Thanksgiving Turkey

[SaltyTiger 7,820]

Know we have a BBQ club but not much traffic and often forget it is there. Always smoke a Thanksgiving turkey on the Egg. Buy only Butterball because my mother once dogged me for buying what she called on “off brand. Turkey consistently turns out great but have never brined. Morning of just lightly coat with olive oil and season with something like Slap Ya Mamma. Use a few hickory chunks with charcoal. Thoughts on brining and other ideas? 
 

My favorite part of the turkey is gumbo day after.

[WillMunny 1,380]

I always buy a Butterball turkey, minimally processed (i.e. not injected with brine).

I spatchcock it (cut out the backbone and cut it in half), then dry-brine overnight with a good sprinkle of "Plowboy's Yardbird" rub.  It's a salty rub that goes well with poultry.  A big plus to cutting it in half is that I can get rub on both sides of each half, and my wife uses the backbone for making gravy.

I cook by hanging both halves in my barrel smoker, using charcoal for fuel and apple wood chunks for smoke flavor.  I keep the smoker temp at a steady 275 degrees until about 45 minutes before it's ready, then open up the vents and let the smoker temp rise to 375 degrees to crisp up the skin.

I pull the bird off the smoker when the breast temperature reaches 160 degrees (it will carry over to 165 degrees while waiting to be carved).

It took me several tries to get everything right, but I'm finally consistently happy with the results.

My favorite parts of the turkey are the drumsticks.

Edited November 23, 2023 by WillMunny

[ShocksMyBrain 9,368]

Never cooked a turkey ever. Decided to try to smoke a 14lb Butterball and host Thanksgiving this year and it turned out pretty damn good. 
 

Used Meat Church Bird Baptism brine. Had to drive an hour round trip to find an Ace Hardware with it in stock. Checked back later out of curiosity and the next closest Ace that had it was in Jonesboro. Brined for about 12 hours in my cooler, then used Meat Church Deez Nuts Honey Pecan rub after rinsing and drying. Smoked using the “smoke” setting on the Traeger for 2 hours, then a couple more hours at 325 until temps hit where they needed to be.

Edited November 23, 2023 by ShocksMyBrain

[Grumps 3,704]

57 minutes ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

Never cooked a turkey ever. Decided to try to smoke a 14lb Butterball and host Thanksgiving this year and it turned out pretty damn good. 
 

Used Meat Church Bird Baptism brine. Had to drive an hour round trip to find an Ace Hardware with it in stock. Checked back later out of curiosity and the next closest Ace that had it was in Jonesboro. Brined for about 12 hours in my cooler, then used Meat Church Deez Nuts Honey Pecan rub after rinsing and drying. Smoked using the “smoke” setting on the Traeger for 2 hours, then a couple more hours at 325 until temps hit where they needed to be.

Beautiful bird!!!

[Grumps 3,704]

Mine’s not as pretty as Shocks’ but was really good and may have been my juiciest bird ever.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,368]

25 minutes ago, Grumps said:

Mine’s not as pretty as Shocks’ but was really good and may have been my juiciest bird ever.

Spatchcocking sounds like the way to go, will definitely be trying it next time…whenever that is. 

[Grumps 3,704]

1 hour ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

Spatchcocking sounds like the way to go, will definitely be trying it next time…whenever that is. 

It looks like you've already got it figured out! The primary advantage of spatchcocking is that the turkey cooks faster. Supposedly it lowers the chance of the  breast meat and the dark meat not being done at the same time, but I am not so sure of that. Meathead at amazingribs.com says that the turkey will be juicier if you don't have to cook it as long due to spatchcock. He takes a very scientific approach to his cooking. If you have never seen his site then I recommend it.

[SaltyTiger 7,820]

14 pounds and was great 

 

 

 

[Grumps 3,704]

11 hours ago, SaltyTiger said:

14 pounds and was great 

 

 

 

Very nice!!!

[SaltyTiger 7,820]

1 hour ago, Grumps said:

Very nice!!!

Thanks. Have mastered the systematic method of carving a turkey and can do it in very little time now. It is an art like filleting a fish.

Only thing is that eating turkey gets old to me quick. My favorite turkey is deli style on a sandwich. 

[AUloggerhead 2,241]

23 hours ago, WillMunny said:

I always buy a Butterball turkey, minimally processed (i.e. not injected with brine).

I spatchcock it (cut out the backbone and cut it in half), then dry-brine overnight with a good sprinkle of "Plowboy's Yardbird" rub.  It's a salty rub that goes well with poultry.  A big plus to cutting it in half is that I can get rub on both sides of each half, and my wife uses the backbone for making gravy.

I cook by hanging both halves in my barrel smoker, using charcoal for fuel and apple wood chunks for smoke flavor.  I keep the smoker temp at a steady 275 degrees until about 45 minutes before it's ready, then open up the vents and let the smoker temp rise to 375 degrees to crisp up the skin.

I pull the bird off the smoker when the breast temperature reaches 160 degrees (it will carry over to 165 degrees while waiting to be carved).

It took me several tries to get everything right, but I'm finally consistently happy with the results.

My favorite parts of the turkey are the drumsticks.

Spatchcock & dry-brine is the way to go -- have done that the past two Thanksgivings.  Also, I tried a heritage turkey and must admit it's the best I've tasted.  An 8-lb bird cooked in 90 minutes.  It's more expensive but IMHO it's worth the extra cost.  Heritage turkeys

Quote

 

... So, why buy a heritage turkey? Their greatest attributes today are the exact same that they were in the early 18th century: superior flavor and nutrition. Heritage birds will be smaller than their grocery store counterparts thanks in part to genetics, as well lacking the water, chemicals, and preservatives that are routinely pumped into commodity turkeys before heading to the store. This smaller size allows you to cook them more evenly and quickly, resulting in a more succulent and moist bird.

The naturally high fat content of heritage turkeys bastes the bird as it cooks and provides a source of healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Additionally, the lack of antibiotics, chemicals, and preservatives, both during the life cycle of the bird and after processing, ensures that you’re feeding your family meat that is free of any unwanted additives. What these birds may lack in economics they more than make up for on the dinner table.  ...

 

 

 

Edited November 24, 2023 by AUloggerhead

[WillMunny 1,380]

1 minute ago, AUloggerhead said:

Spathcock & dry-brine is the way to go -- have done that the past two Thanksgivings.  Also, I tried a heritage turkey and must admit it's the best I've tasted.  An 8-lb bird cooked in 90 minutes.  It's more expensive but IMHO it's worth the extra cost.  Heritage turkeys

 

 

I will definitely try a Heritage turkey next time.  Sounds great.

[bigbird 60,573]

[bigbird 60,573]

Missed this thread

[bigbird 60,573]

4 hours ago, bigbird said:

I roasted the first

 

Smoked the 1st breast with Pecan, apple, and a little maple wood

The spatchcocked breast was smoked with post oak. 

[Grumps 3,704]

7 hours ago, bigbird said:

I roasted the first

 

Smoked the 1st breast with Pecan, apple, and a little maple wood

The spatchcocked breast was smoked with post oak. 

Looks great! I am surprised at how much darker the post oak bird looks.

[bigbird 60,573]

Just now, Grumps said:

Looks great! I am surprised at how much darker the post oak bird looks.

The pecan and apple give a lot less smoke

[Grumps 3,704]

Thanks for sharing! I am glad to see the difference side by side!