My turkey procedure
Published: Wed, 11/27/13
going to work, I just had to share it with you! Heh - lucky you!
So, big picture is that I'm brining a free range turkey from a
Hutterite colony here in Montana, and I plan on roasting it using
indirect grilling.
Ok, so here's the preparation:
1. Tonight I'm going to build a brine with water, vegetable
stock, peppercorns, salt, and sugar. The brine is a heavily spiced
solution that the turkey sits in overnight. During the brining,
the seasoning moves into the turkey, where it stays even through
the cooking process.
2. Tonight I will also soak apple wood chips in water. These chips
will be put into smoke packets tomorrow morning. The smoke packets
are just aluminum foil wrapping a handful of wood chips. I'll
probably "outsource" this work of creating the packets to
my 2 kids. These provide a nice smoke on the grill.
3. Tomorrow morning I will create the "seasoning pack"
that will go inside the turkey while it is on the grill. This is
apple and onion slices, rosemary, and sage.
4. Tomorrow I will take the turkey out of the brine, dry it off,
and put the seasoning pack inside. The turkey goes into a foil
roasting pan I bought for a couple bucks.
5. I turn on the grill and configure for "indirect
grilling." This means that the burner under the turkey is
off, but the outside burners are on. This simulates an oven fairly
well, but gives me the option to make... smoke!
6. I place the smoke packets over the burners that are turned on.
These produce a nice smoke to add some additional flavor to the
turkey. And, it looks and smells darn good having that delicious
smoke creep out of the grill into the air. I have to replenish the
smoke packets every hour or so while the turkey is cooking.
7. I will of course smoke a cigar during the turkey grill -
probably an Acid brand. It's got a lot of flavor.
So, that's my turkey battle plan!
I took Alton Brown's brining procedure from the Food Network
website and I have used indirect grilling before for ribs and
turkey breasts. This will be a first for me with a whole darn
turkey.
If you think that I get a little "anal retentive" with my
turkey procedure, how do you think I do with the procedures for
testing frac sand in the lab! Ha!
Have a great Thanksgiving!