We spend Christmas day with my wife’s family, and our family tradition holds that I will barbecue a turkey. I like to think it is because my bbq turkeys are moist and smoky delicious, but I also know that they need to use the oven for a roast beef and other baked Christmas comestibles. It is a nice opportunity for me to sit outside, have a beverage, and pretend like I am doing something important. Christmastime can be so over-stimulating. Sometimes it is best to just sit out in the quiet backyard and smell the turkey getting a little smoke on.
I am always surprised when people tell me that they do not like turkey. Turkey can be pretty dry, pretty bland, and, ok, pretty bad. But not my turkey. Seriously, I think if you knew my turkey, you would have a total crush on it. Not at all your run of the mill pedestrian turkey. A little smoky and mysterious. Tender flavorful dark meat. Juicy breast meat. I have to tell myself that it is not a good idea to kiss the turkey. Especially if anyone has a camera.
Never kiss the turkey!
Its kind of a fall-winter romance. Although if I see turkeys at other times of the year, I’ll pick them up if they are reasonable. Turkeys make world class leftovers. One of my favorites is turkey-bone gumbo. But that is a story for another post.
So what are the secrets to tempting turkeys? When I am at home, I like to brine them overnight. Brining adds some flavor and some juiciness. Giving you a buffer between moist white meat and a dry-dry excuse to bury with gravy. But when I am cooking cooking at someone else’s house or with their turkey, I have found that you can skip this step. So here are my simplified rules.
1. Rub the turkey down with a little citrus (your choice) and then season liberally inside and out. This can be as simple as salt and pepper. But I really like Penzey’s Bicentennial Rub (salt, pepper, sugar, orange peel, coriander, and turmeric). You don’t want to stuff a bbq turkey, as that will really slow the cooking time. But I usually throw the spent lemon or lime pieces into the cavity.
The turkey was rubbed with a little lemon and lime juice and then liberally coated with a spice rub
2. Indirect is the way to go. Start your coals and prep your bbq. I like to get a disposable pan, roughly the size of the bottom of the turkey. This goes into the grill at the fire level. You can add water into the pan to add some moisture or better control the temperature. I bank the hot coals around the water pan and top with a couple of wood chunks. Usually pecan, but this year I was trying some cherry wood.
Weber’s Rapidfire Chimney Starter. A great way to get coals started quickly.
Use a water drip pan to protect the bottom of the turkey from direct heat
3. Cover it and mostly leave it alone. If you want, you can add some additional wood chunks every half hour or so. Don’t go too overboard. To0 little is definitely preferential to too much. I soak the chunks first and will used four over the 2.5 hours this turkey cooked. Mostly, you just want to keep the lid closed, with the vent open, over the bird (drawing the smoke over it. If you keep taking the lid off, the top of the turkey will take forever to cook.
You are looking for a thin stream of white smoke
4. When the bird is done (cooked to 165°) make sure that you let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour (tented with foil) before carving. The turkey may have a little red coloration near the edges. That does not mean it is undercooked, it is a byproduct of the smoking.
This turkey is done. A thing of beauty!
BBQ turkey is now ready to be served up
It really is a tasty bird. Drink ideas might include pinot noir, sparkling shiraz, zinfandels, or a nice craft beer.
I hope you and yours had a fantastic 2012. Until next time, cheers! -Jerry
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