CANIS Cooks: Maple Whiskey Glazed Turkey
If you are anything like me frying the same old bird the same old way gets boring. Admittedly the ever-present fire danger keeps you attentive but it still loses some of its luster. I’ve never been the biggest fan of turkey; I have always found it to be a little bland and often times dry as a bone. Birds in general have so little fat that it’s a common struggle to get a good cook on a bird and keep that moist tender feel in the meat. My solution is spatchcocking. This preparation allows the bird to cook flat leaving minimal negative space between meat and heat. This produces a much more even cook in a substantially reduced timeframe. Another part of this moisture retention as we all know is the brine. The affect all of these steps have can not be understated. I will cover my step-by-step process here and hopefully it will be of some benefit to someone looking to church up the spring thunder or be looked at as the family innovator at Thanksgiving!
THE BRINE:
3 Cups Apple Cider
2 Gallons Cold Water
4 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary Leaves
5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 ½ Cups Kosher Salt
2 Cups Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp. Peppercorns
5 Whole Bay Leaves
3 Orange Peels
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Combine all these ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring until all the salt and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat cover and allow to cool completely.
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Place your uncooked turkey in a bucket or brine bag. (I prefer a 5 gallon bucket with lid). Pour in your brine and refrigerate for 16-24 hours.
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Before time to cook, remove your bird from the brine and place it in the sink. Allow cold water to run over the bird for about 15 minutes to remove any excess salt from the skin and wash off any contaminants from the brine. Pat dry with a paper towel.
The Spatchcock: -
Place your bird breast bone down on a cutting board. Using a pair of game shears (trust me on this you’ll want good game shears) cut up each side of the spine from tail to neck severing the ribs from the spine.
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Once the spine is removed press down on the ribs till you crack the collar bones and the bird lays mostly flat. At this point go ahead and trim up any loose skin or pin feathers etc. You may find.
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To finish this method of preparation take a 8” filet knife and work it up under the breast bone from both sides until it pulls away with ease. Now the bird will lay completely flat against the cooking surface.
THE GLAZE:
- 1 Stick Unsalted Butter
- Âľ Cup Grade A Maple Syrup
- Âľ Cup Burbon (your favorite)
- 1 Tbsp. Brown Mustard
Combine all ingredients in a pot and heat until butter is dissolved and everything is well combined. Apply the first coat of glaze right before you begin your dry seasoning application.
Seasoning:
This part is a little subjective to flavor likes and dislikes I enjoy sweet and a little heat on my bird. I use a combination of seasonings on mine. The base of my seasoning is the Kosmo Q Hot Dirty Bird, then ill finish with Meat Church’s Hot Honey Hog. Really use anything you want that you think will pair well with the glaze.
THE COOK:
For the purpose of this recipe, I’m going to be using a pellet smoker. The temperatures will remain pretty consistent across offset smokers as well though. When dealing with delicate meat such as birds or pork, mountain lion etc. I like a pellet with a more neutral smoke (hickory, post oak, pecan). Next you want to get your smoker up to temp. We are going to run at 275 degrees F. Once you have placed your bird on the smoker continue to baste at your own intervals making sure you get one application of glaze after your core temperature reaches 150 degrees at the deepest part of the meat. Instant read thermometers are great for this. I use a Therma Pen personally. Once your temps reach 160 degrees (USDA recommends 165 degrees) remove your turkey from the smoker and allow to rest under a foil tent for 20 minutes. The turkey will come up the additional 5 degrees while resting. Last step is plate and serve then you can sit back and revel in the adoration and satisfied looks of all your family and friends, standing tall the conqueror of the thunder chicken!!!
