| Smoked-Roasted Holiday Turkey
12 pounds of turkey, whole, cleaned and rinsed
1 gallon of apple cider
1 quart of apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup of brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons of mustard, any kind
1 medium onion, chopped
24 ounces of beer, any kind
1/2 cup of maple syrup
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
12 whole black peppercorns
6 chunks hardwood or fruitwood, soaked in hot water |
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You will need a clean five gallon plastic bucket to marinate the bird. Buckets are available at any home building center. For the marinade, mix the wet and dry ingredients in the plastic bucket. Place the turkey in the bucket with the marinade. Place the rosemary sprigs in the bucket. Cover the bucket and refrigerate for up to 72 hours (you'll have to make room in the refrigerator but it is worth it!) - remove the bird from the bucket and place on paper towels to pat dry the marinade before lighting the grill. Cover the wing tips with aluminum foil so they will not burn dry.
Discard the remaining marinade - place charcoal in a pyramid shape and light with either lighter fluid, electric starter or chimney starter. When the coal turn gray place them to one side of the grill. Add an additional 12 to 15 briquettes to the hot coals. The turkey will be cooked using the indirect method. Place an aluminum pan filled with hot water next to the coals. Spray the grid with an on-stick spray and let grid heat over the hot coals.
Place the bird breast side up above the water pan on the heated grid. At this time add one of the wood chunks. Cover the grill, place bottom vents 3/4 open and top cover vent 1/2 open. You will need to add lit charcoal to the hot coals, approximately 8 to 12 briquettes every hour, so using a chimney starter would work best for this. At that time you can also add another chunk of wood. Use wood in moderation, a nice even smoky flavor will enhance the bird and not over power it! Cook for approximately 4 hours or twenty minutes per pound. The cooking temperature should be about 300ºF. - insert a thermometer into the meat through the thigh, make sure it is not touching a bone. When it registers 170ºF. to 175ºF. on the thermometer, and the juices run clear, remove from the grid.
Let the bird rest on the cutting board for approximately 20 minutes prior to service so that the natural juices settle back into the turkey and makes for easier and smoother carrying. Remove the aluminum foil from the wing tips. |
