Smoked Turkey Recipe - Paleo, Whole30

1 Using a sharp knife or pair of kitchen shears, remove the backbone of the turkey and refrigerate it to make homemade turkey stock later. With the turkey breast side-down, make an incision in the back of the breast bone. Flip the turkey so that it is breast side-up and press down on the breasts to flatten it. Being careful not to pierce the skin, use your hands to separate the skin from the breast, creating a pocket of air. Pat the turkey very dry with paper towel.
2 Combine the salt and pepper in a small bowl. Season the bird generously all over with the salt and pepper.
3 Line a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack. Lay the turkey flat on the wire rack, breast side-up, and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours.
4 Remove the turkey from the fridge 1 hour before cooking to let it come to room temperature. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the ghee, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and sage. Mix until incorporated.
5 The turkey should be dry at this point but if there is any surface moisture, pat it dry with a paper towel. Using your hands, stuff the pocket between the breast meat and skin with the compound butter.
6 Set the Traeger to 225F and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
7 Set the wire rack over a 4-inch-deep roasting dish and set the turkey on top, breast side-up. Close the lid and smoke the turkey until the thickest part of the breast reaches an internal temperature of 100 to 110F, 2 to 2.5 hours. Take into account temperature fluctuations due to ambient weather.
8 Raise the temperature to 375F and cook the turkey, basting it with any rendered juices twice or three times, until the thickest part of the breast reaches 160F, 1 to 1.5 hours. Transfer the cooked turkey to a carving board and loosely tent with foil. Let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.