Spatchcocked turkey on the UDS

Wampus · 11-04-2012, 08:30 AM

Just pulled a bird out of a 24 hour brine. It's sititng in the fridge right now tightening back up. After church, I'm gonna SMOKE THAT SUCKA!

I've never done it before with a turkey, but I plan on spatchcocking it and putting it on the drum.

We'll have dinner tonight and I'll slice the breasts for lunchmeat and pull the rest for soups, enchiladas, whatever.

PRON TO COME!

JLStout · 11-04-2012, 10:15 AM

I'm doing the same thing today. Nothing better on a Sunday afternoon than football and bbq!

fingerlickin' · 11-04-2012, 10:25 AM

Wampus I spatched my first turkey last Thanksgiving and I'm not going back, you'll love it. Looking forward to the pron!

Grizzly6 · 11-04-2012, 10:32 AM

I tried this a couple of months ago. It turned out good, but I need to perfect my technique.

I did not carve mine, I put the BBQ gloves on an pulled it. I preferred this and it turned out better than slicing off hunks, just my opinion.

Let us know how it turns out.

sheepdad · 11-04-2012, 06:12 PM

We Want Pron!!! We Want Pron!! We Want Pron!

Wampus · 11-05-2012, 03:20 PM

^^^^^ OK, so PRON it is my friend!!!!

So I did a 24 hour brine in a simple brine of:

2 gallons water
2 cups table salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 handful (probably 1/4-1/3 c) whole peppercorns

I took the turkey out of the brine Sunday morning, rinsed it and let it sit in the fridge for about 6 hours to dry out and let the skin tighten up.

The boys were hanging out so I decided to put them to work.

Little Kempis loading the charcoal basket:

Orion loaded the chimney:

And Guerin lit the chimney:

Time to prep the bird!

Here's the bird out of the fridge:

And here it is spatchcocked (from the back):

Picked this up a while ago and decided this was the rub of the day:

Rubbed and ready to go:

On the drum it went:

I left all the vents open to crank the heat. It ended up climbing to about 400. I just let it ride.

About 3 hours later, the breast meat was FINALLY ready (at 155 IT). The whole thing came off to rest. After about a 30 minute rest while I finished up the sides, HERE it was:

Got enough carved to fill a platter:

TIME FOR DINNER!!!!!

Here's my plate, sides were mashed taters, giblet gravy, oven roasted carrots and biscuits:

SO, the bottom line was it was good, but not my best.
This was the first time I've spatched a turkey and I had some observations........

One thing I noticed was that the breast meat took longer to finish than the rest of the bird, which is not typical (as I've noticed). I assumed this to be due to the fact that since the bird was all spread out the breasts were the largest (most massive) pieces of meat and therefore, took longer to get cooked through. I don't usually find this to be an issue when I spatch chickens though, so I was a bit puzzled.

After about 2.5 hours, I went out and checked and the thigh/leg quarter was showing about 165 in the thigh while the breast was only at 112-115. The bird looked GREAT at that point.

By the time the breasts were where I wanted them, the skin had darkened quite a bit more than I wanted.

As with spatchcocking in general, I did like being able to get the seasoning over more surface area. and the cook seemed to go a bit quicker.

All-in-all it was a good turkey. Just not sure I liked the way it cooked for me. Anyone else had this issue or was it just me?

Thanks for lookin!

1911Ron · 11-05-2012, 04:25 PM

Would tenting it have helped?

fingerlickin' · 11-05-2012, 04:41 PM

It looks great to me brother. I've noticed at least with the chickens I've been spatchcocking that the breast is done after the thighs. Frankly I like it that way since the thighs can take more heat without drying out. The first time I noticed I though it might just be a coincidence although it's been that way the last 3 times for me.

MisterChrister · 11-05-2012, 04:51 PM

I have no wisdom to offer, but I would FARK that turkey's world UP!!! BTW, I've done lots of chickens, but never done a turkey over fire. Am I safe in assuming that since I have a rotisserie, I should use it rather than just going straight indirect/baffled or spatched? With all other things being equal, will the self-basting rotisserie action produce a superior turkey the way it does my chickens?

Wampus · 11-05-2012, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisterChrister

I have no wisdom to offer, but I would FARK that turkey's world UP!!! BTW, I've done lots of chickens, but never done a turkey over fire. Am I safe in assuming that since I have a rotisserie, I should use it rather than just going straight indirect/baffled or spatched? With all other things being equal, will the self-basting rotisserie action produce a superior turkey the way it does my chickens?

I will tell you this....

If I had a rotisserie.....I would DEFINITELY put a turkey on it!

Wampus · 11-05-2012, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1911Ron

Would tenting it have helped?

