Need Turkey advice

[Santamarina]

Personally, I don’t notice a difference between all the different turkeys - the difference on the plate is negligible IMHO.

But we always do an organic turkey because my FiL has stomach issues with “regular” turkey but doesn’t have any problems with organic.

[hoovarmin]

The power of the mind over the body is remarkable

[JeffJ]

Butterball has always worked for me. I wet brine it the night before and cook it in the kettle with rotisserie or PBC.

[ecowper]

My local butcher shop always has high quality, non-injected turkeys

[hoovarmin]

If only we had a butcher shop here! Sadly, we do not.

[ecowper]

ugh, sorry to hear that hoovarmin

[Bad Hat BBQ]

I keep my birds 16lbs or under, spatchcock and inject with Creole Butter (usually sold with an injector that works-but not works saving) and dry rub . Butterball is preferred. I think there may be a difference with High cost birds for roasting but smoking or frying the difference is not noticeable to me

275 to 300 on the smoker until done. I spatchcock and rotate 180degrees 2x3 times during the cook

Always smoking 2 birds - if I need 3 I fry the 3rd

Prior to covid around 40-50 folks are at the house. We expect 30+ this year

[hoovarmin]

Anyone who can cook a turkey on an offset and not have it come out grayish, as you can, is a stone-cold pro. I ain't there yet.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

Wow - thank you

No shortage of True Pitmasters with this group...I just try to keep up

[jfmorris]

hoovarmin you can still brine a turkey if it isn't over 200mg per serving sodium level or so. I've bought many turkeys in the 200-250mg range, and dry brined them. If its over 300mg, I skip the dry brine, but just look for one that is less than that usually.

If you are talking wet brine, I would still follow the same rule of thumb, and just look for a turkey that is under 200mg per serving. You can also just reduce the salt in the brine if its a concern.

[hoovarmin]

That's really good advice I wish I had heeded prior to buying those 2 turkeys today! But who knows, perhaps we will just cook them both prior to T-giving and I'll go grab a Butterball for game day.

[Alan Brice]

Spatchcocked is the only way I will go anymore.
First cook on the new offset.
PBC will not disappoint as well. Heritage bird.

[jfmorris]

Alan Bice I see it now, but I guess this was such a big bird you had trouble breaking the breast bone and flattening it out? That is probably why it doesn't look spatchcocked, since the entire intent there is to flatten the bird out for more even cooking.

I would imagine that even though not flat, having the entire back of the bird open to expose the back side of the breast to heat made for a much much faster cook!

[SheilaAnn]

Alan Brice what jfmorris said!

[Alan Brice]

Thanks y'all. Still larnin.

[Troutman]

My son works for H‑E‑B, gets a free Thanksgiving turkey, don’t care what it is I’m smokin’ that sucker

[hoovarmin]

I hear about H-E-B but I have no idea what it is - a Texas thing?

[Troutman]

It’s the local grocery chain.

[Michael_in_TX]

If I ever find myself having to make the jump from the academic world to the corporate world, HEB would be first on my list of places to work for.

[synodog]

Just did 3 butterball turkey breast this last Sunday with only rub on the tops and smoked at 325 on the WSM. They were excellent!
For thanksgiving I normally smoke two birds and fry one because of the large number of family that come. This year it may just be smoked turkey breast and one fried or smoked whole turkey (spatchcocked with the legs removed). The kids are growing up and moving on so there’s a lot less mouths to feed this year.

[DTro]

Required turkey viewing: https://youtu.be/BNyHqRjMx7o?si=P91SgwE6xYS98i22

[Bad Hat BBQ]

16 lbs is the sweet spot for me....larger birds dont stand up to the longer cook (at least for me!)

[jfmorris]

Alan Brice here is the last time I spatchcocked 20-25 pound turkeys on my offset. Note the refrigerator shot - the breast bone is broken so that the entire bird kinda flattens out. I had better success on that with the bird that is top in the fridge, and on the left on the smoker...



I think THIS may be my favorite way to do them though.... deconstructed... EACH piece can be individually temped and pulled as it is done.



Is it a Normal Rockwell presentation? No. BUT.... all folks really care about is getting their slice of white or dark meat, and by deboning and tying up the thighs with string, I can slice nice dark meat medallions with this technique...





See how the boneless breast and deboned thigh slice up nicely, and someone coming through the line will grab the leg to gnaw on....

[tlfillingim]

I like that idea for the turkey thighs. I need to give that a try.

[jfmorris]

tlfillingim I had a link somewhere showing how to do it. I'll have to see if I can dig it up and share the website or video I found that technique on. Basically you just follow the thigh bone with the knife until you cut it out at the joint to the drumstick, then tie the meat and skin back into a cylinder with butcher twine.