Spatchcock Turkey for Friendsgiving

blakeas

Doing a turkey Saturday for "Friendsgiving" . I have a 20lb that is frozen but I am trying to thaw it in the fridge.  Might not make it by Saturday morning so I will just go buy one.  No one sells fresh turkeys over here until Saturday morning (trader joes) so I will have missed the letting it sit in the fridge.  Would really like crispy skin though.  SO if it doesn't thaw I will get 2 14 lb turkeys and setup my AR rig for indirect?  what temp do people suggest?  Will try to use Mickey's method I but I cannot find that expresso coffee that he tells us to use.  Any replacements?  I also have DP raging river so I was going to use that on the 2nd turkey.  so pull at 155 breast?  and legs toward the back hing with breasts to the front?

unoriginalusername

I'd throw it in a brine solution now as it (a) might help with speeding up the thawing process and (b) i never do a turkey without it anymore based of the results of my last few cooks.  I like this recipe if you're looking for one - https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/my-favorite-turkey-brine/

I made up a garlic and herb butter that I put under the skin on one bird, and on top for the second, there wasn't a difference so for convenience I wouldn't separate the skin to season and then put back, I'd just do the outside.  If you wanted to you could inject 

For the skin to render I got better results by letting the smoke go blue and the temp stable at 325-350.  This rendered out the fat and prevented a rubbery skin, I was planning to finish with a little direct heat but the skin was perfect without this step.  I did spritz the bird with spray butter throughout the cook so that might have helped.

Breast should be 155-160, dark meat 165-170 and then check the juices run clear.  the residual heat will carry over the rest of the way 

Gulfcoastguy

blakeas said:

Doing a turkey Saturday for "Friendsgiving" . I have a 20lb that is frozen but I am trying to thaw it in the fridge.  Might not make it by Saturday morning so I will just go buy one.  No one sells fresh turkeys over here until Saturday morning (trader joes) so I will have missed the letting it sit in the fridge.  Would really like crispy skin though.  SO if it doesn't thaw I will get 2 14 lb turkeys and setup my AR rig for indirect?  what temp do people suggest?  Will try to use Mickey's method I but I cannot find that expresso coffee that he tells us to use.  Any replacements?  I also have DP raging river so I was going to use that on the 2nd turkey.  so pull at 155 breast?  and legs toward the back hing with breasts to the front?

I just use Starbucks Expresso Roast beans and grind them fine in a spice grinder. It seemed to work fine.