Turkey for Thanksgiving

DiamondRCattle

Grow our own beef so don't cook turkey but once a year.  Wanting to put on BGE.  Spatchcock or leave whole in a drip pan full of goodies?  Whats your best recipe?  Any smoke or just roast?  Planning on brining it prior.  Thanks

Battleborn

I prefer to spatchcock it with a small amount of fruit wood (cherry or apple).

loco_engr

might give this a look see:

https://dizzypigbbq.com/recipe/mad-max-turkey-method/

thetrim

+1 for madmax if nothing else for the gravy.  I do like a spatchcock bird, but that MadMax gravy, OMG

DiamondRCattle

Just ordered the seasoning.  Keep the recipes comin!  Thanks
thetrim said:

+1 for madmax if nothing else for the gravy.  I do like a spatchcock bird, but that MadMax gravy, OMG

TideEggHead

We are not huge turkey eaters and last year I decided to run just a turkey breast and used the Aaron Franklin method. It was some of the best turkeys I’ve had. FWIW

thetrim

Aaron Franklin turkey breast is amazing!

Mickey

Spatchcocked Turkey and Chicken on the Big Green Egg

(you cut out the backbone and cook opened)

I like a 11/12 lb bird. If I need lots of turkey I just cook a couple ( 1 & 1/2  hr cook app)

Chicken 3 to 4.5lb bird or birds. Under an hour cook. 

Or, just add a package of legs extra. 

I do not brine the turkey or Chicken. 

If time I like to leave uncovered in the fridge overnight (no problem if no time) 

I cook "direct" @ 400 on a raised grill "skin side up" and never turn over.

I will use a coffee rub. Use what you like.

NOTE PLEASE (A LOT OF SMOKE IS NOT YOU FRIEND)

I use about a single handfull of mixed chips: Cherry & Pecan. 

Cook to temp (not time) breast @ 165 and thigh @ 175

 

Coffee Rub (turkey, chicken, beef & pork)

Equal part: Instant Expresso Ground coffee..

Equal part: Brown Sugar..

½ part: Black Pepper..

½ part: Kosher Salt..

½ part: Garlic Powder..

¾ part: Ancho Chili Powder..

  Don't worry on exact, just close on measurement. I used to use turbinado sugar but we like with brown better. This is pulled from MollyShark, Hungry Man, & Richard In Fl then tweaked. I find the ancho chili powder is far less expensive in the bulk spice area than the bottled area ( have used both light or dark version). I make it starting with a half cup Instant Expresso Ground coffee and work from there as it seems to store well if sealed.

Sweet100s

The last time I did Mad Max Turkey, a well-intentioned relative threw out the cup of pan drippings while I was outside putting some veggies on the egg.    

She thought she was being helpful and getting ahead of cleanup.

When I realized what happened, I just sat down in the kitchen and said,
“Could you bring me a glass of ice water?”
and started breathing deeply.

Mark_B_Good

loco_engr said:

might give this a look see:

https://dizzypigbbq.com/recipe/mad-max-turkey-method/

This!!! We did it for Canadian Thanksgiving a few weeks ago ... it was outstanding ... GRAVY WAAAZZZZ INSANE!

A few tricks ... the recipe doesn't say WHEN to put the ice packs on the breasts ... do this FIRST STEP ... take her out of the fridge and get those ice packs on right away ... after that go to the recipe, which will have you prepare a broth that needs to simmer all day ... before you get back to the bird.

2nd thing ... I injected my turkey breasts with chicken broth ... I think it came out amazing ... so actually do this first ... then do the ice packs second ... then go to the recipe! LOL!

Take her off when the thigh hits 165F ... and let it sit for several minutes to get that final heat to work into the thigh to finish her off ... while tenting to keep that breast nice a juicy!

