Thanks YK2BBQ. That was a frozen Butterball turkey I picked up for something like 39 cents a pound in the last year. It's been in our chest freezer since purchase.
I thaw in water. The process I use takes a few days so it wouldn't work now since TG is tomorrow, but you can find directions for thawing in water anywhere online.
Spatchcock bird, saving all the parts cut off.
Inject and Brine: 12-72 hours. Anytime I brine longer than 12 hours it is usually due to schedule or weather. I've brined these birds up to 72 hours with no problems. I always buy close to 18 lb turkeys, so that's what the brine is set for below:
In a blender, put the following ingredients:
1 tsp Prague #1 Pink Salt
1/3 cup kosher salt
1 Tbs onion powder
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup dark brown sugar or inexpensive maple syrup
1 can frozen orange juice
1 quart water
Blend until well mixed.
Inject the breast with the brine.
I use a brining bag and fill it with the turkey, turkey parts, brine, another quart of water, and about a quart of ice. I then put it in a cooler and add more ice to the cooler.
Remove from brine after 12-72 hours,
Fire up smoker to 325-350F.
Pat the turkey dry, then put a fan on the bird to fast dry the skin. You can put it in the refrigerator uncovered for 24 hours, but my wife would never eat turkey again if I did that. She HATES handing or seeing raw meat.
I like to use a drip pan. Usually I put the pan filled with veggies on the lower rack, but my wife wanted mashed potatoes this year. I put carrots in a foil lined 15" paella pan, then put a cooling rack in the pan, then put the dried turkey on the rack. Put the turkey parts in the spatchcocked cavity.
Spray the turkey with oil then coat with Litehouse Poultry Herb Blend. Spray with oil again.
Place turkey in smoker with breast on the opposite side of the fire, or if a WSM, opposite the vent.
Smoke until breast is 160-162F, thigh is north of 170F.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Gotta go do some more shopping.
I thaw in water. The process I use takes a few days so it wouldn't work now since TG is tomorrow, but you can find directions for thawing in water anywhere online.
Spatchcock bird, saving all the parts cut off.
Inject and Brine: 12-72 hours. Anytime I brine longer than 12 hours it is usually due to schedule or weather. I've brined these birds up to 72 hours with no problems. I always buy close to 18 lb turkeys, so that's what the brine is set for below:
In a blender, put the following ingredients:
1 tsp Prague #1 Pink Salt
1/3 cup kosher salt
1 Tbs onion powder
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup dark brown sugar or inexpensive maple syrup
1 can frozen orange juice
1 quart water
Blend until well mixed.
Inject the breast with the brine.
I use a brining bag and fill it with the turkey, turkey parts, brine, another quart of water, and about a quart of ice. I then put it in a cooler and add more ice to the cooler.
Remove from brine after 12-72 hours,
Fire up smoker to 325-350F.
Pat the turkey dry, then put a fan on the bird to fast dry the skin. You can put it in the refrigerator uncovered for 24 hours, but my wife would never eat turkey again if I did that. She HATES handing or seeing raw meat.
I like to use a drip pan. Usually I put the pan filled with veggies on the lower rack, but my wife wanted mashed potatoes this year. I put carrots in a foil lined 15" paella pan, then put a cooling rack in the pan, then put the dried turkey on the rack. Put the turkey parts in the spatchcocked cavity.
Spray the turkey with oil then coat with Litehouse Poultry Herb Blend. Spray with oil again.
Place turkey in smoker with breast on the opposite side of the fire, or if a WSM, opposite the vent.
Smoke until breast is 160-162F, thigh is north of 170F.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Gotta go do some more shopping.
