Spatchcock Turkey
Cook Notes
BBQ Used: Kamado Joe Classic II
Cooking Method: Indirect
Fuel used: Lumpwood Charcoal
Cooking Temperature: 160-170c
Ingredients
1x 8kg Turkey from Buchanan's Turkeys
Broightergold hickory smoked oil
1 tbsp fine sea salt
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp paprika
1/4 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp dried thyme
1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
1/2 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
pinch of cayenne pepper
Method
Place your turkey onto the cutting board, breast side down, and remove the back bone using a sharp knife or a set of poultry shears. Put a nick in the breastbone using your knife or poultry shears then flip the turkey over so it is breast side up. Apply some pressure to the middle of the breast to flatten it.
At this point you are ready to season up the bird but there are a few extra steps you can take to remove excess skin and bone that will make life easier when it comes to carving later. I suggest you checkout the video to see how this is done.
When you are happy that your bird is trimmed to your liking - it's time to season. Add all the spices to a bowl and mix them up. I start by seasoning the underside first you you can keep your presentation side looking good. Flip the bird over so it is breast side up then apply a light drizzle of the Broightergold Hickory smoked oil to the surface to act as a binder. You can also tease your hand under the skin of the breast to apply some seasoning directly onto the meat. Apply your rub to the presentation side of the bird then it's ready for the grill.
Fire up your BBQ for indirect cooking to a temperature of around 160-170c. For this cook I used my Kamado Joe Classic II fuelled with the Kamado Joe Big Block Charcoal. I have the diffuser plates set in the highest position on the accessory rack and the cooking grates on the highest level. Place the bird onto the cooking grates and close the lid.
My 8kg bird took around 2 hours 45 minutes to reach 75c in the breast and the legs were probing between 88-90c. the legs have a much higher fat content so I like to cook them to a higher temp which makes them much more tender. when you have reached your desired internal temp - it is important to rest your bird for a while. I like to loosely wrap it in foil then rest for around 30 minutes or so before carving. You can wrap in foil and a heavy towel and store the bird in a cooler for at least a couple of hours so don't panic if your cook is finished ahead of time.
