Make a Show-Stopping Maple Bourbon Turkey with Meat Church

As Thanksgiving approaches it’s time to start planning the star of your holiday meal – the turkey! This year, wow your guests with a maple bourbon spatchcock turkey from Meat Church. With amazing flavor and beautiful presentation, it’s sure to be a hit.

Meat Church is a Texas-based company dedicated to helping people achieve competition-quality BBQ right in their own backyard. Founded by barbecue pitmaster Matt Pittman, Meat Church offers top-notch smoking wood, seasonings rubs sauces, and accessories for the ultimate backyard barbecue experience.

With rave reviews from BBQ pros and home cooks alike, Meat Church has earned a reputation for premium products that make cooking incredibly flavorful, competition-level barbecue simple and fun. From flavorful rubs like Honey Hog, The Gospel, and Voodoo to specialty items like coffee rubs and popcorn seasonings, Meat Church has everything you need to make next-level barbecue.

Spatchcocking for Even Cooking and Easy Carving

A spatchcock turkey is a turkey where the backbone has been removed so the bird can lie flat. This cooking method allows the turkey to cook faster and more evenly since more surface area is exposed directly to the heat source.

Spatchcocking also makes carving the fully cooked turkey much easier. With a flat bird, you can simply slice perfect portions rather than wrestling with a whole round turkey. It’s a great presentation for serving a crowd too since each piece looks picture-perfect.

Spatchcocking a turkey is simple. Using poultry shears, cut out the backbone and press down to flatten the bird. You can even save the backbone to make turkey stock for gravy later!

Infusing Your Bird with Maple Bourbon Flavor

Of course, flavor is the most important part of any recipe. For this turkey, Meat Church uses their signature Bird Bath brine along with maple syrup and bourbon to give the meat an unbelievable depth of flavor.

The Bird Bath poultry brine ensures juicy, seasoned meat by helping the turkey retain moisture. The maple imparts a touch of sweetness while the bourbon gives the turkey a wonderful mellow boozy note.

Brining the turkey for at least 12 hours ensures the flavor permeates all the way to the bone. Meat Church recommends brining for 45-60 minutes per pound, but letting it sit overnight is fine too.

Once brined, the turkey is ready for a flavorful dry rub. Meat Church suggests their Texas Sugar rub, a sweet and savory blend of spices, brown sugar, and citrus. But you could use any of their rubs like Holy Gospel, Honey Hog, or Holy Voodoo.

Achieving the Perfect Cook

Cooking the spatchcock turkey at 275°F gives you crisp, golden skin covering tender, juicy meat. Meat Church recommends pecan or hickory wood for flavoring the smoke.

During cooking, rotate and cover any areas that brown too quickly with foil. Baste the turkey as needed to keep the skin from drying out.

Use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness, looking for 160°F in the deepest part of the breast. When it reaches temp, remove from the heat and let rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

The brined, rub-seasoned, smoked turkey will have incredible depth of flavor with maple and bourbon notes. It will be moist, tender and beautiful with its flattened shape. Your dinner guests will be so impressed!

More Turkey Tips and Tricks from Meat Church

Meat Church has many more recipes and tips for smoking the perfect turkey:

• Try different flavors like their popular Southwestern Sweet Heat Turkey.

• For crispier skin, let the turkey air dry in the fridge overnight after brining.

• Mix the dry brine rub under the skin along with coating the outside for maximum flavor.

• When smoking, place turkey breast-side closest to the heat source for best presentation.

• Use the leftover backbone and trimmings to make a flavorful turkey stock for gravy.

• Let the turkey rest at least 20 minutes before slicing for juicier meat.

• Garnish with fresh herbs and fruits like cranberries before serving.

##Make BBQ Magic with Meat Church

If you want to make show-stopping BBQ that looks and tastes incredible, Meat Church has the products and recipes to make it happen. Their premium rubs, sauces and accessories simplify backyard barbecue and level up your skills.

The maple bourbon spatchcock turkey will wow any holiday table with its juicy brined meat, smoke flavor and beautiful flattened presentation. Your guests will be begging for your recipes after tasting Meat Church’s incredible flavors.

Bring competition-quality barbecue to your next cookout with help from the pros at Meat Church! Your taste buds will thank you.