Thanksgiving: Great down-home holiday
Some stress over Thanksgiving as demanding too much innovation and “creativity” on this completely down-home holiday. But, even people who hate turkey should cook at least a small one, if only to symbolically join the rest gathered around the table.
But this year, you may break with tradition by advocating a change in the Thanksgiving ritual – urging that the turkey be grilled.
Radical? Not really. When you think about it, the Pilgrims themselves practiced some sort of grilling at the first Thanksgiving meal. Grilling a turkey is only slightly more complicated than roasting it in the oven, and the rewards — smoky flavor, unbelievably crisp skin and moist meat — are worth it. Plus, your oven is freed up for all those side dishes and pies.
The following recipes for grilled turkey come from “The Weber Big Book of Grilling” (Chronicle Books, 2001), by Jamie Purviance and Sandra S. McRae. It is a book that anyone who has ever done so much as toasted a marshmallow should own.
All the normal caveats about food safety when you cook a turkey in the oven apply to cooking a turkey on the grill. Any good cookbook will have a section on them. You can also call Butterball’s “Turkey Talk-Line” at (800) 288-8372 for guidance.
Here are some things you should know about grilling a turkey.
The final recipe given here is for turkey cooked on a rotisserie, but you can also cook it in a pan on the grill rack.
CLASSIC GRILLED TURKEY
1 12- to 17-pound thawed or fresh turkey
Vegetable oil, as needed
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
Salt, preferably coarse salt such as kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Favorite stuffing (optional)
Prepare the grill for cooking over indirect medium heat. Soak wood chips, covered in water, for at least 1/2 hour.
Remove the pop-up timer from the turkey, as well as the neck, giblets and any excess fat from the body cavity. Discard, or save the neck and giblets for another use. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Brush generously with the oil. Combine the herbs, salt and pepper, and season the turkey inside and out.
Put the turkey, breast side up, on a roast holder set inside a large, heavy-gauge aluminum foil pan. If stuffing the turkey, spoon the stuffing in now, being careful not to pack it too tightly. Truss the turkey with cotton string. Pin the neck skin flap to the body with two or three small trussing needles. You can skip trussing, but it helps keep the breast meat from becoming overcooked, and makes for a neater presentation.
Put the roaster on the grill and cook the turkey for 11 to 13 minutes per pound (or longer if it is stuffed, or the day is cold or windy), to an internal temperature of 180 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh, 170 degrees in the breast, and 165 degrees in the stuffing. For a 12- to 14-pound turkey, this will take 2-1/4 to 3 hours. For a 15-to-17 pound turkey, it will take 2-3/4 to 3-3/4 hours. If any part of the turkey begins to brown too fast, cover it with aluminum foil.
If using a charcoal grill, be sure to replenish the coals and the wood chips every hour. If you want to make gravy, add water, canned broth or other liquid to the pan so that the drippings don’t burn.
Remove the turkey from the grill, cover with a tent of aluminum foil, and let rest for about 20 minutes. You can use the pan drippings to make the gravy while the turkey rests. Carve the turkey and serve warm. Yield: 12 to 17 servings.
CRANBERRY-ORANGE BRINED SMOKED TURKEY
2 quarts cranberry juice
2 quarts orange juice
2 small heads garlic, cloves crushed but not peeled
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup red pepper flakes
1/4 cup whole fennel seeds
4 ounces fresh ginger, thinly sliced
6 bay leaves
4 cups ice cubes
1 12- to 14-pound turkey
Canola oil
Make the brine: In a large pot, mix both juices, garlic, salt, red pepper, fennel, ginger and bay leaves and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Add the ice cubes and allow the brine to cool to room temperature, about 1-1/2 hours.
Remove the pop-up timer from the turkey, as well as the neck, giblets and any excess fat from the cavity. Discard, or save the neck and giblets for another use. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold water. Place the turkey in a 5-gallon stock pot or clean bucket. Pour the cooled brine over the turkey. If necessary, place a heavy weight on top of the turkey to keep it submerged. Cover the container with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 24 hours.
Prepare the grill for cooking over indirect medium heat. Soak wood chips in water to cover for at least 30 minutes.
Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Truss the turkey with cotton string. Pin the neck skin flap to the body with two or three small trussing needles. You can skip trussing, but it helps keep the breast meat from overcooking, and makes for a neater presentation. Brush the turkey with oil
Put the turkey, breast side up, on a roast holder set inside a large, heavy-gauge aluminum foil pan.
Put the pan on the grill and cook the turkey for 11 to 13 minutes per pound (or longer if the day is cold or windy), to an internal temperature of 180 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh, and 170 degrees in the breast. This will take 2-1/4 to 3 hours. If any part of the turkey begins to brown too fast, cover it with aluminum foil
If using a charcoal grill, be sure to replenish the coals and wood chips every hour. If you want to make gravy, add water, low-sodium canned broth or other liquid to the pan so that the drippings don’t burn.
Remove the turkey from the grill, cover with a tent of aluminum foil, and let rest for about 20 minutes. You can use the pan drippings to make the gravy while the turkey rests, but be aware that the drippings will be very salty.
Carve the turkey and serve it warm. Yield: 12 to 14 servings.
SAGE, ORANGE AND CLOVE ROTISSERIE TURKEY
2 tablespoons dried orange peel
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 12- to 14-pound thawed or fresh turkey
2 small oranges, washed and dried
12 whole cloves
6 medium garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
1 bunch fresh sage, tied with a cotton string
Prepare a grill for indirect grilling over medium heat.
Make the rub: In a small bowl, combine the orange peel, dried sage, salt, pepper and vegetable oil. Set aside.
Remove the pop-up timer from the turkey, as well as the neck, giblets and any excess fat from the body cavity. Discard, or save the neck and giblets for another use. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Pierce each orange six times with a knife and insert six whole cloves into each orange. Put the clove-studded oranges, garlic and fresh sage into the turkey cavity.
Truss the turkey with cotton string. Pin the neck skin flap to the body with two or three small trussing needles.
Skewer the turkey lengthwise through the oranges and center on the spit. Rub the entire exterior with the spice mixture. Set the spit on the rotisserie and let the turkey roast over indirect medium heat until it reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh, and 170 degrees in the breast. This will take 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 hours.
If you don’t have a rotisserie, put the turkey on a roasting rack set in a heavy-gauge aluminum foil pan. Grill using the method described in the recipes above.
Turn off the rotisserie. Wearing barbecue mitts, carefully remove the spit from the rotisserie and place it on a cutting board. Loosely cover the turkey with aluminum foil and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes. Remove the spit and discard the oranges, garlic and sage. Carve the turkey and serve warm. Yield: 12 to 14 servings.
Sage, Orange and Clove Rotisserie Turkey gets its flavor from sage, garlic, cloves, oranges and a little orange peel. If you don’t have a rotisserie, you can use a grill to make this recipe.