Post by BBQ Butcher on Nov 24, 2009 17:25:52 GMT -5
Here are a few short tips for cooking your turkey on the grill.
Always cook the turkey indirect, usually around 325° or thereabouts. Just like you would in your oven. Check the bird about every half hour to make sure that it is getting an even browning, rotate the pan if needed.
Use wood chips or wood chunks sparingly at the beginning, as poultry is a sponge for smoke. A handful of chips or one small chunk of wood is sufficient, unless you like lots of smoke. I suggest a sweet light wood like pecan or apple. Hickory and mesquite can be overpowering so go lightly if you are using this wood. Soaking the wood in water is optional.
Cook your turkey around 20 minutes per pound, for unstuffed birds. I do not recommend cooking a chicken or a turkey with stuffing and a cavity, always cook your stuffing on the side in a separate dish. A brined turkey will cook quicker than an unbrined turkey, due to the water content. So take this into consideration when planning your meal.
If your bird is starting to get too dark just loosely cover it with foil.
Cook the turkey to 165/170° internal temperature in the breast and 180/185° in the leg or thigh. This can easily be achieved by bringing the turkey out of the refrigerator approximately 45 minutes before putting on your grill. Place a gallon bag of ice cubes upon the breast for about 30 minutes and this will allow you to achieve the temperatures above approximately at the same time, as the breast will be colder than the legs.
Once the turkey is done allow about 15 minutes before you carve the meat, as this lets the meat juices redistribute themselves and not lose so much juice during the carving.
Let’s start with a few turkey tips that apply all year long, not just the holiday season.
1) NEVER THAW your frozen turkey on the counter! Always thaw in the refrigerator (approximately 5 hours a pound) or in a sink full of cold water and ice, changing the water and the ice every 30 minutes or so (about 25 minutes per pound). Keep the turkey in its original packaging.
2) DO NOT stuff your turkey. Cook the stuffing in a separate dish. If you do stuff it, cook it until the internal temperature of the stuffing is at least 165°.
3) DO NOT forget to remove the plastic bag of giblets from the stomach and neck cavities.
4) DO wash and sanitize your hands and every surface that the raw turkey came in contact with.
5) Cook the turkey until a thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the thigh reads 180° and the breast is 165-170°
Whether you cook your turkey in the oven, on the grill or in a turkey fryer, I suggest you trying brining the turkey first. Basically, brining introduces liquid and flavor into the meat for added juiciness. Please read the following article/link on “Brining 101”, as it contains every thing you ever needed to know about brining (and maybe some stuff you didn’t want to know!). You may never cook poultry or pork the same way again.
www.cookshack.com/store/Smokin-Okies-101-Series/Brining-101
Here are two brines that I used last Thanksgiving. The first one is poultry brine, but I used it for a boneless pork loin roast. The second one is standard poultry brine, but can also be used on pork.
Brine #1
1/2 gallon water
1/2 gallon apple juice or cider
1 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup Kosher Salt
3 tablespoons finely ground black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled fresh or dried sage leaves
Heat until salt is dissolved. Cool down before brining meat.
Brine #2
2 quarts apple juice
1 pound brown sugar
1 cup Kosher salt
3 quarts water
3 oranges, quartered
4 ounces fresh ginger, thinly sliced
15 whole cloves
6 bay leaves
6 large cloves garlic, crushed
Heat the first three ingredients until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients to the 3 quarts of water. Add the apple mixture, stir well and cool before brining meat.
Notes: after brining, rinse the turkey/chicken well with cold water and pat dry. Use salt 'sparingly', if at all, in your rub for the skin. If you use regular table salt instead of Kosher salt, cut the amount in half, as they have different densities. Make sure to keep the turkey and the brine 40° or under during the entire brining process. You may have to add ice or a table plate to the top of the turkey to keep it submerged. Keep in mind that a brined turkey may take a little shorter time to cook, due to the liquid in the meat.
If you decide to brine, make sure that the turkey is NOT already brined by the manufacturer. Read the label closely and you should see if it has been injected with a saline solution of 8-18%. Most of these turkeys will say “pre-basted” or “self-basting” on the label. Again, DO NOT brine these, as you will end up with a mouthful of salt!
OK, let’s go cook a turkey!
What size turkey do I need? For a whole bone-in turkey, figure a pound per person. A bone-in breast, ¾ pound per person and a boneless breast, you will need about ½ pound per. This usually allows a few leftovers for sandwiches.
