I thought that I would show how I butterfly my turkey before smoking on my DB. The term spatchcock is often used as well but I think of that as a method of cooking a butterflied bird using weights on top to push on to the grates. I may be wrong though.
After washing the bird inside and out, I start from the bottom with my poultry shears. You could also start from the top although there are thicker bones up there to get through so it's more difficult. If I were to start from the top, I would use a chef's knife instead of shears.
I cut up one side and then the other. When I get near the top of the neck area, I switch to a small cleaver to gently break through the bone there..
I then remove the back bone and will use it later to roast for soup stock to make gravy.
Next I remover the breast bone. Many folks just crack it so the bird can be flattened but removing it allows for much more meat exposure to the grate. This gets charred and a great smoke flavor which would be left on the breast bone if not removed.
I start at the cartilage at the bottom of the breast bone and slice both sides and underneath it a bit. the it's simple slice and scrape on one side and then the other until all the meat is removed. As you continue to do this, you keep pulling up on the brast bone to help clear it from the already cleaned part.
Now getting the whole breast bone out takes some time and the final pull of it out takes some strength but all of our members should be capable of doing it.
Once it's removed, you could also slide a small knife under the ri portions left to make slicing easiest. But I leave them as it's the cook's teat to eat them so I remove them after the cook before slicing.
Now it's time to apply a rub on the bottom meat side and under/on the skin on the top side as well. I no longer concern myself about crisping the skin during a smoke as I remove it before slicing and crisp it in a counter top toaster oven on a rack on a foil lined pan. You'll be amazed at how much fat renders out and how crisp and flavorful the skin gets this way.
I cook the turkey on an extra oven rack which goes on top of the standard racks of the DB as this makes removing it much easier. I cook at 225° for 4 hours. The IT of the thickest part of the breast reads 160° and usually rises to 165° after a rest. I don't measure the IT of the thigh as there is so little thigh meat on turkeys these days and it always cooks perfectly along with the breast.
Once the turkey is ready for carving, I just cut straight through the middle, separating it into two parts. Here's one half of the turkey showing the delicious under side full of smoke and crispys.
As you can see from the next photo, slicing is a breeze.
And my lunch today was a garden salad vinaigrette with smoked turkey, topped with cranberry relish made with pineapple, mango, Fuyu persimmon, apple and celery.
Shelly
After washing the bird inside and out, I start from the bottom with my poultry shears. You could also start from the top although there are thicker bones up there to get through so it's more difficult. If I were to start from the top, I would use a chef's knife instead of shears.
I cut up one side and then the other. When I get near the top of the neck area, I switch to a small cleaver to gently break through the bone there..
I then remove the back bone and will use it later to roast for soup stock to make gravy.
Next I remover the breast bone. Many folks just crack it so the bird can be flattened but removing it allows for much more meat exposure to the grate. This gets charred and a great smoke flavor which would be left on the breast bone if not removed.
I start at the cartilage at the bottom of the breast bone and slice both sides and underneath it a bit. the it's simple slice and scrape on one side and then the other until all the meat is removed. As you continue to do this, you keep pulling up on the brast bone to help clear it from the already cleaned part.
Now getting the whole breast bone out takes some time and the final pull of it out takes some strength but all of our members should be capable of doing it.
Once it's removed, you could also slide a small knife under the ri portions left to make slicing easiest. But I leave them as it's the cook's teat to eat them so I remove them after the cook before slicing.
Now it's time to apply a rub on the bottom meat side and under/on the skin on the top side as well. I no longer concern myself about crisping the skin during a smoke as I remove it before slicing and crisp it in a counter top toaster oven on a rack on a foil lined pan. You'll be amazed at how much fat renders out and how crisp and flavorful the skin gets this way.
I cook the turkey on an extra oven rack which goes on top of the standard racks of the DB as this makes removing it much easier. I cook at 225° for 4 hours. The IT of the thickest part of the breast reads 160° and usually rises to 165° after a rest. I don't measure the IT of the thigh as there is so little thigh meat on turkeys these days and it always cooks perfectly along with the breast.
Once the turkey is ready for carving, I just cut straight through the middle, separating it into two parts. Here's one half of the turkey showing the delicious under side full of smoke and crispys.
As you can see from the next photo, slicing is a breeze.
And my lunch today was a garden salad vinaigrette with smoked turkey, topped with cranberry relish made with pineapple, mango, Fuyu persimmon, apple and celery.
Shelly
