A turkey grilling a Turkey...needs help!

[joedog]

Anyone have any secrets to making the very best Charcoal grilled turkey?

Some say foil the legs.
Some say don't.
Some say breast up.
Some say breast down.
Put bird in foil pan or just use foil pan between the charcoal as a drip pan?
Some say......

Self Basting or brine your self?
Shortest time to leave in brine, probably the way I'll go. If you have a special brine recipe that would be GREAT to know too.
If you have a special or good basting recipe for brushing on the bird while grilling would be great too.

I'm going to use natural wood charcoal so any wood better than another? Hickory, mesquite, apple, pecan......?

I know, I know....only Joe could possible try and over think grilling a bird!

Oh, seeing the things take hours to grill.....do I dare go fishing for an hour or so at the start. Put the turkey on, then go fishing for an hour and come back and finish.
Now understand, I'm not going to use direct heat, coals will be on each side of bird.
Or is this just 'cooking suicide'?

ALL IDEAS WELCOME!

[pro reel]

we put it in a bag and stick it in the oven, when the red thing pops up it's done. Sorry, can't help you.

[Jrob78]

I'm going to have to agree with PR on this one. To me, turkey is one of the very few meats that doesn't benefit from being "smoked" outside. If you want the smokey flavor, cook it inside and then put it on the grill for a very short amount of time. Turkey is way to prone to getting overcooked and drying out. I'm sure there will be some who disagree but I like my turkey deep fried or oven baked. Save the grilling for the beef and pork.

[bassboogieman]

Are you grilling TWO turkeys? Or is your memory getting short (oh, I think that was a "short" joke).

Heat will be your biggest issue. I prefer low and slow for a bird, otherwise it dries out. I would also think splitting the bird in half may help. If you are using wood, rather than charcoal, it will generate more smoke - smoked turkey is delicious! With the more difficult to control heat in a grill I don't think leaving it would be a good idea, you will have to watch your temperature. Grilling fowl is more difficult (for me) due to the absense of fat and it tends to dry out and for that reason I would NOT brine the bird - brine contains lots of salt and salt dries out meat. Other options: injecting the bird would help add some fat and flavor or wrapping bird halves in foil with some veggies (as you probably would when roasting) to add moisture and maybe some bacon to provide some smokey flavor. When the bird is about 2/3 done, open the foil, add some water soaked wood chunks and let the smoke get to it to finish.

[BigBassin144]

Beer Butt Turkey? Grab one of the big cans of your favorite brew and give it a go. It makes insanely tender and moist chicken, if your grill is big enough, it should work fine for a turkey.

We've never brined a turkey, but I'm gonna give it a try this year.

Good luck Joe, let us know how the grillin' goes.

BB

[joedog]

[QUOTE=bassboogieman;398386]Are you grilling TWO turkeys? Or is your memory getting short (oh, I think that was a "short" joke).
Fluking thing wouldn't let me delete it!

Bruce, Anthony, thank you very much for the input!

Anthony, I do that with birds. Actually have used 'shorties' on pheasant.
But even though I'm only doing a 12lb. bird, I'm using a Weber and it sits too tall.

Now you folks know I'll have questions till this bird hits the grill.
So for starters....I'm thinking of cutting an apple or two and splitting or quartering a sweet onion and stick them in the cavity.
Good idea or bad?
If good, any special apple.
I was thinking of baking a few apples for the grandkids so.......

Anthony, if your going to brine be sure not to get self basting cause it may get too salty.
Also don't be fooled by the label. Just because it doesn't say self basting it still maybe.
Most folks think that the self basting was developed for our convenience, wrong.
It helps the bird retain moisture during the freeze stage.
So check ingredients on label, if there's anything listed but TURKEY, it's self basting.

[Captmikestarrett]

I have done it many times. I cut the bird down the breast in half.. (I have the butcher do it) Place each half bone side down. Smear with honey and wiskey mixed as a glaze.
A 20 lbers takes 12-16 hrs to cook. Low low heat and a tin foil bag of chips on top of the charcol.

Resist opening and checking the progress. After 6 hrs add charcol. Baste again with honey/whiskey.

My bird this year was oven baked.


Capt Mike

[joedog]

Mike, thanks!

You placing bird in pan then pan and all goes on the grill?
Are you splitting bird and then tieing back together. The picture looks like it's a whole bird.

Oh and slight change of plans.......I'll be at your place I think.

Great looking bird!

[Captmikestarrett]

That bird is from last weekend and was baked.. Added lemons to enhance the breast meat.
I will see if have a couple of pics of the grilled turkey.. Yes split run down the center with a meat saw. Only way it cooks correctly.. other wise the legs are raw.

