From Gobble to Grill

It has been a while since I filled the blog with anything of interest, so I hope this post offers somebody some encouragement. I am often asked about barbecuing turkeys since I became a convert many years ago. For me, there is nothing better than a slow roasted, tender, crispy-skinned and slightly smoky bird around Thanksgiving. Of course the ones my parents and in-laws oven-roast are fantastic since they come with years of love and experience. Mine, however, have been an offering for friends since Xtina and I launched the first “Franksgiving.”

That first event (1998 or ’99, I don’t know for sure) was simply a way for us to spend some Thanksgiving time with our good friends, The Calandros, and for me to try and barbecue a turkey – a notion I had been contemplating since a full-page article in the Telegram-Tribune (1997, I still refer to the yellowed newsprint) laid out the steps. We recognized that due to the perpetual-holiday-family-assignments, it was unlikely I would ever host a T-Day. Being one who loves to cook for lots of people, I just needed a different reason to cook – and since turkeys are more fun to share, and we rarely get to share this holiday outside of family; a friend-based tradition in our small kitchen was born.

This year I wanted to try and brine the turkey ahead of the grilling. I began brining chicken over the summer and have been loving the flavor. I used essentially the same process, with some helpful suggestions I found here. Although this only added a step to my normal grilling process, the results were amazing. So, if you are interested in how I came up with the best turkey yet – read on!

Turkey and Brine:
2 gallons water
1.5 cu kosher salt
Honey (I used about ¾ cu.)
Clementine peels (I ate three tangerines and threw in the peels)
Whole Cloves
4 Bay Leaves
Pepper
1 turkey (I like 20 lb-ers, this year was 21lbs.)
Olive oil
Seasoning (I used a salt-free Cajun spice mix)

1. The day before cooking I made the brine and prepped the turkey. First, I brought the water, salt, and honey to a boil and let it simmer until the salt dissolved and honey melted, threw in the peels, some cloves, bay leaves, and some pepper. About 20 minutes. I let the mixture cool to room temp.

2. You’ll need the turkey to be refrigerated and immersed in the brine, so this is a tricky step. I chose to use an ice chest and doubled kitchen bags. Clean and dry the turkey, and place it the bags in the cooler. Pour the brine into the bag, seal, and set in the cooler being sure the turkey is submerged. Lay ice over the bag and close the cooler. Refresh the ice at least twice to be sure you keep the bird refrigerated.

3. About an hour before cooking time (I put it in the brine at 1pm on Saturday and pulled it out at Noon on Sunday), get the bird out and rinse it thoroughly. Pat dry the turkey and truss it (which keeps juices intact). I like to rub it with olive oil and sprinkle it with a dry rub to make the skin crispy and flavorful.

4. Prep your grill. You’ll want a full charcoal chimney (you can do this on gas but why?) and let the coals get just white hot. Place them on two sides of the grill to create indirect heat. I soaked some applewood chips and threw them on for some extra smoke, but it isn’t necessary.

5. Put the bird in the pan on the grill. You can put the pan below the grate, but I find you collect more pan drippings for gravy this way. Close the lid and add some coals to each side every 45 minutes or so to keep the heat level. Also, rotate the pan a couple times to even things out. This bird took 4 hours. The cooking time is basically the same as an oven.

6. To finish, lift the bird and put it directly on the grate when it is around 170 in the breast. Leave it there for 30 minutes while you take the pan to collect the drippings and make gravy. The grate will sear and crisp the turkey. Pull off the turkey and let it sit 20-30 minutes before carving.

And there you go! This year’s turkey fell off the bone and had all the flavors of the brine with just a hint of spice from the rub. I made my usual pan drippings gravy but this year added some bacon and coffee (Bon Appetit talked me into it) and it was awesome! For the how-to on our family stuffing, go here.

I hope your Thanksgiving, or your Franksgiving, is filled with warmth and laughter.