Welp, that didn't go as planned (spatchcoking).

[StAlphonzo]

Let me just say, the bird kicked my butt. The video makes it look so easy. But spatchcocking the 20lb beast took about an hour. I had to put the sucker on the floor to get enough leverage to flatten her/him(not sure). I thought I would have to resort to a Hulk Hogan style elbow drop. And then ice my hands after cuttin' the backbone out. I think the shears are ruined.

And then I made a big mistake the day of. I placed the bird on top of of the roasting pan using a 1/2 sheet wired rack. It completely filled the Traeger and I was never able to get the smoker past 270. So in the oven it went...

I don't think I'll try that again. I'll pay the butcher. And figure out how to remove the angled drip pan and stick the drippings pan under the main grate. Ugh.

[Troutman]

Sorry to hear your misfortune. I only did a 12# bird but took the advice from a previous thread and got out my gardening shears and made quick work of that backbone. At one point I even got out the BIG shears about half way through the back. You might want to retry that next time.

As far as flattening, did to sever the wishbone? Again good shears help make quick work of that. The rest, as you say is cracking the breast bone. Sometimes a cleaver is your best friend.

[Steve R.]

Scoring the sternum with a knife before trying to flatten helps a lot. The garden shears are way better than just about anything else for cutting through those ribs. I have a pair that I keep in the kitchen just for that task.

[richinlbrg]

I have used metal cutters instead of shears.

[Steve R.]

That's a great idea. Probably even better than pruning shears because they are longer.

[Oakgrovebacon]

A good pair of offset tin snips went right through a 20lb bird. Gave them a good washing before and after.

[lonnie mac]

Us sheet metal guys have all the fun!

[HorseDoctor]

Easiest way to get the backbone out is to just use a knife and cut around the bones. Down side to that is it takes at least a working knowledge of the skeletal anatomy of the critter. Absent that, pruning shears is the way to go. When flattening I flip the bird over and place a cleaver (if you have one) or a 10" chef's knife on the center of the breastbone and whack it with a rubber mallet, wooden tenderizer mallet or a wood rolling pin. A clean wooden log would do. Then flip it over and press. If you watch MH's video, there is a little "cut" between when he starts to press on the bird and when it flattens very easily. Makes him look like a brute but I suspect they scored the breastbone at least partway and edited that part out.

[StAlphonzo]

Yeah, I remembered reading about the yard shears as an option after I was committed.

Also, anyone else have a Traeger pellet smoker? I came up with the idea of using a roasting pan to catch the drippings because I feared that by removing the angled drip pan that sits just under the heating grate, it would allow too much ash into the cooking chamber. Thus ruining the drippings and skin.

That said, I will try it again next time based on all your suggestions. Thank you!

[FireMan]

Oh yeah man, do try again, do not give up.

[Beefchop]

I empathize with you and your "fowl" experience. I have the exact same thoughts every year I do this (i.e. they make it look so easy in the videos)! The size of the bird is definitely a factor. Smaller is easier. You can also separate the bird in two by taking a sharp chef's knife and cutting through the breast bone cartilage. Work from the top of the breast down. Two halves may be easier to rustle than a whole when you're tackling a 20 lb. turkey. I also have this thought - how much salmonella am I spraying around my kitchen with my wet bird? Seems to slide, move, and drip all over the place! There's also that moment when I pierce the plastic cover with a knife and it spurts turkey juice all over the place. It's definitely a wresting match.

[Spinaker]

Here are the ones that I use. You can power through pretty much anything in a bird with these.

To be honest. I cut my birds completly in half. They fit on the smoker easier and they cook just as well. I started doing this when I was cooking on the PBC. I felt like the hooks worked better when hanging half of the turkey from each hook. I find that it works well on any cooker and I do it whenever I am cooking poultry. Even when I have enough room to fit a SC bird, I still cut it in half.