Doing some research ahead of Thanksgiving and I stumbled across a recipe from America's Test Kitchen (technically I guess it's Cook's Country), but adapted from Rodney Scott. It's behind the ATK paywall.
Savory smoke—plus a top-notch rub and mop—puts a delicious twist on your celebration centerpiece.
The first two hours of smoking on the kettle, they have the turkey skin side down. Then they flip it back over to the traditional position. Does this technique sound like it would give good results? I'm skeptical of flipping the bird (ha!) at all.
I spatchcock and smoke turkeys every year. I have never started skin side down. Always skin side up throughout the cook. I would think that you might get the skin stuck to the grill grate and when you flip you'd tear some of the skin off. I don't see the benefit skin side down. FWIW.....
But again, I have no experience with the smoking a spatchcock turkey skin side down.
Kamado Joe Big Joe III
Pit Barrel Cooker
Camp Chef Flat Top 900
Weber Performer 22
PowerFlamer Propane 160
Meater +
Thermoworks Smoke
Thermoworks Thermapen
Temp Spike
I hate to say this, but America's Test Kitchen gets it right about 50% of the time. There is no good reason to go skin side down unless you are over direct heat, which is not a great idea with something that is going to cook as long as a turkey. It sounds like a commie scheme to ruin Thanksgiving if you ask me 😂
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
The only time I flip spatchcocked or split chickens is when I am doing them grilled over direct heat, like with Grillgrates over charcoal or gas. For indirect, with the Vortex, I do flip chicken parts like wings and legs. But I would never try to flip a full spatchcocked turkey. As others said, the skin will likely stick to the grate and tear up. I guess if you have a LOT of vertical gradient temp differences from grate level to 4-5 inches above the grate, maybe it makes sense, but in that case, I would start skin side UP, then flip about halfway through the cook, then flip again before finishing.
Cookers:
Large Big Green Egg with a Ceramic Grill Store rack system, and the SnS setup.
Weber Genesis SA-E-330 LP INDIGO with SS Grates, Weber Crafted frame kit, baking stone, griddle (2/3), all from Ace Hardware.
For the first time in a long time I have no kettles as I gave them all away.
Everything Else:
SnS #3 with certificate. I was their first customer.
Sous Vide equipment.
SnS and Thermoworks instant read and leave-in thermometers.
Grill Grates for BGE.
Kingsford Blue Bag, Weber lighter cubes, Weber charcoal chimneys.
Rubs with salt: Meat Church Holy Cow.
Rubs without salt: Home-mixed versions of previously sold SnS Grills Rocky's Rub and Not Just for Beef using their recipe. SPOG.
Spices: Lots of 'em.
My offset cooks top down. My pellet cooks in large part by radiant heat from underneath... but I still think I would worry about skin sticking if upside down. Maybe if I'd dry drined and the skin was really dry and I sprayed the grates with cooking oil? But I just dont see it being necessary. Not much point to me.
Kenji put out a video yesterday answering a bunch of Thanksgiving questions and one of them was about cooking turkeys breast side down to start. This question was about whole turkeys and the thinking was since the bottom of the turkey is usually below the level of a roasting pan it would cook a bit more slowly since the convection is reduced. Having the breast side down to start would give the legs and thighs a bit of a head start then you flip it over and everything is done cooking at the same time. Kenji's conclusion was that it wasn't necessary at all.
One of the main benefits of spatchcocking the turkey is everything cooks much more evenly so you wouldn't get any potential benefit having the bird skin side down. So I see no reason to do that. I have always done mine skin side up and have gotten juicy birds with crispy skin which is about all you want from a turkey.
Comment