Grilled and smoked turkey

annie1992

13 years ago

Elery's been having lots of fun with his new grill, he's been working on smoking things with chunks of wood added to the charcoal and messing with dampers and indirect heat, doing all those "grill things".

Of course it pays off for me, this was his project today:

He stuffed a 10 pound turkey with onions, fresh herbs from my herb garden and scapes that I had just trimmed from the garlic. 4 hours on indirect heat and the thermometer said it was done. It looked done to me...

Isn't it gorgeous? Delicious too, juicy and smoky. While Elery watched the grill I made a side dish of multigrain mix that had brown and red rice, barley, rye and some freekeh, which is a green wheat product. I also sautÃ¯Â¿Â½ed a couple of ears of fresh corn, kernels cut from the cob. I added onion, garlic, jalapeno and some asparagus that needed to be used and ended up with a very delicious supper.

Annie

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Comments (18)

dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
13 years ago
4 hours indirect heat, "Low & Slow" must be truly tender and juicy.

Garlic scape is a delicacy, a gourmet treat.

Low & Slow, smoked, and stuffed with garlic scapes! Can't get any better.

dcarch
cbadcali
13 years ago
Geeze Annie, that looks wonderful. I've never had smoked turkey. I think Elery has been holding out on you. It seems as though he has done this turkey smoking before! Great picture too. My mouth is watering. Mary
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Turkey and white bean chili would be great!! Any veggie, bean, barley soups. But then, I wouldn't hesitate to use it most anywhere, I love smoky flavors! Here's Annie's husbands White Chili Recipe. It's very good! Elery makes a white chili that has cream in it, very rich and, well, creamy. :-) It's very good, we had it at the Michigan Run. Elery's White Chili 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 medium onion, chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder --- I used 3 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon vegetable oil --- I used olive oil 2 (15 1/2 ounce) cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies --- I used 7 oz. can 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin --- I used Â½ tsp. 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 cup whipping cream --- use FF half and half In large saucepan, saute chicken, onions and garlic power in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cream. Serve immediately. You can add another can of chilies, use jalapenos instead by sauteing them with the onions and chicken, or add a bit of cayenne or hot sauce if you like it hotter than this. I'm a wimp, so I like it mild. Annie Deanna
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Hey ho, All! Just found this site! Ive been grilling/hot smoking the birds for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other festivities for about 20 years. I learned from my Dad. He started when he got his first Weber back in 1965. He always used to say that the best use of the Weber instructions were to light your first fire! HereÂs what he taught me: Soak a 5 pound bag of hardwood chips (hickory, cherry, apple, alder) in water overnight. On the day of the cooking, start with a CLEAN BBQ. No ash residue. Clean grill. Load the grill with a 10 pound bag of good charcoal. Get it lit and wait until the coals are grayed out around the perimeters and the smell of any starter is long gone. Push the coals to two sides, leaving a space in the middle. Put a heavy duty aluminum foil drip pan in the middle under where the bird will sit. This will catch the drips. TheyÂll be way too burned for dripping gravy. The object of the pan is to reduce the clean up and flare up potential. Put two decent handfuls of drained chips on the coals; one handful on each side. Brush the grill with peanut oil and pop it on the BBQ. Put the bird breast DOWN on the grill. Yes, breast down. You wonÂt touch the bird again until you take it off the grill. The higher fat content in the thighs and back will help baste the breast and make it much juicier. Tip: if you use one of those metal turkey lifting racks, itÂll be WAY easier to remove the bird later! Stick a meat thermometer in the thigh toward the bird. Make sure you donÂt touch any bone. I use two thermometers; one on each side. YouÂre going to be looking for an internal temp of about 180ÂºF. Put the lid on and LEAVE IT ALONE!!!! Open all the vents wide to allow for good air circulation and maximum heat. Do NOT open the lid for at least one hour. YouÂll drop the heat level in the ÂQ, lengthen the cooking time and dry out the air around the bird making for a drier bird. After one hour, load more chips on the coals. YouÂll notice that the skin looks really black. DonÂt worry, itÂs not burned, itÂs really heavily smoked. Put the lid back on and walk away. Resist the temptation to look! You may need to put more coals on each side if the fire has burned really hot and the coals are turning to ash piles. About