Rinse the turkey under cold running water, inside and out, and pat dry. Place the turkey on a platter and put into the refrigerator ‘naked’ (not covered) for 6-8 hours, if you have the time. This helps the skin to become crispy and get that nice brown color that we all like. Approximately 30-45 minutes before cooking the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator, rub under the skin with your salt-free rub (optional) and butter or olive oil. Do the same with the outside skin. Quarter a couple of apples or oranges, or both, and place into the stomach cavity. Now, place a plastic gallon bag filled with ice cubes over the breast of the turkey. Why, you ask? Normally, the breast will get done before the legs and might dry out. By placing the ice bag on the breast, it will lower the temperature of the breast meat, while the thigh meat is coming up to room temperature. Most times this will end up with both the legs and the breast getting done at the same time.
If you are cooking the turkey on the grill, you will need to use an indirect set up (away from heat) and a drip pan to catch the juices. Using extra wood smoke for flavoring is optional, but if you do, use the wood chips or chunks sparingly, as poultry tends to act as a sponge when it comes to smoke. Fruit woods are good to use, such as apple, pear, peach or even a citrus, like orange or tangerine. I personally like pecan wood for my turkey.
Get the grill temperature up to 400° and place the turkey on the rack over the drip pan. Cook the turkey for 30 minutes and then lower the heat to 325-350° for the remainder of the cook. This also applies to cooking in the oven, use a rack and oven proof cooking dish.
You will need to allow the turkey to cook approximately 20 minutes per pound, but use a meat thermometer in the breast and/or the thigh to make sure that the meat is done properly. It also takes the guess work out of the equation. If the legs or the breast are getting too brown towards the end of the cooking time, cover them with foil to protect them against the heat. Depending on the type of grill you have, you may or may not have to rotate the turkey about half way through the cooking time. You will be able to tell just by looking at the bird to see if one end is getting more color than the other.
Once the turkey is done, remove it from the grill or oven, place it on platter on the counter. Loosely cover, or tent, with aluminum foil and let it sit for 20-30 minutes before carving. This allows the juices in the meat to redistribute throughout and for the meat to ‘set up’, aiding in the carving.
Enjoy your meal!
Turkey types and classifications.
Turkey (as well as all other poultry) is described and classified using a number of different criteria, which are described below.
Follow the link below to find out what constitutes a fresh, frozen or organic turkey in the market conditions of today. You may be surpised to know that your 'fresh' turkey can be kept at 26° F.!
www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1286/turkey-types-and-classifications.asp
Here is a great side dish that I would like to share with you. It’s quick, easy and people love it.
Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
3 large cooked sweet potatoes (or use canned, drained)
½ cup, approximately, butter or margarine
¼ cup, plus or minus, cheap bourbon
¼-½ tsp ground cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
Mash the potatoes; add the butter, bourbon and spices. Add more butter if needed for consistency. Put into a lightly greased casserole dish. Top with more cinnamon if desired or dot with butter or mini marshmallows. Bake approx 30-45 minutes at 350-375° until hot.
Always cook the turkey indirect, usually around 325° or thereabouts. Just like you would in your oven. Check the bird about every half hour to make sure that it is getting an even browning, rotate the pan if needed.
Use wood chips or wood chunks sparingly at the beginning, as poultry is a sponge for smoke. A handful of chips or one small chunk of wood is sufficient, unless you like lots of smoke. I suggest a sweet light wood like pecan or apple. Hickory and mesquite can be overpowering so go lightly if you are using this wood. Soaking the wood in water is optional.
Cook your turkey around 20 minutes per pound, for unstuffed birds. I do not recommend cooking a chicken or a turkey with stuffing and a cavity, always cook your stuffing on the side in a separate dish. A brined turkey will cook quicker than an unbrined turkey, due to the water content. So take this into consideration when planning your meal.
If your bird is starting to get too dark just loosely cover it with foil.
Cook the turkey to 165/170° internal temperature in the breast and 180/185° in the leg or thigh. This can easily be achieved by bringing the turkey out of the refrigerator approximately 45 minutes before putting on your grill. Place a gallon bag of ice cubes upon the breast for about 30 minutes and this will allow you to achieve the temperatures above approximately at the same time, as the breast will be colder than the legs.
Once the turkey is done allow about 15 minutes before you carve the meat, as this lets the meat juices redistribute themselves and not lose so much juice during the carving.
Let’s start with a few turkey tips that apply all year long, not just the holiday season.
1) NEVER THAW your frozen turkey on the counter! Always thaw in the refrigerator (approximately 5 hours a pound) or in a sink full of cold water and ice, changing the water and the ice every 30 minutes or so (about 25 minutes per pound). Keep the turkey in its original packaging.
2) DO NOT stuff your turkey. Cook the stuffing in a separate dish. If you do stuff it, cook it until the internal temperature of the stuffing is at least 165°.
