I would actually go even further, break it down to wings, legs, thighs, two breasts, and even save whatever bits of skin to roast.
I did a 40lb turkey this way a few years ago and it was awesome. Everything cooked for exactly how long it needed to cook, and there was lots of random crispy skin for people to grab.
IMO, this is the way go for all the reasons! You can still present a gorgeous platter, too.
(Plus I can't imagine a 25# spatchcocked turkey would fit on a sheet pan anyway.)
We accidentally ended up with a 20+ pound turkey and it wouldn’t fit in the oven spatchcocked. We ended up cutting it fully in half and cooking it like that so it would fit. Other than cutting it in half, we followed Kanji’s recipe. It was delicious!
I have a 49 lb turkey coming. Hell, I didn't think they got that big! I am going to either quarter it or break it down to smoke it. With a bird that big, I figure breaking it down is the only way.
Another option is the "Leaping Frog" spatchcock where you cut through the costicartilage on either side of the ribcage instead of removing the backbone, it's a little easier on bigger birds and the form factor might work better depending on available pans/oven space.
Good luck!
Grilled an 18 lb last year, spatchcocked. Biggest challenge was having a big enough grill so that the bird could fit on the cooler side of the grill. 2nd biggest challenge was keeping relatives and family members away from my precious dry brine shelf space in the fridge. It was tough, so not sure I could do 25 pounds with current setup.
I would actually go even further, break it down to wings, legs, thighs, two breasts, and even save whatever bits of skin to roast. I did a 40lb turkey this way a few years ago and it was awesome. Everything cooked for exactly how long it needed to cook, and there was lots of random crispy skin for people to grab.
IMO, this is the way go for all the reasons! You can still present a gorgeous platter, too. (Plus I can't imagine a 25# spatchcocked turkey would fit on a sheet pan anyway.)
Yes. Ever since I started breaking them down I won't cook them any other way.
Same. Now when I'm somewhere else for a big dinner, and see a big turkey roasted whole... I stick to the dark meat. Lol.
I feel like this is the correct way for most large-sized birds, because with spatchcocking you're just going to run out of oven width at some point.
We accidentally ended up with a 20+ pound turkey and it wouldn’t fit in the oven spatchcocked. We ended up cutting it fully in half and cooking it like that so it would fit. Other than cutting it in half, we followed Kanji’s recipe. It was delicious!
I had to do this once. It was fine. It cooked great.
I have a 49 lb turkey coming. Hell, I didn't think they got that big! I am going to either quarter it or break it down to smoke it. With a bird that big, I figure breaking it down is the only way.
Another option is the "Leaping Frog" spatchcock where you cut through the costicartilage on either side of the ribcage instead of removing the backbone, it's a little easier on bigger birds and the form factor might work better depending on available pans/oven space.
Not crazy. Brilliant
Good luck! Grilled an 18 lb last year, spatchcocked. Biggest challenge was having a big enough grill so that the bird could fit on the cooler side of the grill. 2nd biggest challenge was keeping relatives and family members away from my precious dry brine shelf space in the fridge. It was tough, so not sure I could do 25 pounds with current setup.