every 15 minutes after the first hour, put on more chips. The bird should take about 9 minutes for each pound of bird. A 12 pound bird should take about an hour and three quarters to cook while a twenty pounder should run about 3 hours or less. Take the bird off the ÂQ and left it sit quietly for at last 15 minutes, preferably about half an hour. This will allow the juices to stabilize and give them some chance of remaining in the meat instead of pouring out on the carving plate. The meat will be juicer and pinker than birds done in the oven. The meat will have a delicate smoked flavor. The stuffing recipe that my mother passed down to my wife is a sausage and sage recipe that is cooked before it goes in the bird. I have heard from a number of sources that you should never stuff a bird being BBQÂd. My family has been doing just this for over 40 years with no ill effects. I think that there are two reasons for this: 1) the stuffing is cooked before going into the bird; and. 2) the temperatures at which the bird is cooked far exceeds anything your oven could muster. Dad passed away fifteen years ago, by his "Bird ÂQing Lore" lives on. Cheers, all! Have a great Thanksgiving! Ian Wilson
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There is a big difference between undercooked turkey and turkey that is fully cooked but where the meat has a pink tinge. I would not eat undercooked turkey. I do not want undercooked pink turkey or chicken. But I have no problem eating fully cooked pink turkey. The reason some turkey meat is pink is explained here: The Color of Meat: Pink Poultry and Pork Are you eyeing a slice of pink-tinged turkey with suspicion? Wondering if itÃ¢ÂÂs safe? While you shouldnÃ¢ÂÂt rely on the color alone to tell, pink poultry does not automatically mean itÃ¢ÂÂs undercooked. The only way to tell for sure, though, is to check the internal temperature with a food thermometer. Turkey (and all poultry) should be cooked to a temperature of 165ÃÂF (74ÃÂC). Why is some turkey meat pink? A protein called myoglobin causes the red or pink hue in meat. The more myoglobin in a piece of meat, the redder it is. Poultry has much less myoglobin than beef, for example. Myoglobin concentrates in muscles used for movement, like walking or flying. Chemical changes during cooking cause the pinkish color. According to the USDA, safely cooked poultry can range from white to pink to tan. What about pork? Pink pork is permissible, too. In fact, in 2011 the USDA lowered the recommended internal temperature for whole cuts of pork from 160ÃÂ°F (71ÃÂ°C) to 145ÃÂ°F (63ÃÂ°C). The agency also recommends letting pork sit for three minutes before eating. Is it done yet? The best way to make sure your meat is cooked to a safe temperature is to use a meat thermometer. Taking a turkeyÃ¢ÂÂs temperature can be tricky. When cooking a whole turkey, check the temperature of the innermost parts of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. If you have questions, call the USDAÃ¢ÂÂs Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 to talk with an expert. Here is a link that might be useful: Myoglobin in Turkey
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I agree with the above except to say that a mild wood like apple or alder will give you a mild smoke. Hickory or mesquite will give you a bit more in your face smoke. I prefer alder and pin cherry, two weed trees around here. And I split any chicken or turkey I'm smoking. Gets you way more surface area to get that smoke into/onto. Simple to do, just cut down both sides of the backbone, remove and flatten the bird. You will hear the breastbone crack. Plus a 2D bird smokes faster than a 3D bird. Lastly, properly smoked you will get what is called a smoke ring in the flesh. That can be fairly pink. Do not check to see if its done via sight, use a thermometer. The pink will be right under the skin, not at the inner bones. Tough to do easily on a gas grill as they are too hot. The inexpensive water smokers or the vertical propane smokers sold in hardware stores work real well and most of them have a recipe book that includes a bird method. And aren't too expensive either. You must know, also, that once you get into smoking stuff there is no going back. Its like owning a boat...bigger, better, more. I had four smokers rattling around my yard at one point. Now I'm down to two, plus grills.
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Islay_Corbel
13 years ago
Does it travel well? yum!
User
13 years ago
WOW>....what kind of grill and what kind of charcoal ? Thank you ! c
dedtired
13 years ago
Kudos to Elery!
foodonastump
13 years ago
That looks pretty darn awesome! I don't think I've had smoked turkey, either. I've seen it in the store but I don't think it would be the same.
Lars
13 years ago
Looks great! I'm going to have to stuff the next turkey that I grill and smoke. Cooking it slowly will definitely give it more smoke flavor. The one I did about a week ago cooked very quickly on high heat, and there was not that much smoke flavor, beyond what was on the surface.

