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help needing a quick reply as to the best way to cook my last turkey. It was a little over 20 lbs. so I had it cut in half. Is it better to cook it breast side down or should I cook it cut side down? Let me know what you think as I will be needing to put it in in about 20 to 30 min. :o) Thanks for your help
I usually do breasts so it doesn't make a difference but I know some people smoke whole tukeys breast down so the fat from the dark meat bastes the breast.
Normal if it was a whole bird I would do breast down as breast meat cooks faster than dark meat. In this case, not being a whole bird, i would go breast up.
I have actually done whole birds upside down (breast down in the oven) because about 10 years ago or so there was a rumor going 'round that it might help to make the breast more moist. Tuff call on if it works or not, I mean that I have not done a side by side test to see the results, but I would venture to say that it does help and I do about half of my birds breast down. I am not a big white meat fan though, gimmie a leg any day!
I might suggest that however you cook it, that the cut should be sealed with atleast a coat of butter or oil and maybe foil or bacon to maybe control the drying.
Hummm, so when you cook the breast down the temps. would maybe come out a little closer instead of the breast darn near done and those yummy leggs are a holden back? :o) It seems when breast is up it is near being ready much sooner than the legs. They need to make dark meat turkeys I'm not a breast person anyway LOL Kmadson