Spatchcock

#1
Has anyone done this to a Turkey?

Mod note: so everyone who doesn't know, doesn't have to Google it

To spatchcock a chicken, or butterfly it, is to remove the backbone, thus allowing it to be completely opened out and flattened. Doing this reduces the cooking time significantly and allows the whole bird to be cooked in different, speedier ways, such as grilling or pan frying.
 
#8
Yes I have more then a few times! Helps for the turkey to cook evenly
Yup.

Plus the turkey will cook in a fraction of the time. And I literally mean a fraction as in a 10 lb turkey will be done in less than an hour. Plus the meat will be moister.

Off course the stuffing needs to be done separately (no one really cooks the stuffing inside the turkey anymore right? — that's the way it was done when I was a kid and its just pure luck that more people didn't come down with salmonella from the under cooked juices soaking into the stuffing).
 
#11
It is only safe if the stuffing reaches a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature should be checked with a thermometer inserted into the stuffing, i.e., do not rely on the pop-up or a thermometer inserted into the meat.

According to US Department of Agriculture, you technically can safely cook stuffing inside of the turkey, but, to do so, you'll need to loosely pack the stuffing into the cavity so that it has more room to properly cook.

I just put the uncooked stuffing into a glass corning-ware cookware that I throw into the oven along with vegetables to be cooked towards the end of the turkey cook time. The cookware is practical and aesthetically pleasing to go right on the serving table.

I make my fresh cranberries the night before so it is well chilled in the fridge (I take it out an hour or prior to the meal so its not too cold.)
 
#12
It is only safe if the stuffing reaches a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature should be checked with a thermometer inserted into the stuffing, i.e., do not rely on the pop-up or a thermometer inserted into the meat.

According to US Department of Agriculture, you technically can safely cook stuffing inside of the turkey, but, to do so, you'll need to loosely pack the stuffing into the cavity so that it has more room to properly cook.

I just put the uncooked stuffing into a glass corning-ware cookware that I throw into the oven along with vegetables to be cooked towards the end of the turkey cook time. The cookware is practical and aesthetically pleasing to go right on the serving table.

I make my fresh cranberries the night before so it is well chilled in the fridge (I take it out an hour or prior to the meal so its not too cold.)
Aromatics are much better in the Turkey orange pineapple than stuffing. In the glass dish you can get a nice crunch on the top and not worry about drying out your bird

Organic or the cheapest one you can find?
 
#13
Aromatics are much better in the Turkey orange pineapple than stuffing. In the glass dish you can get a nice crunch on the top and not worry about drying out your bird

Organic or the cheapest one you can find?
I don't care about organic ( although many of my purchases that are organic or non-GMO products are incidental, e.g. I purchase Silk Soy Milk, which is non-GMO and organic, only because enjoy the taste).

I've always purchased fresh killed turkey at Farmingdale Meat Market. I have no idea of how it's price compares to others, nor do i care, as the total cost of my Thanksgiving meal with wine for many people is probably less than the cost for 1 person (meal, 2 glasses of wine, tax and tip) at a restaurant. Also the fresh killed there aren't injected with water and oil which make price comparisons difficult.

For example the 8oz burgers at FMM are more expensive per pound raw but probably not more expensive per pound of cooked burgers off the grill, i.e., not loaded with water and added fat.
 
#14
I have done this with my turkey when I smoked it. I think just putting a turkey in the oven is the best way of cooking a turkey. It does cook quicker this way and I think it is really tough to smoke a turkey or a chicken unless you do spatchcock it.
 
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