I'm wondering now if I could grill a turkey after cooking it half way in my smoker. I think it might get more flavor that way - so far I've only smoked boneless turkey breasts, and they don't take all that long.

It's great now that the days are longer and you can spend more time outside in daylight cooking on a grill. If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommended grilling garlic toast at the end when everything else has cooked and the grill is cooling down. I mix fresh herbs, garlic, butter, S&P, and a bit of olive oil to spread on both sides of the bread before grilling - it toasts fairly quickly, which is why it is best to make at the end.

Lars
User
13 years ago
Annie has Elery moved away from his smoker to the BBQ? Or was it more to do with the size?

I'm thinking of doing a half breast this weekend in the smoker. Never have tried one before but it's calling me!
annie1992
Original Author
13 years ago
Sharon, Elery says to be sure you brine it, it'll be delicious! He still uses the smoker, but he's been playing with the new grill. My little $59 gas grill that I bought a couple of years ago finally gave up the ghost, although I think I got my money's worth out of it. Since Elery's house was for sale, he didn't replace his old gas grill either, somehow it seems that a gas grill, no matter the price, lasts about 5 years before it rusts, the burners need replacement, whatever.

So, Elery had to decide whether he wanted a gas grill or a charcoal grill. He looked at the Big Green Egg but it's heavy, can't be easily moved around, costs nearly a grand. The imitators are a few hundred less, but still costly. On one of the BBQ forums, he found this:

They were first made in Arkansas in the early 1950s and some posters still had the original models, they say they'll last a lifetime. Elery loves it. He uses a hardwood charcoal that we get locally and a chimney starter so no lighter fluid is necessary. It's light enough to move into the garage with the door open if it rains and we can keep it out of the weather.

Elery really thinks we should have let the turkey go another hour, it would have been more tender, but it's the first time we've done a whole turkey and it was too cumbersome for the smoker. I thought it was perfect.

Lars, that garlic bread looks delicious, what a great idea, I'll definitely do that next time. Elery says we need a cookoff, you can come and visit us when we get the farmhouse done, you can bring Kevin along and finally get to visit Michigan! It was nicely smokey, not overpowering but still a very definite smoke. Elery says you could easily do it partially in the smoker too.

Anyone leaning toward doing it (you listening, c?) should definitely give it a try, it was fairly simple and delicious, and gives you lots of leftover turkey.

Islay, I don't think it travels THAT well, LOL, you may have to come along too.

dcarch, gotta do something with all those garlic scapes, they're really good flavored with smoked turkey. Yeah, I'm a lucky girl....

Annie
artsyshell
13 years ago
Turkey truly is gorgeous! Love the new grill! Have never seen one of those before, but it's clearly an awesome choice! Elery has also clearly mastered using it!

They have bbq competitions. Has he ever thought about entering? They are bigger in the States than Canada, but we are getting more comps here.(luckily for us Canadians), but they are a big deal in the States!

Hubs and I took a bbqing judging course (yes there is such a thing), so we now judge BBQ competitions in Canada and the U.S. It's actually very cool, and some of them pay very well (for the competitors, not the judges).:)

He should think about entering one some time!
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
13 years ago
Very true. I visit a couple of BBQ forums. I am amazed how much and how many people are into these huge trailer mounted BBQ monsters they have and how many enter BBQ competitions.

dcarch
bunnyman
13 years ago
Looks Great!

I only put my charcoal around the outer edge. I see you have a can... just pour it where you want it after it is lit. I use a couple small chunks of hickory. Also cook mine directly on the grate... no tin foil. Sometimes I'll smoke a meatloaf and that does require foil.

My Weber has sat outside and been used year-round for 14-15 years now. They smoke turkey just fine in cold weather! Best part of charcoal around the edges is that I can put the bird on after it is going and leave it. I've cooked a couple overnight that way. Yeah they are cold in the morning but perfectly cooked.

I like the way that grill is set up... looks more sturdy then a tripod Weber.

: )
lyra
espicer
13 years ago
That turkey looks great. I'm drooling.
annie1992
Original Author
13 years ago
Michael/lyra, it's very sturdy and stable, also easy to move around, I was surprised. Elery just bought an extra rack for it, somehow it increases your cooking area, I don't know how that works, exactly, but one of the reviews remarked that it was the first part they'd purchased for their grill in the 42 years they'd owned it, LOL.

As for wintertime smoking, the smoker is good because we can just put it in the garage and not tend it very much, far more comfortable than going out every hour and replenishing the charcoal. (grin) Yeah, I know...

I think we're doing a pork shoulder this week sometime, it looks like grill in the summer and using the Masterbuilt smoker in the winter. We'll also use the smoker for "big" jobs, like a side of bacon and a whole pork loin for Canadian Bacon.

Annie

Annie
Lars
13 years ago
Annie, I very much look forward to having a cookoff with you and Elery when you get your house finished, and so keep me posted!! I think it will be a big adventure to visit Michigan, but I have to convince Kevin as well. He has to make trips to northern Wisconsin (sometimes in winter) to meet with employees that he supervises there, and so he's not keen on going to the Midwest. On his last trip, one of his employees was driving him to the Chicago airport and got lost in Milwaukee.

The garlic toast tastes even better than it looks - the butter is very good at absorbing the smoke flavor.

Lars
annie1992
Original Author
13 years ago
Lars, I'd love to entertain you and Kevin and give you both the grand tour of Michigan. I'd urge you to come in the summer or the fall, if you came in autumn you could see the hardwoods change, while summer at the Lake Michigan beach wouldn't be that much different for you compared to where you live now.

Oh yeah, a cookoff would be a LOT of fun!

Annie
ruthanna_gw
13 years ago
That's a great looking piece of equipment, Annie. Next time Elery smokes bacon, ask him to put a pie plate with about 1/4 inch of kosher salt in with it. Smoked salt is a wonderful seasoning.
annie1992
Original Author
13 years ago
Ruthanna, that's something we've been meaning to try, thanks for reminding me.

Last night, though, it was grilled chicken thighs with a glaze made of espresso balsamic, mustard, worchestershire, garlic, brown sugar. Very yummy but it didn't really taste like espresso...

Annie

Grilled and smoked turkey

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dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m

cbadcali

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