Should You Spatchcock Your Thanksgiving Turkey?
Let’s start with the term “spatchcock”, what does that even mean?
Dictionary.com defines it this way:
a dressed fowl that has had its backbone removed and has been split open and flattened so that it cooks more evenly when grilled, broiled, or roasted.
The thought behind it, is that the bird gets heat evenly across the outside and the inside of the bird.
It does work and works well, if you are… grilling (heat from the bottom), broiling (heat from the top), or roasting (in a pan). So if you are using one of those methods, then by all means, spatchcock that turkey!
How about if you are smoking that turkey? Or..
What if you prefer the presentation of a whole Turkey?
While we have determined that spatchcocking your turkey is a great idea if you are grilling, broiling or roasting (in a pan) a turkey, when it comes to smoking a turkey, or if you prefer a whole turkey for presentation, then DO NOT spatchcock that turkey. Allow me to explain….
Since the idea is to cook a turkey with even heat, a smoker is a great place to cook a turkey. You will need to consider a few things, when you do though.
Keep the cavity open: Clearing out the cavity of the turkey is a standard part of preparing a turkey for cooking. Remove the neck, the giblets and anything else inside of it. Trim back the neck skin a bit, so we have a completely open cavity. I usually give the insides a good rinse as well.
Do not stuff the turkey, we want to keep that cavity open and clear.
Once you have seasoned your turkey (if you are using Harvest Brine, you can skip this step), it is time to put it in the smoker.
How you put it in the smoker depends on what type of smoker you have. If you have a vertical smoker (Weber Smokey Mountain, Drum smoker, Cabinet smoker, etc), I recommend cooking your turkey vertically, using a vertical roaster. If you are using a horizontal smoker (offset, etc), then put your turkey in the smoker with the breast up.
The key to smoking that turkey whole is to keep the cavity completely open, so the smoke and convection heat from your smoker can easily flow through and around the turkey, so don’t use a pan.
Tips:
There is no benefit to slow cooking a Turkey. Smoking should be cooked at the same temperatures you would do one in the oven. 350F-375F
Monitor your internal temps on the turkey, you what the dark meat (legs/thighs) at 165F and the breast at 155F when you pull it to rest it.
You can find more information at the links below: