One more turkey question - use the turkey hangers, OR spatchcock + hooks?

[Blindjoedeath]

I've followed the last turkey posts from /u/Anthonyf, and a few others. I have two of the hangers, and was planning on using them for one or two turkeys this Turkey day.

What I'm trying to determine is which method do people prefer - I like the way Kathryn has spatchcocked her birds, but there's just something about presenting a whole turkey smoked after using the hangers. If spatchcocking with hooks really produces the more flavorful bird - I'll certainly give it a try. I've done chickens with the hangers, though, and can't complain about the taste, the ease of prep, and the presentation.

Anyone tried both ways, and prefer one over the other?

[DWCowles]

More area rub equals more flavor. You can do it both ways since you might be doing two birds and let your guest decide which one is better.

[Jerod Broussard]

I would take out the clavicles pre-cook. Makes trimming the breasts much easier.

[RobertC]

Clavicle = "wishbone".

[abandonedbrain]

I "wish" I'd thought of that! Thanks!

[JeffJ]

I think a whole bird comes out great and it's easier, especially with the turkey hanger.

[RobertC]

In many families Thanksgiving is about tradition, and whole birds are more traditional-looking. One year I spatchcocked the bird and my family said it was delicious but odd-looking, so since then I've opted for cooking it whole.

[FireMan]

To quote Kent Rollins "you can’t get full on fancy". You have to ask yourself, self, what are you after. I’m sure your kin would be happy with your outstanding cook. What more could you want. Whatever IT is, do it. Don’t fret so much.

[Troutman]

I wholeheartedly agree with FireMan , just cook the thing the way you know will give you the best result. I would definitely spatchcock, since doing that a couple of years ago I will never go back. One thing I do is once its pulled I just carve it up, present it on a big platter and no one knows the difference. Regardless, that's me, you need to decide !!!

[Nightrayne]

Spatchcocked has done very well for us in the past as it helps to cook the bird evenly throughout. But recently we did a medium (11lb I think) turkey on a vertical hanger in the PBC and it was stupidly fantastic. With the hanger keeping the bird vertical so smoke and heat passed through the inside and outside the same way, it was probably the best turkey I have ever personally seen done in a smoker.

[Steve R.]

I'm partial to the spatchcock method with turkeys, but I'm still learning the PBC and will be doing my first PBC turkey in a couple of weeks. I can clearly see the advantage of spatchcocking in a "traditional" smoker, but I'm not sure it's worth the trouble in the PBC, with the way the airflow operates. I'm going to leave the carcass intact and go with the hanger on this one.

[jecucolo]

I have 2 turkey hangers. I used them once. Spatchcock is better for me. They come out of the PBC just as amazing.

[Blindjoedeath]

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

[JPMcGrath]

I know this is a little late, but I thought I would put in my two cents since I have done both ways on the PBC. Both turned out great, but here is the difference I found. Cooking the whole bird on the hanger left me with differing temps; the breast was done to the right temp but the dark meat was not done enough. Next bird, I researched more of the posts on this site (which is so AWESOME by the way!) and iced the breast for a couple of ours with a bag of ice in the fridge before hanging. Temps turned out right in both the white and dark meat.

Then I spatchcocked 'cause I wanted to try a faster cook and easier carving at the end. I will continue to spatchcock from here on out with turkeys. I did a 17lb and was able to hang on one side, so I could easily do two at one time. The temps were perfect throughout the bird and the cook time was shorter. Carving was so much simpler after I took it off, I was done carving in like 5 minutes and plated. Put it out on the table and the family raved about it. Easier and faster with just as good or better result, so this is going to be my normal.

[EdF]

Did you ice the spatchcocked one?

[JPMcGrath]

EdF, Sorry for the delayed response, I have been out of touch on a cruise. No sir, I did not ice the spatchcocked bird. I think since the legs were basically splayed wide open to the heat, they may have cooked right along with the white meat just right. Had the same temp throughout.

[EdF]

Great. Thanks! That's a beautiful pic!