Turkey – Spatchcock Style!
Well,
when the proverbial Turkey Day is upon us, the not so proverbial Green Egg
turkey cook also approaches. Spatchcock
this time. A method known to few, but
adored by those who do. I agree, the name
is a tad odd, even uncomfortable for some.
But for either a turkey or chicken, this is a great way to cook it on
the Egg. Many who have cooked both
methods will tell you that Spatchcock beats out beer can chicken, which is tall
words given the remarkable results obtained by stuffing a chicken onto a beer
can filled with one’s favorite liquid flavoring.
Here
we go!!
We
start with a fresh turkey from Central Market.
I did not brine it this year, not even a dry brine which would have been
an option. I have cut out the backbone
which is on the right, and then broken the breastbone so that the bird lays
butterflied.
The
backbone. I am not entirely sure, but I
think I have seen this in an Alien movie!
Here
she is, ready to go. For the rub, I used
a combination of 25% all purpose BBQ rub and 75% herbs de Provence. All over the skin and under the skin where I
could pull it up.
On
the egg half way through the cook. Wings
are starting to brown. I started with
dome temp at 350, meaning grill temp was probably around 360 – 370. I plan to start a little warmer to try and
seal in juices. I planned for the temp
to decline over the course of the cook.
The probe is planted into the thickest part of the breast I could
find. Planning on pulling it out when it
reaches 165 – 170.
After
90 minutes, the dome temp had declined to about 310 as planned. The breast temp was 165. When I tested the dark meat, it was about
185. Perfect. The skin was golden, and you could smell the Herbs
de Provence roasted on the bird.
No
pics of the finished product carved. I
was doing the carving and time was of the essence and my hands were a
mess. Beautiful flavor, super tender. It’s the only way to go, in my opinion.