Spatchcocked Smoked Turkey

Spatchcocked Smoked Turkey Recipe

Recipe by Bo Ansley

SERVES 8

Ingredients
8 — 12-pound whole turkey (a chicken works just as well)
1 quart of dill pickle juice, for brining
sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of olive oil
heavy-duty aluminum foil 
lump oak coal

Directions
1. Remove turkey from packaging. Remove the giblets. Using poultry shears, spatchcock the bird by cutting down each side of the backbone and removing it. Turn the bird over so the breasts face up, and press down gently on the breasts to split the bone and cause the bird to lay flat. 

2. Add turkey and pickle juice to a large ziplock bag and set it aside. Place on a tray (in case the bag gets a puncture) and refrigerate overnight.

3. Fire up your smoker until it maintains  275–300 degrees. Remove turkey from brine and set on baking sheet. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub olive oil on skin and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Ansley prefers a two to one pepper to salt ratio.   

4. Place a drip pan of water between the grill and fire. Place turkey skin side up on grill over indirect heat. After 90 minutes, the turkey should have an internal heat of about 160 degrees. 

5. Remove the turkey from the grill and completely wrap in aluminum foil. Close the grill damper and and return bird to the smoker for 30 more minutes.  

6. Remove from the grill and let it rest 30 minutes. Serve with cranberry or Alabama white BBQ sauce.