Oh, and there was one part of the recipe that was a bit confusing, but I figured it out. When you take your drippings to put it back into making the gravy ... they basically want you to decant the fat (liquid) on top.  So just remember, when you get to that point .... you can pour everything into a clear glass measuring cup, and get rid of that fat on top, as much as possible. even spare some of "le juice" on the bottom, if needed.

thetrim

Sweet100s said:

The last time I did Mad Max Turkey, a well-intentioned relative threw out the cup of pan drippings while I was outside putting some veggies on the egg.    

She thought she was being helpful and getting ahead of cleanup.

When I realized what happened, I just sat down in the kitchen and said,
“Could you bring me a bottle of bourbon?”
and started breathing deeply.

FTFY

RyanStl

Brine it with cinnamon sticks. I will try spatchcock for first time with turkey this year.

txhawkeye

thetrim said:

Aaron Franklin turkey breast is amazing!

Agreed 

RyanStl

I'm reviving this thread as I learned I'm cooking for family this year, not just wife and kids.  I will still do my brine, but I want to do a traditional stuffing.  Does anyone still stuff their bird?  That means spatchcock is out.

SGH

RyanStl said:

Does anyone still stuff their bird?  That means spatchcock is out.

We have always made a pan of dressing on the side. I have never been a fan of stuffing the bird when we cook them whole. That’s just me though. 

On a side note, spatchcock your bird and cook your stuffing in a pan. A win win 👍

RyanStl

SGH said:

RyanStl said:

Does anyone still stuff their bird?  That means spatchcock is out.

We have always made a pan of dressing on the side. I have never been a fan of stuffing the bird when we cook them whole. That’s just me though. 

On a side note, spatchcock your bird and cook your stuffing in a pan. A win win 👍

Ok, I'm on the fence now.  I just made a FB offer on a $20 roasting pan that's near me.  Hmm.  Now, the question is if spatchcock how to recover drippings.  I have a CGS drip pan, but it just to keep my platesetter from getting gross.  I wouldn't use drippings from it.

Gulfcoastguy

RyanStl said:

I'm reviving this thread as I learned I'm cooking for family this year, not just wife and kids.  I will still do my brine, but I want to do a traditional stuffing.  Does anyone still stuff their bird?  That means spatchcock is out.

Nope it is too easy to cook the turkey to a safe temperature and not get the stuffing to a safe temperature.

nolaegghead

I love smoked turkey but not smoked gravy.  I'll use the giblets and sometimes the wings to make the gravy in the kitchen.  Sometimes I'll roast them first.

So if you love smoked gravy, catch the drippings.  If you are cooking for a group of people and you're not sure, nobody hates unsmoked turkey gravy.

I live with a picky eater.

RyanStl

Good points. I'm convinced to spatchcock, so that's what I'll do. Do you all use normal bbq rub or do something different?

Mattman3969

I like to mix DP Mad Max Turkey seasoning in melted butter to put on the outside of the bird and SPOG goes on the meat under the skin. Also put some aromatics in/under the bird.  

unoriginalusername

To my surprise the rotisserie tasted better than spatchcock in a head to head comparison I just did. 

https://youtu.be/85eiXHO2LcU

Yno

Gulfcoastguy said:

Nope it is too easy to cook the turkey to a safe temperature and not get the stuffing to a safe temperature.

Many of us in my age group (Jurassic?) grew up on stuffed turkeys. My mother's stuffing (not dressing!) was the best part of Thanksgiving. The bird could have been tossed, and gravy and stuffing would suffice. At any rate, the point is that we DID grow up. No one I know of ever got sick from a stuffed bird. I still stuff my turkeys to this day. I'm going to die sometime, I might as well enjoy what time I have left.

fishlessman

RyanStl said:

I'm reviving this thread as I learned I'm cooking for family this year, not just wife and kids.  I will still do my brine, but I want to do a traditional stuffing.  Does anyone still stuff their bird?  That means spatchcock is out.

still stuff a bird here, but that ones done in the oven. stuffing tastes bitter when smoked

fishlessman

made a corkscrew zipper one year to egg a stuffed bird, actually worked well.  the frankenturkey