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Just a suggestion on carving-up the breast meat of your turkey. Instead of cutting the usual slabs of meat (i.e. cutting parallel to the breast bone), try cutting across the grain or perpendicular into little 'steak-like' pieces. In order to do this, you must first cut each half of the breast off of the center breast bone and also separate it from the rib bones leaving one big hunk of meat. This allows each individual cut piece of breast meat to then have a cross section of breast meat from the smokier outside to the moist interior center. Saw this method of carving on a Cooks County TV show featuring their easy grilled turkey. I tried it tonight with a pre-Thanksgiving smoked turkey and liked it cut-up that way better. Just food for thought if you are interested. This method is best left for in-kitchen carving - not for center table carving in front of your guests.

Also I spatchcooked this turkey for the first time. That is a nice way to smoke a turkey - took less time than a whole bird would have, and both the breast meat and leg/thigh meat came up to correct temps at same time. Used SmokinOkie's Spatchcock 101 to learn how. Nice, easy to follow how-to steps - Thanks Smokin'!
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I've been smoking quite a few turkey breasts and have carved the breast in the manner you described for a couple years give or take. Also, do the same on Turkey Day. Think I saw it on TV back then...not sure. This method gives you nice size pieces, less broken pieces and seems easier to do. Against the grain cut makes for a more tender, melt in your mouth type of experience.
Last edited by pags
Like Smokin', and knowing the merits of preparing a second breast every year.

I guess we've done steaks for a couple decades,but as many families, the leftover turkey sandwiches the rest of the weekend are what it is really all about.
Even when dining out,we always fix an extra breast.
Having Kentuckians in the family,the famous KY Hot Brown is essential.
This all works better with the thin layers of breast.
Also,being fortunate to prepare for some family members in their nineties,dentures and heavy biting through dentures has the convenience on thinner breast meat sandwiches.

I guess this brings us back to what works well for your diners. Wink

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