November 08, 2021

The Full Boar Turkey Day Hero, Spatchcocked Cajun Turkey

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Ingredients:

- 1 12-15 lb. Turkey

- 1 Stick of salted butter

- ½ Tablespoon Dried oregano

- 1 can of aerosol butter

- 4-5 tablespoons Full Boar BBQ Garden, Barn, and River Rub

- 3-4 tablespoons Full Boar BBQ Bourbon Street Cajun Seasoning

*Rubs and sauces can be substituted for your favorites but if you try these they will become your new favorites!

Directions:

- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees- For this cook I am using the Masterbuilt Digital Charcoal Series closet smoker. This recipe will work with any smoker.

- To preheat this smoker follow the Masterbuilt instructions. I used Masterbuilt’s lump charcoal in order to keep the ash level low and get maximum flavor along with a few apple wood chunks. I also used Masterbuilt’s fire starters in order to make startup super simple. Follow the pictures below.

- Once you have done this flip the bird onto its breast so the bottom side is facing up. This is where we spatchcock the bird. Spatchcocking will do a few things. It will cut down on the cook time, maximize the surface area to add more seasoning, and also make carving much easier on the back end. To do this I start with the back of the bird towards me and cut down each side of the spine with a kitchen shears or bread knife until it is completely removed.- While the smoker is warming up and smoke is becoming clear and blue, prep your turkey. Start by cutting off the plastic, untying the legs, removing the giblets and inside scraps (save if you wish to cook, they are good pan-fried!). I usually wash out the cavity with warm water to make sure there is no inedible contents and to make sure the inside is as thaw as it needs to be for the cook.

- After the cutting is done flatten the turkey by breaking the breast bone. With a chicken or smaller fowl I always suggest doing this by flipping the bird and pushing down on the breast. With a turkey that has a much bigger and more solid breast bone I often find myself leaving the turkey breast side down and prying the two sides apart which gives you a lot more leverage. Whichever way works for you is best!

- Now it’s time to season! First, with the breast side down, pat dry with paper towels removing most of the moisture. When dry take the Full Boar BBQ Garden, Barn, and River Rub and relatively heavily layer the whole bottom of what used to be the cavity. Make sure to get the spots that are tough to get from the top as well like the bottom of the legs and wings. Follow this up with your Full Boar BBQ Bourbon Street Cajun Seasoning until relatively well covered.

- Leave this side turned up for 10 minutes or so while the rub sets. You are looking for that nice wet look on the rub to tell you that you can turn it over without losing all your flavoring. Once this is done flip the turkey over. This is where we are going to add a bunch of delicious fat!

- Remove the stick of butter from the wrapper and cut into about half inch pads. Once cut take a pad in your hand and lifting the skin work the pad underneath. The goal is to get one on each leg, each thigh, and 4-5 on the breast. This is going to add fat, flavor, and keep this thing nice and moist during the cook. Once you have this recipe locked down you can experiment with compote butters to add even more flavor directly to the meat.

- After placing your pads of butter take your spray butter and after drying the top of the bird with paper towels give it a light layer of spray butter.

- After that layer your spices again the same way as the bottom. Finish the seasoning by sprinkling lightly with the oregano.

- Once your seasoning is set, transfer the turkey to your pre-heated smoker and place it bone side down. Arrange the legs and wings how you want them to cook. Remember, you eat first with your eyes and presentation is key!

- You want to give yourself 15-25 minutes per pound of turkey.

- Every 45 minutes to an hour open the smoker and quickly spray the skin with the spray butter. This will keep the skin moist and keep it from drying out and pulling back from the edges of the meat. This is important not only for looks but also to keep moisture inside a meat that you do not want to dry out!

- We are looking for an internal temperature of the breast of 165 degrees. I usually just probe and start to check it at 15 minutes per lb. For some reason people get very nervous with turkeys. If you are one of these folks use a permanent probe and leave nothing to chance!

- After the turkey reaches temperature pull it out of the smoker and place it on a board. Loosely drape foil over the bird and let it rest for 20-30 minutes. This will help the moisture circulate in the meat and again get that moisture.

- Carving a turkey is an art acquired over time. The good news is there is no wrong way to do it! I have put a picture below to show you how I cute these up. I think it looks pretty nice and makes it easy to get at as well. Can’t wait to see what you come up with!