The Ultimate Smoked Turkey on PBC (is it possible)?

[TheGrizMan]

Hey Folks,
I'm going to attempt my hand at the Ultimate Smoked Turkey on the PBC and have it spatchcocked, each new things for me! Yee haw! However, I find myself scratching my head with regards to the gravy and the turkey and how to do it in the PBC. Is it even possible? The nature of the PBC is to allow the drippings from the meat fall onto the coal and then produce smokeyness that way. Also, the best way to cook on the PBC is with the hooks, rather than the grate. Even if I did use the grate for the turkey, where then would I place the gravy tray? You all appreciating my predicament?

I have two possible workarounds (I also have two birds I could work with, one at 15# and the other around 23#, I'd like to use the 23# and save the 15# for a deep fry which my wife loves... hopefully until after this cook).

Workaround 1: Put the gravy on the grate, and then hang the spatchcocked turkey horizontally, essentially using 4 hooks, two on each rebar, and hope there's enough space between the gravy tray and turkey for smokey circulation. (I have my doubts that there will be that space)

Workaround 2: Hang turkey vertically for the first 1-1.5 hours (or some set temperature as I'll have a meat probe in it, recommendations?) in the PBC to get that smokey flavor. Keep the gravy inside the house in the oven, preheat the oven, and then at that preplanned internal temp transfer the turkey out of the PBC and in the oven above the gravy and finish the cook in the oven.

Thoughts? Recommendations? Other workarounds? As always, if this topic has already been initiated, and discussed, please direct me there to gather my best approach rather than reinventing the wheel again for me.

Thanks in advance!

[Nate]

Why are you trying to fix something that isn't broken?

Keep in mind that drippings rolling off the meat and hitting the coals are what gives PBC cooked food the unique and wonderful flavor profile.

If you are dead set on catching drippings then use a different cooker that has a design that allows you to do that.

Alternatively if you are going to use the PBC and spatchcock the turkey then you can save a number of scraps and make your own stock... you can also go to your nearest grocery store and pickup extra turkey parts like wings to give you more meat and bone to work with if so desired. There are also plenty of other techniques and recipes out there for good gravy that will work just fine.

[TheGrizMan]

I don't believe I'm trying to fix anything. Merely trying to follow the recipe provided by Meathead for the "ultimate smoked turkey"...?

[Huskee]

Hmm, interesting ideas. The horizontal hang essentially sounds like how it might happen in a WSM with two grates. Horizontal turkey on top dripping into gravy pan, coals below. If that's the route you choose just remember to add liquid periodically so the gravy doesn't dry up and burn the solids, so maybe position it so adding liquid would be possible.

Seems like Workaround #2 would work fine too. That's how many do their briskets & butts, hang for a while then grate, nothing wrong with that. Then you get the drippings+coals flavor and the gravy with drippings.

[TheGrizMan]

In thinking more about it, workaround 2 does sound like the best of both worlds...

[PappyBBQ]

I just gather necks, backs and wing/wing tips and roast those in a conventional oven to get my "drippings". Or just make a good giblet broth reduction and make the gravy using that.