Pecan-Smoked Spatchcock Turkey

Abuela Rosa came for Thanksgiving. Terry drove down to McAlester and brought her back on Wednesday, and by the time I got to Terry's Thursday morning the house already smelled like Rosa's kitchen — which is not the same as Terry's kitchen even though they have been cooking the same recipes for thirty years. Rosa's kitchen smells like corn husks and dried chile and something underneath all of it that I think is just the smell of someone who has been cooking in the same place for seventy years. Some smells you cannot reproduce.

I brought Luna to meet her great-grandmother. Rosa is seventy-nine, small, the way old women become small, but with hands that are still strong and eyes that are still sharp. She took Luna from me and held her and looked at her the way a very old person looks at a very young person — with the particular recognition of someone who sees both ends of a thing at once. She spoke to Luna in Spanish, softly, a string of words I only partially understood. Luna was seven months old and completely fascinated, tracking Rosa's face with her eyes.

I was in charge of turkey and dessert. I smoked the turkey — spatchcocked it, dry-brined it overnight with salt and pepper and garlic and dried oregano, then smoked it over pecan wood at 325 until the skin was dark bronze and the breast hit 165. This is not traditional Cherokee Thanksgiving, which would be a contradiction in terms for obvious historical reasons. It is also not traditional Mexican Thanksgiving, which is also a contradiction in terms. It is just what Jesse Whitehawk does with a turkey in November: he smokes it and it is good.

Rosa made tamales Wednesday night with Terry. I stayed out of the kitchen for that — some things you watch, some things you participate in, and the tamale-making between Rosa and Terry is a closed ceremony I have always observed from a respectful distance. Kai was allowed to fold husks, which he found deeply satisfying. Hannah helped and was quietly taking notes the way she takes notes when she wants to learn a thing correctly and permanently.

Danny ate well. He had turkey and tamales and two grape dumplings I had made Tuesday. He sat at the table for three hours, which is longer than he usually manages. Rosa held his hand for a while after dinner. They have known each other for thirty years and they sat together quietly while everyone else cleaned up and it was one of the most dignified things I have ever seen in my mother's kitchen.

Watching Danny sit at that table for three hours, eating well and holding Rosa’s hand in the quiet after dinner—that is the whole reason I smoke a turkey instead of roasting one. The low, slow process asks something of you; it keeps you close to home, tending a fire, which is exactly where I wanted to be this year. Here is how I made it.

Prep Time: 20 min (plus overnight dry brine) | Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 min–3 hrs | Total Time: ~15 hrs | Servings: 10–12

Ingredients

1 whole turkey, 12–14 lbs, backbone removed and spatchcocked
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon neutral oil (avocado or vegetable)
Pecan wood chunks or chips, for smoking (about 3–4 good-sized chunks)

Instructions

Spatchcock the turkey. Place the turkey breast-side down on a cutting board. Using heavy kitchen shears, cut firmly along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Flip the bird breast-side up and press down hard on the breastbone until you hear it crack flat. Tuck the wing tips behind the breast.
Dry brine overnight. Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried oregano. Pat the turkey completely dry with paper towels, then rub the seasoning mix all over — under the skin where you can reach, over the skin, and on the underside. Set the turkey uncovered on a wire rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate at least 8 hours, up to 24.
Prep the smoker. Remove the turkey from the fridge 45 minutes before cooking. Set your smoker or grill to run steady at 325°F using indirect heat. Add 3–4 pecan wood chunks directly to the coals or smoker box.
Oil and place. Rub the turkey skin lightly with the neutral oil. Place it skin-side up on the smoker grate, legs pointing toward the hotter side if your smoker has a hot spot.
Smoke to temperature. Cook at 325°F, maintaining steady heat and smoke, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165°F and the thigh reaches 175°F. This will take roughly 2.5–3 hours for a 12–14 lb bird. The skin should be deep bronze, almost mahogany.
Rest before carving. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Rest at least 20 minutes before carving. The juices will redistribute and the breast will stay moist through dinner.

Nutrition (per serving)

Pecan-Smoked Spatchcock Turkey — What Jesse Brings to Thanksgiving