkey Practice

So, I figured I'd do a rehearsal of the Thanksgiving turkey. Spatchcocked, glued with garlic olive oil, rubbed with Little Louie's and Desert Gold. Smoked for about 1.5 hours. Then, 325F until breasts at IT of 170F. Might go a little higher next time. Either that or my probe position wasn't as good as it should have been. Meat was just a little underdone.


After rubbing.


Looking like something out of "Alien".


That's more like it!

Forgot to get pics of the meat. We enjoyed it. De Bebe made some turkey sandwiches for me and for her family. Good reviews all around.

Nice looking bird Rob!

Oh yeah that looks good!

Once you spatchcock its hard to go back.


P.S. Was the tip of your probe in the thickest part of the breast? We always pull ours at 165° or so.

TentHunter said:

Oh yeah that looks good!

Once you spatchcock its hard to go back.


P.S. Was the tip of your probe in the thickest part of the breast? We always pull ours at 165° or so.

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What Cliff said. I also like to cook mine skin side up to get it nice and crisp. Either way is a winner. The carcass will make some fine stock, too.

Art

TentHunter said:

Oh yeah that looks good!

Once you spatchcock its hard to go back.


P.S. Was the tip of your probe in the thickest part of the breast? We always pull ours at 165° or so.

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this is what i dont get. from what i have read do dark to 180 light to 165. Without chopping it up how do you do it?

RickB said:

this is what i dont get. from what i have read do dark to 180 light to 165. Without chopping it up how do you do it?

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I don't worry about the thighs being 180°. I just put the leg quarters toward the heat source (or hottest part of the grill) and the breast away. Remember the breast takes the longest to cook because it's thicker, so when the Breast reaches 165° double check the thigh and it's usually a few degrees hotter because they aren't as thick, so it seems to works out.

I hope this makes sense.

Thanks, all. I think the probes were not in the thickest part. I'll try to reposition them a bit better.

We just had some turkey soup tonight! Was great, but the credit goes to De Bebe. I just contributed the meat and the bones. She did all the rest for the soup.

What did you do, cut the back bone out?

yes that is 'spatchcocking'

This place will go nuts shortly with opinions on the perfect turkey...let me jump the gun

NEVER cook it at 325. Friends dont let friends cook it at that. Never cook a bird bigger than 14lbs....if you have a big crowd cook two

Always rest the bird for at least 20 minutes before slicing....I love watching people pull the 325 degree 24 pound turkey out of the oven right on the slicing table and cut right into it and everyone is oohing and aahing as all the juice runs out of the cutting board....when the juice runs out of the bird it is running out of the meat......when the juice is gone it translates into dry breast meat.

The reason why I hate 325 is that you cannot cook evenly at that temp....the outside will get overdone before the insides are cooked right. WE get the benefit of low and slow. I cook mine at 250-275. The other reason for this is that it is usually a communal family cook and while you are waiting for aunt marge to make you jellied prunes and uncle dex to make his pickled chestnuts...your bird is still cooking on the counter because the outside is 325....Recipe for a dry bird

The smaller bird is easier to cook the a consistent temp.....think about it....if you are cooking for an it of 165.....the inside starts at about 48 degrees and the outside is probably closer to 60 degress...by the time the center of the breast gets to its ending temp the outer inches are over done.

I rest my case...until next time!

Thanks, BP! Great advice!

delsurf said:

What did you do, cut the back bone out?

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Yes. I cut the backbone out. Additionally, I cut the breastbone out.