April 17th, 2016, 6:30 pm
#1
* Abilene ** Abilene *
User avatar
  • Joined: March 13th, 2016, 12:47 am
  • Posts: 7

I have already been suckered into cooking the turkey for this years thanksgiving celebration. Since there's no time like the present to practice, my better half picked up a turkey last week. This will be my first smoked turkey cook and don't want to blow it. Is it better to leave the bird whole or spatchcock it?

April 17th, 2016, 10:17 pm
#2
* Durnago ** Durnago *
User avatar
  • Joined: May 10th, 2014, 12:33 pm
  • Posts: 576
  • Location: Sitting Near a Yoder Smoker, Smelling Sweet Blue

I brine and spatchcock. I've never looked back since I started this process. Excellent results.

Image

Image
April 18th, 2016, 8:59 am
#3
Site AdminSite Admin
User avatar
  • Joined: April 18th, 2014, 3:12 pm
  • Posts: 2408

I do not brine, I inject.

I have cooked turkey the traditional way in a pan, traditional directly on the grate without a pan, spatchcocked in a pan, spatchcocked directly on the grate without a pan, semi-spatchcocled (cut the back bone out but not flattened) in a pan, and semi-spatchcocked directly on the grate without a pan.

So which is best? My choice is to spatchcock and cook directly on the grates without a pan. Oh my word, no gravy with this method! Yes, this is how I do it: viewtopic.php?p=2293#p2293

Yoder_Herb
October 12th, 2016, 8:50 pm
#4
* Cheyenne ** Cheyenne *
User avatar
  • Joined: October 12th, 2015, 4:34 pm
  • Posts: 78

Hello,

Sorry for the late reply, I spatchcocked turkey last year one brined and one dry rubbed and are cooking both brined this year. Dry rubbed was injected and what I used people found too salty.

Return to Poultry