Tenting it on the smoker? Dunno. Perhaps?

porkaholic · 11-05-2012, 05:45 PM

I always spatchcock my turkey but with one additional thought. After I cut the bird I skin the bird. Yes, I said I skin the bird, all but the wings. I then put on the rub of choice and cover that with bacon and more rub. Flavor is outstanding and the bird does not dry out at all. Tried this on chicken first and that worked so tried it on turkey. Thanksgiving with a naked bacon turkey is the standard now. Sometimes I coat the bird with spray veg oil to hold the rub in place.

Wampus · 11-05-2012, 07:14 PM

"Naked bacon turkey"

Now THAT I gotta see! Sounds interesting!

porkaholic · 11-05-2012, 07:32 PM

I am fairly new to this site so will try to upload pics tomorrow. Really is very good. Best part is, the bacon is a must with every bite of turkey.

porkaholic · 11-05-2012, 08:01 PM

Here is the turkey ready for the smoker and after it is done. Hope this works.

DSCF0422.jpg

DSCF0424.jpg

11-04-2012, 08:30 AM	#1
Wampus somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-05-09 Location: Mooresville, IN	Spatchcocked turkey on the UDS Just pulled a bird out of a 24 hour brine. It's sititng in the fridge right now tightening back up. After church, I'm gonna SMOKE THAT SUCKA! I've never done it before with a turkey, but I plan on spatchcocking it and putting it on the drum. We'll have dinner tonight and I'll slice the breasts for lunchmeat and pull the rest for soups, enchiladas, whatever. PRON TO COME! __________________ [COLOR="Blue"][B]"Oh, I don’t reject Christ. I love Christ. It’s just that so many of you Christians are so unlike Christ." -Mahatma Gandhi[/B][/COLOR]

11-04-2012, 10:25 AM	#3
fingerlickin' Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 07-08-10 Location: Boyertown, PA	Wampus I spatched my first turkey last Thanksgiving and I'm not going back, you'll love it. Looking forward to the pron! __________________ [COLOR=Navy][COLOR=Black][I] Jason [/I] "I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - [I]Tommy Callahan III[/I][/COLOR][/COLOR] [B][SIZE=2][COLOR=DarkGreen][SIZE=3][SIZE=2][COLOR=Black] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=2][COLOR=Black]Backwoods Ext. Party,[/COLOR][/SIZE][/SIZE][/COLOR][/SIZE][COLOR=DarkGreen] [COLOR=Black]Vision Kamado,[/COLOR][/COLOR][/B][B][COLOR=DarkGreen][COLOR=DarkGreen][B][COLOR=Black] 22" WSM[/COLOR][/B],[/COLOR] 22.5 Weber OTS, [/COLOR][/B][COLOR=DarkGreen][B]Mini WSM, [/B][COLOR=Red][B] UDS "No.8"[/B][/COLOR][/COLOR] [COLOR=Teal] [COLOR=Black][B][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]Napkin Killers BBQ[/COLOR] [/B][/COLOR][/COLOR]

11-04-2012, 10:32 AM	#4
Grizzly6 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 05-31-12 Location: Altoona, IA	I tried this a couple of months ago. It turned out good, but I need to perfect my technique. I did not carve mine, I put the BBQ gloves on an pulled it. I preferred this and it turned out better than slicing off hunks, just my opinion. Let us know how it turns out. __________________ Brinkmann Longhorn stick burner 55gal Black UDS 85gal XL UDS DUCAN Affinity - gasser Mini UDS (For the 12 yr old of course) Extreme amounts of awesome to assist 12 yr old who loves to cook, and an 9 yr old who is getting interested

11-04-2012, 06:12 PM	#5
sheepdad Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 09-08-12 Location: Hamden,CT	We Want Pron!!! We Want Pron!! We Want Pron! __________________ Weber 22 OTS/Smokenator_Weber Smokey Joe_Weber Genesis 330_Big Poppa UDS_ECB

11-05-2012, 03:20 PM	#6
Wampus somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-05-09 Location: Mooresville, IN	^^^^^ OK, so PRON it is my friend!!!! So I did a 24 hour brine in a simple brine of: 2 gallons water 2 cups table salt 1 cup dark brown sugar 1 handful (probably 1/4-1/3 c) whole peppercorns I took the turkey out of the brine Sunday morning, rinsed it and let it sit in the fridge for about 6 hours to dry out and let the skin tighten up. The boys were hanging out so I decided to put them to work. Little Kempis loading the charcoal basket: Orion loaded the chimney: And Guerin lit the chimney: Time to prep the bird! Here's the bird out of the fridge: And here it is spatchcocked (from the back): Picked this up a while ago and decided this was the rub of the day: Rubbed and ready to go: On the drum it went: I left all the vents open to crank the heat. It ended up climbing to about 400. I just let it ride. About 3 hours later, the breast meat was FINALLY ready (at 155 IT). The whole thing came off to rest. After about a 30 minute rest while I finished up the sides, HERE it was: Got enough carved to fill a platter: TIME FOR DINNER!!!!! Here's my plate, sides were mashed taters, giblet gravy, oven roasted carrots and biscuits: SO, the bottom line was it was good, but not my best. This was the first time I've spatched a turkey and I had some observations........ One thing I noticed was that the breast meat took longer to finish than the rest of the bird, which is not typical (as I've noticed). I assumed this to be due to the fact that since the bird was all spread out the breasts were the largest (most massive) pieces of meat and therefore, took longer to get cooked through. I don't usually find this to be an issue when I spatch chickens though, so I was a bit puzzled. After about 2.5 hours, I went out and checked and the thigh/leg quarter was showing about 165 in the thigh while the breast was only at 112-115. The bird looked GREAT at that point. By the time the breasts were where I wanted them, the skin had darkened quite a bit more than I wanted. As with spatchcocking in general, I did like being able to get the seasoning over more surface area. and the cook seemed to go a bit quicker. All-in-all it was a good turkey. Just not sure I liked the way it cooked for me. Anyone else had this issue or was it just me? Thanks for lookin! __________________ [COLOR="Blue"][B]"Oh, I don’t reject Christ. I love Christ. It’s just that so many of you Christians are so unlike Christ." -Mahatma Gandhi[/B][/COLOR]

