Directions

1. Combine the Sweetwater Spice Lemon Thyme Turkey Bath with water and salt, according to the directions on the bottle. Whisk well. Place the brine and turkey in a large Briner Bucket. Make sure the turkey is fully submerged. Lock the brining plate in place to keep the bird submerged. Refrigerate the turkey in the brine, one pound per hour.

2. Remove the turkey from the brine. Pat the bird dry with paper towels. Spatchcock the turkey. To take the backbone out, place the bird breast side down. Cut along both sides of the backbone with poultry shears, from one opening of the cavity to the other. Pull the skin away from the meat, but leave it attached. Using the Oakridge BBQ Santa Maria Seasoning, season the meat under the skin for maximum flavor absorption.

3. Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640 to 250°F. Lay the bird flat on a foil lined sheet pan and place the pan in the cooker. Smoke for one hour. Turn the cooker up to 425°F. Continue to cook the turkey until all the meat has reached an internal temperature of 165°F. It is likely that the legs will cook a bit faster than the breasts. That is fine. However, do NOT cook the breasts past 165°F. We recommend using an instant-read thermometer like the Maverick PT-75.

4. The thighs will separate from the rest of the body very easily, just slice through the skin. You can serve the quarters whole, separate the leg from the thigh (by cutting at the joint) or you can pull the meat from the bones and discard the bones. The breasts can either be sliced intact or removed from the breastbone, separated from wings, and sliced to serve. The wings can be served whole, or you may remove the skin and pull that meat from the bones.
5. Until you're ready to serve, store the meat, covered, in a pan with the juices rendered while cooking.