turkey spatchcock or not

muttin · November 2012

i am getting ready to cook a turkey for thanksgiving as i am sure a lot of people on here are. last year i used a turkey setter and cooked it like that but i have a few questions this year

i have never spatchcocked a turkey before what is everyones experence with this? is it just as good? do you still use plate setter ? do you flip at all or just roast it ?

thanks ahead of time for your responce

Skiddymarker · November 2012

I use the setter, indirect and I do not flip it. I do rub the skin with a sage based rub and some corn starch to crisp it a bit.

@Little_Steven might chime in but he does his chickens inverted on a stand, maybe he does his turkey upside down as well.

Good luck!

Griffin · November 2012

@Mickey is one of our resident expert here doing spatchcocked turkeys (as well as some others) I will defer to him.

yellowdogbbq · November 2012

Same as Skiddy, I cook indirect (with platesetter) @ 350-400 until the breast is at 165 and never flip (cook bone side down). You can use a traditional rub or what ever rub you like and they always come out great.

Mickey · November 2012

I cook direct at 400 raised to spatchcock for the past 6 years doing two or three a year. It works

DMurf · November 2012

Love me some spatch'd turkey! Like above indirect with a temp probe in the breast. Rubbed under the skin with seasoned butter and possibly stuffed with sausage stuffing the some olive oil on the skin S&P and herbs.

Yummm!!

Little Steven · November 2012

Skiddymarker said:

I use the setter, indirect and I do not flip it. I do rub the skin with a sage based rub and some corn starch to crisp it a bit.

@Little_Steven might chime in but he does his chickens inverted on a stand, maybe he does his turkey upside down as well.

Good luck!

I have done an inverted turkey and it was great. Got 25* difference between the thigh and breast. I don't do Thanksgiving and need big ones at Christmas. I may do a small one to celebrate US thanksgiving

jeroldharter · November 2012

Do you use the same temps as chicken, e.g. 160 in the breast?

Little Steven · November 2012

If that is for me yes. Thighs and legs are better to 185

lousubcap · November 2012

Spatchcock turkey-easy and IMO the best way to go-LBGE here 15+#'s easily fit on the grid (much bigger and you would need to get creative). Indirect at around 350*F on the dome for around 2.5 hrs til 160 in the breasts and 180+ in the thighs. As Mad Max mentions in his famous whole turkey cook, I ice the breasts for around 20 mins just before the cook to get the delta T. Legs toward the back as that is the hottest part of the BGE. Turns out great-just like the chix only on steroids :)>-

jdgcrean · November 2012

is there any reason not to spatchcock a 20 pound bird beyond the requirement for space?

Wayne6 · November 2012

Has anyone cooked 2 spatch'd turkeys on top of one another? Thinking adj rig with spider with drip pan on 13" stone filled with gravy fixings to catch drippings. I guess rotate birds halfway through? Anyone see any problem with his approach?

yellowdogbbq · November 2012

@Wayne6 Never have done two but that set up should work great. You can rotate but I'm lazy and would just pull each bird when the temp is 160-165 in the breast.

DonWW · November 2012

@Mickey, direct at 400? I have not spatched a turkey before, but want to. This temp is a little higher than I might think - especially for direct vs. indirect. Do you still find that the bird is cooked evenly vs. seared on the bottom?

yzzi · November 2012

I have two 7-8 pound whole turkey breasts that I'm doing this year. Think I could fit both spatched on a large grid?

muttin · November 2012

ok i believe i have it figured going to spatchcock indirect at about 350 temp i have a 16 # bird and will deffenetly be cooking to temp but i am looking for an estimate on time so i know when to put it on sit down eating at noon

lousubcap · November 2012

lousubcap said:

Spatchcock turkey-easy and IMO the best way to go-LBGE here 15+#'s easily fit on the grid (much bigger and you would need to get creative). Indirect at around 350*F on the dome for around 2.5 hrs til 160 in the breasts and 180+ in the thighs. As Mad Max mentions in his famous whole turkey cook, I ice the breasts for around 20 mins just before the cook to get the delta T. Legs toward the back as that is the hottest part of the BGE. Turns out great-just like the chix only on steroids :)>-

See text highlighted above for some time/temp insights-Enjoy!

robnybbq · November 2012

Wait a second, Cooking a spatch turkey is done indirect or direct?

