Question re Grilled Spatchcock Turkey With Citrus-Herb Salt And Sage Butter Recipe

[taxgeek3]

Hi - This recipe sounds really good and I'm thinking of trying it for Thanksgiving but would like some advice. The recipe calls for applying the compound butter and citrus/herb salt just prior to putting on the smoker. Would it help keep the turkey moist if I applied the citrus/herb salt the night before and dry brine in the fridge and then apply the compound butter prior to putting the bird on the smoker?

Also, I'll need to smoke the turkey on Wed and then warm up/gently reheat on Thurs. Any suggestions on best way to do this and minimize the negative impact and dry meat?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[tamidw]

No suggestions on cooking the turkey ahead of time, but I have done this recipe and salted and buttered just shortly before smoking and my bird turned out wonderful.

[SheilaAnn]

My instinct tells me to dry brine and smoke. Then use the compound butter for the reheating phase the next day.

if I were to do it all at one time, I would dry brine and rub the compound butter under the skin, then smoke.

[realdocBBQ]

I'd say yes, dry brine it the day before, cook it with the butter and such, basically keeping it as moist as can possibly be. Then you can reheat with assurance it will still be moist and juicy.

[fzxdoc]

In answer to your question about reheating the turkey the next day, here are some ideas.

HouseHomey , a chef here on The Pit, gave us great advice about reheating smoked turkey several years back.

Here's his advice that I copy/pasted into Paprika:

fzxdoc I would make sure they are defrosted before heating. I focus on the meat and not the skin. Heat the defrosted breasts in a low oven/cooker. Place in a pan with a little stock and cover well. Plastic wrap and foil. Dutch oven and heavy lid? Heat slow and only above edible temp. You can make the gravy as hot as you like. The risk is a 2nd cook and drying out.

You can also pre slice and heat on stove top with just a little stock. I have in the past pre sliced and barely warmed and served on top of hot moist stuffing and top with an herbed out, salted butter. You can get creative when you cook for the meat and service and not for the Norman Rockwell.

And, based on HH's advice, here is the method that I now use for reheating all smoked, flash chilled, frozen, then thawed turkey breasts:

2 smoked bone-in turkey breast halves, 2 to 3 lbs each, smoked to 160°; rapid chilled; vacuum-sealed: frozen; thawed in refrigerator for 2 days prior to use.

1. Preheat oven to 375°

2. Place a rack on a foil-lined heavy rectangular food service-quality foil pan usually used for sterno-warming setups (from Sam’s Club). Set the pan on a cookie sheet for support.

3. Pour a quart of homemade chicken or turkey broth into the pan. Don’t let the level of the broth reach the rack.

4. Place the breasts on the rack, bone side down. Cover the pan tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil

5. Heat until internal temp is 160°. This takes about 1 hour.

6. Only slice what is to be served immediately. Pour a bit of the smokey broth over the sliced turkey on the serving platter. People can always add gravy as desired.

When I do a whole turkey, I reheat the legs/thighs separately, since they are of such different thickness when compared to the breast. As HH said, the presentation may not be Norman Rockwellian, but it serves up moist turkey, and that's the goal.

Hope this helps.

Kathryn

[taxgeek3]

This is great - thanks for the advice and have a Happy Thanksgiving!!