This year I decide to be one with Tetris and think flat.
Introducing the spatchcock turkey. I heard about it last week and decided to go for it. You cut out the bird’s backbone and flatten it out. You can’t stuff it obviously, but it cooks faster and even.
But I obviously didn’t just do it. I also wet brined it for 24 hours.
And then I smoked it.
Came out amazingly good. Now I have 17lb of Turkey to eat this week, and my fridge was not empty to start with.
for the brine, desolve a cup of sugar, and a cup of salt in boiling two cups of water. Add bay leaves, black pepper corn, hot chilly, any herbs you like, i also added a couple teaspoons of curing salt to help kill any bacteria. Add a gallon of cold water and some ice to cool it off. place the flatten turkey and brine in a big deep pan skin side up, doesn’t have to be completely submerged, but at least half way. cover with plastic wrap for 24 hours. Discard brine, drain and dry bird with paper towels, then roast or smoke 325f (169c) until mid breast temp is 165-170f (75c). Take out and let rest. 15lb turkey will take 3 hours or so to roast or smoke.