HOT GRILL ON GRILL ACTION’S SMOKED BBQ TURKEY:

Overview:

Let’s talk Turkey. If you have a smoker, chances are friends and family will look to you around Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any turkey time. Fortunately, the below recipe will provide a way to have them begging you for another round of gobbler.

The equiptment: For this cook, we are going to use the trusty WSM 18″ smoker. For additional giggles, I’m going to break out the proQ expander for the WSM. Though it won’t be necessary, I just got it and want to give it a go. This item will slip into the middle section of the WSM and add an additional cooking grate. We will use kingsford charcoal, pecan wood chunks for smoke, a looftlighter (electric charcoal starter), and lastly a pitmaster IQ110 for temperature control.

Ingredients List:

– (1) 12-14 lb Turkey

– 2 tbsp Olive Oil

– Rufus Teague hot seasoning (or any turkey or chicken rub)

– Optional:we’re testing an inject we’ve put together which is shown. Until this is available, you can use 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup apple juice. Sign up for our newsletter on our homepage and we will alert you when it’s ready.

– A disposable pan and injector will come in handy.

– a spray bottle filled with 2 cups apple juice

Bird Preparation

1. Inject the turkey using a meat injector. The bird will puff up quite a bit (see picture below), that is what you want to happen. Inject the breasts legs, and wings. Pat dry with a paper towel any excess injection.

2. Cover the bird in a thin layer of olive oil. This will help hold our seasonings on the bird as well as achieve bite through skin.

3.Season the bird evenly using your rub. We use a generous amount, but it’s up to you how much you want spice you want on it.

Cooking instructions:

1. Set your smoker to 325. Add the bird breast up to your smoker. Add your pecan chunks if you have not yet. Turkey shoud be placed on the highest shelf.

The ProQ wsm extender shown in this pic.

2. Spray the turkey with apple juice every 45 minutes. This will help?create the tasty bark and infuse some flavor.

3. Smoke the turkey until the breast reads 160-165. Cooking duration?will vary depending on the size of the turkey. Generally, it’s ?3.5 – 5 hours. Start checking the temperature every 30 to 45 minutes ?beginning on hour 3.

4. When the breast reads 160-165, take the turkey off. Also take the temps of the legs, but they should be ready as well. Note: the bird will continue to cook, so begin carving within 30 minutes if you pulled at 160 and within 20 minutes if you pulled it at 165.

<——- after 3 hours

after 4.5 hours —->

Carving/Parting the bird:

It’s time to get your creation ready for the table. You’ve spent a lot of time creating this masterpiece, now it’s time for the finishing touches. There are many detailed instructions on the web, so we’ll provide the basics for those of you that have carved a bird before. If you haven’t, you may want to do a google/youtube search and watch a tutorial.

1. Cut the?drumsticks away by slicing through the skin that holds the drums to the body. Grab the leg firmly and pull away from the body. The legs may separate by the pull alone. As you are pulling, you can see the anything that may be keeping the leg on. Cut through it and place the legs on the side.

2. Part the wings by grabbing the wings and pulling away. There is a joint that will be holding them together. Cut through the joint. Set aside.

3.Remove the breasts. This is achieved by finding the sternum (bone) that separates the 2 breasts. Slice down the sternum. When you hit the ribcage, carefully follow your knife along the cage until the breast separates.

4. Now that you have parted your bird, it’s up to your preference how you serve it. Typically, we will pull the off the drums and wings and present pulled turkey. With the breast, we will make slices.

5. With the remains on the body, pick off the appealing meat and add it to the serving pile.

<—— The Departed (turkey)

Sliced breast? — — ——>

6. Take a bow, you are the turkey king of your party!