Spatchcock Smoke Roasted Turkey will be the star of your Christmas spread this year! By spatchcocking the turkey first, you flatten the cooking surface, allowing for faster cook time and lots of smoke flavor. There is nothing more impressive than a beautiful whole roasted bird with crispy golden skin to elicit the oooooooohs and aaaaaaaaaaahs of approval from your family and friends. When they ask why the bird is flat, you can tell them it has everything to do with even cooking temperatures and distribution of heat and more smoky flavor penetration from your smoker.

INGREDIENTS

• 18–20lb Whole Turkey
• 2 cups Water
• ¼ cup Butcher’s Bird Booster Injection
• 2 Tabelspoons Historic Lynchburg Master Que BBQ Rub
• 2 Tabelspoons Historic Lynchburg Steak & Burger Seasoning
• 2 Tablespoons Historic Lynchburg Goblin Good Turkey Seasoning
• 2 Sticks Kerry Gold Butter
• 1 bundle Poultry Herbs (Rosemary, Thyme, Sage)
• 3 cloves Garlic

BRINE

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water

NOTES:
The night before or early on the day you'd like to eat: Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Thaw frozen turkey in refrigerator for 5 days; remove neck and giblet bag, rinse, and pat dry with paper towel. Place turkey in brine as stated above.
• Remove the tail with a sharp knife, flip the turkey breast side down and cut along each side of the backbone with kitchen shears. Discard backbone and use a sharp knife to cut through the breast bone (wish-bone) allowing the turkey to lay flat.
• Trim away and sinew or fat from the bone side of the turkey and dry the cavity with paper towel. Spray with Olive Oil cooking spray and season with a layer of Master Que, Steak & Burger and Goblin Good Turkey rubs.
• Flip the turkey over breast/skin side up; use paper towel to completely dry the skin and spray with olive oil cooking spray; season the skin side with all 3 rubs also.
• Mix the Butchers injection with 2 cups of water. Inject the breast, thighs, legs, and wings with the mixture.
• Prepare smoker for indirect cooking using your favorite wood or smoking pellets for flavor. The smoker should be at 275-300⁰ the entire cook.
• Place turkey skin side up on the smoker. Tuck the wings and arrange the legs so the bird lays flat on the rack. Add additional Rubs as needed to cover the places where touched.
• Smoke the turkey for 1 hour then baste. Heat the butter with the herbs and garlic in a small pot until melted; keep warm. Use a basting brush to drizzle the melted butter mixture over the skin as the turkey cooks.
• Cook the turkey until a probe thermometer reads 165⁰ in the thickest part of the breast. Rest the turkey for 20 to 30 minutes. If you position the turkey breast side down as it rests, it's possible that the breast meat will be a little more juicy. after resting carve the turkey into desired sections.

Ron Appetit'