Capt Mike

[bassboogieman]

I LOVE the LEMONS! Next time I roast a whole bird I AM DOING THAT!

[Jrob78]

Capt Mike's turkey not only has breasts but it has nipples too!

[bassinbob]

joe put the bird on the oppositte side of the charcoal. Add wood or wood chips whenever you desire. I've found that a little bit more wood or chips doesn't hurt. It doesn't over smoke the bird. If you're not using wood chips or wood, charcoal is fine. I like the idea of apples in the bird. Don't think I would do onions. Good luck.
Those nipples look like chicken drumsticks.

[Dogmatic]

Brine,(I don't, but I don't grill my bird. Brine when smoking, grilling, or frying) don't use mesquite. Stuff with aromatics(apples herbs ect.) is fine. Like others said, careful moderation of temp is important, low and slow. A note on brining, you have to be careful not to brine for too long, especially with most commercial birds, has a tendency too make em too salty, and difficult to crisp skin. I would use a pan to capture juices and drippings.

[Bassboss]

When ever we smoke/grill turkey's, we always slice the bird length was down the middle. Let's the smoke get the more of the meat, and helps it cook faster. We'll wrap the half in foil the last hour or so of cooking. Taste pretty darn good if you ask me! Nothing fancy with brine, or bath. Just some rub, smoke, and time!

[Bassboss]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

Beer Butt Turkey? Grab one of the big cans of your favorite brew and give it a go. It makes insanely tender and moist chicken, if your grill is big enough, it should work fine for a turkey.

We've never brined a turkey, but I'm gonna give it a try this year.

Good luck Joe, let us know how the grillin' goes.

BB

This sounds real good. What do ya do? Just jab some holes in the can the throw in the turkey or poor it in there?

[joedog]

Naw, you just pop it open, set bird over the can and like you said, time. Boils and kind of steams the innards.

Bob, Dog, Sam and EVERYONE, thanks for ALL the input!
Here's where I landed. So far anyways.

I'm soaking big wood chunks. (pecan,about as mild of wood you can get and some oak, which frankly I'm a little afraid of and may not use) These big chunks when soaked really burn slow so should be good. Oh I got my wood at Gander. (take that and run with it )
I was in there hassling the fish department manager to give me an early shot at Fridays deals. He said great, took me over to a section and grabbed a beat up Primer Spinning box. I said how much...he turned the box and showed me. $199. Big grin comes across his face...he says naw Joe....I can give you 30% OFF THAT. And almost bust his gut laughing. Me too!

Wasn't more than 3-4 weeks ago I asked him when was he going to blow out the display models. He said I don't, I pack it back in it's box, put it on a shelf...and next year plop it back under the glass case. I said how olds this one in the case...he said I think three years old.
That's the one in the beat up box he showed me...he new I'd catch it.
What A smart aleck!
Back to the cook.
So I'm going to use charcoal and not straight wood
Going no stuff cavity with apples quartered. Got the lemon too so I'm still on the fence there.
Going the rub butter,sage minced garlic mix under the skin and then on the skin.
Center the bird on the rack, pan between the charcoal for drippings and as Sam and the rest of you said, sit and wait.

Thanks again all!

HAVE THE VERY BEST THANGSGIVING YOU POSSIBLE CAN HAVE!!!

[joedog]

OK, two hours in.
Stuffed with one apple cored and split into eighths. Mixed with huge table grapes and TWO wedges of lemon. Figured the lemons acidity will counter or offset the sweetness of the other fruit. Sage, chopped and two whole leaves and two tablespoons, approx. of onions and green pepper. Added touch of tyme basil and tarragon.Very few chopped peppers.
Charcoal with fist size blocks of pecan wood.
Probable tent it soon to slow outside to keep crispy not crisp.

[joedog]

It's like fifty degrees out.
Been cooking since five.
Get to do my Salvation Army shift at eleven.
Brothers at three. Hour away. He's got a large catering business.
The man can cook!
Last warm day I think before the 3 month 'cold front' .

All I truly want is to be FISHING!!!

Why the Turkey grilling you ask...?
I got like two 80 year old fishing widowers that I jokingly hassle DAILY during the summer. Their the trout crew.
Got a widower and widow in neighbor hood.
So I'm plating up meals on those portioned paper plates, one on bottom, one on top. Garlic mashed potatoes corn and carrots, a dinner role, Three staples and vacuum seal them and deliver a couple to each. They can pop them in the freezer and pull them out and mic. them just like a frozen dinner.

Come on, leftovers are the best part of Thanksgiving!