turkey

[Darchie03]

Do any of you use a rub on turkey? If so which one? Thanks for any info.

[Donw]

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/rubs-and-pastes/simon-and-garfunkel-spice-rub/

[Darchie03]

I was thinking about Simon & Garfunkel, I use it on chicken often

[realdocBBQ]

I tried this a couple of times and it is not my thing. I dunno which part it is, just don't care for it.

[bbqLuv]

I got a butterball turkey breast and plan on using Traeger's Pork and Poultry apple and honey rub. This rub is really good.

[JeffJ]

I use black pepper and paprika on turkey and chicken. It’s mostly for color. Most don’t eat the skin which is where the spices are providing flavor.

[fzxdoc]

Pit Barrel Cooker's AP rub.

Kathryn

[Uncle Mike II]

yep, PBC AP rub is very good. Yesterday I smoked my 1st turkey on my PBC...came out Sooo Good and a 14 pounder only took 2 hrs 15 minutes

[fuzzydaddy]

While I like Simon & Garfunkel rub, my family prefers a beef rub and I put some under the skin too. I usually do a bone-in breast and spatchcock it.

[Steve R.]

Welcome back! I think you might have been the first person who welcomed me when I joined several years ago.

[STEbbq]

Welcome back! And you know, we are a happy group of enablers so please feel free to let us help you spend all of your money.

[Huskee]

I fourth the "welcome back"!

[fzxdoc]

fuzzydaddy ! Welcome back!

Kathryn

[fuzzydaddy]

Thank you. Life is always good, but I'm currently without any cookers, but I'll be in my new place later this month and will be placing some orders!

[Huskee]

I use a combo of Meathead's Pork & Poultry (Tuscan herb) and Heaven Made Products' It's Amazin. Sometimes their Blackened, but go gently.

[FireMan]

Yeah Fuzz, I second that emotion. Also, cool avatar!
Currently NO cookers? How in Sam blazes did that happen.

[fuzzydaddy]

Thanks! Avatar is looking at (some of) Mt. Denali from a small plane, earlier this year. Best trip ever! Earlier this month I moved about 700 miles and the only stuff I brought was what would fit in the cars. I'm in a rental until moving at the end of the month to a house we bought. Still deciding what to buy.

[jfmorris]

Yes! Welcome back fuzzydaddy ! I was sad when I saw you lapse. And what? You moved back south again? With no cookers? No kamado anymore?

Your rotisserie is getting put to good use, and will be spinning two different 20 pound turkeys next weekend. One here, and then loaning out the next day to my son to do one for his in-laws on his kettle.

[fuzzydaddy]

Thanks! Moving costs, using a moving company were crazy and they were likely to be unreliable due to manpower issues, so this gave us a chance to get rid everything that wouldn't fit in our 2 cars, selling and giving away to neighbors, friends and family. Very freeing.

[jfmorris]

fuzzydaddy glad you were up to do that! And didn't the movers mess up your cookers on that last move?

[fuzzydaddy]

jfmorris yes they did.

[jfmorris]

Back to the topic at hand - I have used various home max rubs, including Simon and Garfunkel, and also commercial rubs such as Lawry’s Chicken and Poultry rub. This year I am considering a garlic and rosemary rub I bought recently at Sam’s club.

[hoovarmin]

Last Turkey I did (last week) I rubbed with a steak and brisket rub from Cattleman's. It was fantastic. Well, as fantastic as turkey can be. I still shake my head at the tradition of eating an inferior protein on the day of thanks when we could be eating chicken or a nice standing rib roast. But traditions are important.

[Purc]

That was a great looking turkey!

[realdocBBQ]

So last year for Turkey Day I did 8 turkeys, I think, for friends and coworkers, mostly. One for us. All but one, I believe I did just S&P.

I have taken to doing just S&P on most of my chikkins, too.

I usually spatchcock and smoke at 325-350ºF to around 155ºF in the breast. This method has yielded really good results, and lots of people expressing they cannot believe the flavor, and that this is just S&P. I typically salt generously under the skin and also pepper under the skin, then lightly salt on top of the skin and fairly heavily on the pepper on the outside.

Some pics of my products:

Recent chickkins on the stickburner.




Some of the turkeys I did last year for Turkey Day:



Little heavier pepper on this one, I think this one was ours:



This one was for a friend, he seasoned it himself, I think he just did salt under/over, so I cooked it how he wanted - just as-is, he said it was great.



This whole bird and breast were done with Head Country seasoning, I think?



Couple more just S&P that were for one of my partner's folks:




So going under the skin... I find doing the full spatchcock, meaning not just removing the backbone, but also the lower ribcage and pelvis/hip joint, as well as the wishbone and blade bones, makes for a really nicely carving bird and only takes a couple more minutes, and trim out all the connective tissue and extra layers of fascia and such around the thighs (like in the video below). Also, during this process, I make sure to fully get under the skin to detach it everywhere. When I'm done, it's really only still attached at the ankles and the wings/armpits. If you want to see how to do the 'full spatch', ATBBQ has a great video on it, Chef Tom always does a great job.

In addition to what he does there, I also like to remove the 'blade bones' near the shoulder. I think this helps the wings lay flatter and tuck easier. Also helps with cutting it all apart later. I thought that video was where I learned about pulling the blade bones, too, but I don't see it on there. They're near the shoulder, you slide a boning or filet knife under them just like that wishbone, work your way around to the shoulder joint and then just pop the blade off the shoulder 'ball'. Maybe it was someone here like @CandySueQue or someone who told me about that.

This year, I think I am going to dry brine, I've done the wet brine on chikkins, but since I'm not planning on doing a ton of turkeys this year, I SHOULD have enough room to do a good dry brine in the fridge.

I also bought some Kosmo's Dirty Bird seasoning yesterday, so I've been wanting to try that - I am thinking of doing it on a chikkin this weekend to test it out, rather than experimenting with the first try on the holiday turkey.

Bottom line is, there're lots of ways to do birds - these are a few that have worked for me. If you season well, and don't overcook (never never never take your breast to 165ºF in the cooker! UGH! lol), you'll almost always have great results!

[Darchie03]

Very interesting Thank you

[jfmorris]

Good video! Now making me question my decision to spin the bird rather than spatchcock it!

[LA Pork Butt]

I sometimes use Sucklebuster’s Clucker Dust. I am injecting this year with Toney’s Creole Butter.

[Dan Deter]

Yes, with butter. I'll have to go look at what's in the rub when I get a chance, I don't remember off hand (and my wife actually handles that part). She gets the butter and rub mix under the skin, as well as rub in the cavity and outside on the skin.