Nicely don a Peter. I like the idea of the allspice.
[Reply]

Thanks bob. It was a last- minute decision, and I did notice the added layer in the gravy. :-)
[Reply]

I did the upside down bird this year and it was unreal!
[Reply]

Odd how a little change makes such a difference, huh?

I used to pretty much hate white meat. It was always too dried out and bland for me. After starting to cook with the breast down, I now find the breast meat to be very moist and flavorful.

Now it's time for turkey casserole. And turkey goulash, turkey hash, turkey sandwiches, turkey and eggs, maybe a little turkey chile. :-)
[Reply]

Ya know, I'm 100% sold on this spatchcocking thing. But only if I was doing the bird on the grill with some mesquite. Or something on that order.
A chicken on the grill, even.
The only reason I wouldn't do the bird this way for Thanksgiving is because I like stuffing SO much better than dressing. And the stuffing and gravy is my favorite, by a longshot.
I probably eat three tiny pieces of turkey at dinner, a giant pile of stuffing, and a quart of gravy. :-)

I'm happy it worked out for you guys. That's awesome. I certainly look forward to trying it. :-)
[Reply]

I have another bird thawing in the fridge as we speak. I've single-handedly eaten ALL the leftover turkey and dressing.

There is a little bit of potatoes and a tiny bit of gravy left (I slather EVERYTHING in gravy the next day, and mix the potatoes and stuffing together on my plate after reheating).

Maybe I'll try the upside down thing next to have a closer comparison than a year between turkey dinners.

Even though I've ate a whole 9x13 pan full of leftovers, I'm still hungry for more turkey.
[Reply]

That's great Peter and it sounds delicious. I have never spatchcocked a turkey, nor cooked one up-side down, but can't wait to try both methods. Just curious, you mentioned you were glad you only brined it for 6 hours as the salt level was perfect. I have never noticed longer brining with saltier taste. I know that seems logical, but I brined for 24 hours and it was great and not at all salty.
[Reply]

It was really unbelievably good. Huge difference.
[Reply]

I was just referring to the gravy. If I had brined it much longer, I'm thinking the drippings would've been too salty for gravy.
[Reply]

Not into brining poultry or pork, it gives it too much a water logged taste and the texture of the meat is processed tasting. It does flavor the meat; I won't argue that. I prefer to dry curing.
[Reply]

I didn't have the time required for a dry cure, Moses. Well, I did, but didn't ask about/research that option until after it was too late. I saw a new Alton Brown recipe in which he incorporates a dry rub/aging process in the fridge. Now that you've reminded me of that, maybe I'll try this next turkey that way.

This is the first year I tried a brine. I unpackaged the bird early Thursday morning, and it wasn't completely thawed. I put it in the sink to start running water over it, and thought a flavorful brine instead of plain water would be the better option.
[Reply]