11-04-2012, 10:15 AM	#2
JLStout Got Wood. Join Date: 05-18-12 Location: Redding Ca	I'm doing the same thing today. Nothing better on a Sunday afternoon than football and bbq!

11-05-2012, 04:25 PM	#7
1911Ron is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 04-09-12 Location: Ft Mudge AT Name/Nickname : Ron	Would tenting it have helped? __________________ A bunch of Webers, a UDS and a Happy Cooker!

11-05-2012, 04:41 PM	#8
fingerlickin' Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 07-08-10 Location: Boyertown, PA	It looks great to me brother. I've noticed at least with the chickens I've been spatchcocking that the breast is done after the thighs. Frankly I like it that way since the thighs can take more heat without drying out. The first time I noticed I though it might just be a coincidence although it's been that way the last 3 times for me. __________________ [COLOR=Navy][COLOR=Black][I] Jason [/I] "I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - [I]Tommy Callahan III[/I][/COLOR][/COLOR] [B][SIZE=2][COLOR=DarkGreen][SIZE=3][SIZE=2][COLOR=Black] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=2][COLOR=Black]Backwoods Ext. Party,[/COLOR][/SIZE][/SIZE][/COLOR][/SIZE][COLOR=DarkGreen] [COLOR=Black]Vision Kamado,[/COLOR][/COLOR][/B][B][COLOR=DarkGreen][COLOR=DarkGreen][B][COLOR=Black] 22" WSM[/COLOR][/B],[/COLOR] 22.5 Weber OTS, [/COLOR][/B][COLOR=DarkGreen][B]Mini WSM, [/B][COLOR=Red][B] UDS "No.8"[/B][/COLOR][/COLOR] [COLOR=Teal] [COLOR=Black][B][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]Napkin Killers BBQ[/COLOR] [/B][/COLOR][/COLOR]

11-05-2012, 04:51 PM	#9
MisterChrister Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 04-28-12 Location: Wis-con-sin	I have no wisdom to offer, but I would FARK that turkey's world UP!!! BTW, I've done lots of chickens, but never done a turkey over fire. Am I safe in assuming that since I have a rotisserie, I should use it rather than just going straight indirect/baffled or spatched? With all other things being equal, will the self-basting rotisserie action produce a superior turkey the way it does my chickens? __________________ Kettleheads Anonymous Charter Member

11-05-2012, 05:45 PM	#12
porkaholic Found some matches. Join Date: 05-07-12 Location: Boise, Idaho	I always spatchcock my turkey but with one additional thought. After I cut the bird I skin the bird. Yes, I said I skin the bird, all but the wings. I then put on the rub of choice and cover that with bacon and more rub. Flavor is outstanding and the bird does not dry out at all. Tried this on chicken first and that worked so tried it on turkey. Thanksgiving with a naked bacon turkey is the standard now. Sometimes I coat the bird with spray veg oil to hold the rub in place.

11-05-2012, 07:14 PM	#13
Wampus somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-05-09 Location: Mooresville, IN	"Naked bacon turkey" Now THAT I gotta see! Sounds interesting! __________________ [COLOR="Blue"][B]"Oh, I don’t reject Christ. I love Christ. It’s just that so many of you Christians are so unlike Christ." -Mahatma Gandhi[/B][/COLOR]

11-05-2012, 07:32 PM	#14
porkaholic Found some matches. Join Date: 05-07-12 Location: Boise, Idaho	I am fairly new to this site so will try to upload pics tomorrow. Really is very good. Best part is, the bacon is a must with every bite of turkey.

11-05-2012, 08:01 PM	#15
porkaholic Found some matches. Join Date: 05-07-12 Location: Boise, Idaho	Here is the turkey ready for the smoker and after it is done. Hope this works. DSCF0422.jpg DSCF0424.jpg