I have dome a few chickens raised direct at 350 dome and they come out good.

I got a 18lb fresh turkey that I am planning on spatching on Saturday. Direct or indirect? I am guessing 1-1.5 hours if direct maybe?

Skiddymarker · November 2012

Just to add to the confusion, I'm not sure you need to spatchturk or spatchcock, although it does look great if you present it before carving.

This is a comment from another post, cook is 350 indirect - Family is now ho hum about presentation, they just want to get into the eating. Over the past few months, I "chop shop" the bird, parted out into six pieces. (2 X leg/thigh, 2 X breast, 2 X wings).

The leg/thighs go on first and within 10 to 15 minutes, the breasts go on and then in 10 to 15 minutes the wings. Everything cooks to the temps you note, much easier to handle and a better cook, IMHO.

Greygoose · November 2012

This post was just what i was after. i've been spatchcocking chicken and going direct, but it looks like most are cooking turkeys indirect at 350. I'm guessing the indirect method allows you to catch dripping for gravy. Not quite sure how i'm going to handle temp differences yet between dark and white meat. i've never tried the icing method, so thats probably first on my list. I also like the "part out" idea since the damn bird just falls apart when trying to get it off the egg after being properly spatchcocked. you start to wonder about the presentation thing after a while and makes sense just to cook the parts at different times.

also, what temps do i pull this off at if i'm going to let it rest for 2 hours before serving. i'm thinking about pulling at 150 and wrapping in aluminum foil in a warm cooler for the white meat.

any advice would be appreciated. i'm doing a 13lb tommorrow and a 18lb friday (still not sure if its going to fit spatchcocked on a large)

thanx again,

Greygoose

Marcusp · November 2012

Anybody know if a 11lb turkey spatchcocked will fit on a small BGE?

Skiddymarker · November 2012

Marcusp said:

Anybody know if a 11lb turkey spatchcocked will fit on a small BGE?

The reason I chop shop them is because a 13# would not fit on my MBGE and parting it out was the only solution. IMHO an 11# would be a tight fit, even parted out on a small. The wings could sit on top making a bit more room.

henapple · November 2012

10 lb...indirect @ 350. Any ideas hrs per lb...spatchcock.

Thanks

Skiddymarker · November 2012

Approx 12-14 min/pound, so a 10#er is around two hours. After 60 minutes I'd check the temp as you can always adjust it if you have to....

robnybbq · November 2012

So to confirm so I do not mess up Thanksgiving dinner.

I have cooked spatchcock chicken at 350 raised direct for about an hour to a temp of 180.

Is Turkey different? spatchcocked indirect for ~ 2.5 hours (18 lber)?? Or can it be done direct at 350 direct the same way or will I have burnt offerings.

lousubcap · November 2012

You can go direct or indirect with the turkey (or chix for that matter). Indirect affords the way to cook/capture drippings for gravy. Beyond that-no difference other than cook time. Happy Thanksgiving!

robnybbq · November 2012

Same to you lousubcap (and everyone else)

So my method of direct for ~1.5 hours (until 180 in the thighs) is good?

Fred19Flintstone · November 2012

It seems you gear you comments using time and as an afterthought in perentheses you add the target temp. IMO, temp is everything and time is secondary and approximate. Gear your cooks to temp rather than time. It sounds silly, but it's important and it makes a difference. Happy Thanksgiving!

Mickey · November 2012

Today's at 400 direct

Fred19Flintstone · November 2012

I did the Mad Max method this time, but I think I prefer the spatchcock turkey I did three weeks ago. My only problem is making gravy without drippings or a pan with tasty bits of crud in it.

yzzi · November 2012

Fred19Flintstone said:
I did the Mad Max method this time, but I think I prefer the spatchcock turkey I did three weeks ago. My only problem is making gravy without drippings or a pan with tasty bits of crud in it.

I did a gravy from cooks illustrated that doesn't involve drippings from your turkey. Basically you'd take the neck back tail wings and giblets and roast with some veggies. It was fantastic, I'll post recipe if you want for next time.

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