How I Actually Did the Turkey This Year

Just gonna admit I tried a new way and I think I like it the best.

I had to do the turkey today because we’re traveling. We’ll chill it and take it with us and reheat it tomorrow.

So here’s what I did and I learned something new.

Last night (tonight if you’re doing it tomorrow), I very lightly rubbed the turkey with 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp onion powder.

I had a lot left over. I just seasoned the outside skin and got up under the skin around the breasts. Again, I did it lightly. Then I parked it in the fridge all night.

This morning, I got up and cut the backbone out of it to spatchcock it. While I was doing that, I got my RecTeq pellet grill up to 425ºF.

Then I mixed 1 cup of mayo, the juice of a lemon, a teaspoon of table salt, a teaspoon of pepper, and a 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika. I whisked it together till smooth and I very lightly rubbed the wholeof the bird with it, including the interior portion exposed by cutting out the backbone. Again, I had a lot left over.

I have now read in several places that mayo, of all things, operates as a moisture barrier preventing a lot of moisture loss from the meat. I can tell it worked already.

By the time I was done with the bird, the RecTeq was at temp. I put the bird on and lowered the temperature on the RecTeq to 325ºF.

3.5 hours later (spatchcocking makes it go faster), the bird was pulled. It was so done the wings fell apart. It tastes delicious. It is juicy. The mayo left no flavor and melted off over time anyway.

The smell in the house right now is incredible. I’m going to cool it down for an hour on the counter, then put it in the fridge for another hour before wrapping it tightly in foil and putting it in an ice filled cooler to take to my in-laws. Tomorrow, I’ll reheat it in a 325ºF oven until the internal temp gets up to 155ºF. That’ll heat it without drying it out.