3) DO NOT forget to remove the plastic bag of giblets from the stomach and neck cavities.
4) DO wash and sanitize your hands and every surface that the raw turkey came in contact with.
5) Cook the turkey until a thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the thigh reads 180° and the breast is 165-170°
Whether you cook your turkey in the oven, on the grill or in a turkey fryer, I suggest you trying brining the turkey first. Basically, brining introduces liquid and flavor into the meat for added juiciness. Please read the following article/link on “Brining 101”, as it contains every thing you ever needed to know about brining (and maybe some stuff you didn’t want to know!). You may never cook poultry or pork the same way again.
www.cookshack.com/store/Smokin-Okies-101-Series/Brining-101
Here are two brines that I used last Thanksgiving. The first one is poultry brine, but I used it for a boneless pork loin roast. The second one is standard poultry brine, but can also be used on pork.
Brine #1
1/2 gallon water
1/2 gallon apple juice or cider
1 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup Kosher Salt
3 tablespoons finely ground black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled fresh or dried sage leaves
Heat until salt is dissolved. Cool down before brining meat.
Brine #2
2 quarts apple juice
1 pound brown sugar
1 cup Kosher salt
3 quarts water
3 oranges, quartered
4 ounces fresh ginger, thinly sliced
15 whole cloves
6 bay leaves
6 large cloves garlic, crushed
Heat the first three ingredients until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients to the 3 quarts of water. Add the apple mixture, stir well and cool before brining meat.
Notes: after brining, rinse the turkey/chicken well with cold water and pat dry. Use salt 'sparingly', if at all, in your rub for the skin. If you use regular table salt instead of Kosher salt, cut the amount in half, as they have different densities. Make sure to keep the turkey and the brine 40° or under during the entire brining process. You may have to add ice or a table plate to the top of the turkey to keep it submerged. Keep in mind that a brined turkey may take a little shorter time to cook, due to the liquid in the meat.
If you decide to brine, make sure that the turkey is NOT already brined by the manufacturer. Read the label closely and you should see if it has been injected with a saline solution of 8-18%. Most of these turkeys will say “pre-basted” or “self-basting” on the label. Again, DO NOT brine these, as you will end up with a mouthful of salt!
OK, let’s go cook a turkey!
What size turkey do I need? For a whole bone-in turkey, figure a pound per person. A bone-in breast, ¾ pound per person and a boneless breast, you will need about ½ pound per. This usually allows a few leftovers for sandwiches.
Rinse the turkey under cold running water, inside and out, and pat dry. Place the turkey on a platter and put into the refrigerator ‘naked’ (not covered) for 6-8 hours, if you have the time. This helps the skin to become crispy and get that nice brown color that we all like. Approximately 30-45 minutes before cooking the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator, rub under the skin with your salt-free rub (optional) and butter or olive oil. Do the same with the outside skin. Quarter a couple of apples or oranges, or both, and place into the stomach cavity. Now, place a plastic gallon bag filled with ice cubes over the breast of the turkey. Why, you ask? Normally, the breast will get done before the legs and might dry out. By placing the ice bag on the breast, it will lower the temperature of the breast meat, while the thigh meat is coming up to room temperature. Most times this will end up with both the legs and the breast getting done at the same time.
If you are cooking the turkey on the grill, you will need to use an indirect set up (away from heat) and a drip pan to catch the juices. Using extra wood smoke for flavoring is optional, but if you do, use the wood chips or chunks sparingly, as poultry tends to act as a sponge when it comes to smoke. Fruit woods are good to use, such as apple, pear, peach or even a citrus, like orange or tangerine. I personally like pecan wood for my turkey.
Get the grill temperature up to 400° and place the turkey on the rack over the drip pan. Cook the turkey for 30 minutes and then lower the heat to 325-350° for the remainder of the cook. This also applies to cooking in the oven, use a rack and oven proof cooking dish.
You will need to allow the turkey to cook approximately 20 minutes per pound, but use a meat thermometer in the breast and/or the thigh to make sure that the meat is done properly. It also takes the guess work out of the equation. If the legs or the breast are getting too brown towards the end of the cooking time, cover them with foil to protect them against the heat. Depending on the type of grill you have, you may or may not have to rotate the turkey about half way through the cooking time. You will be able to tell just by looking at the bird to see if one end is getting more color than the other.
Once the turkey is done, remove it from the grill or oven, place it on platter on the counter. Loosely cover, or tent, with aluminum foil and let it sit for 20-30 minutes before carving. This allows the juices in the meat to redistribute throughout and for the meat to ‘set up’, aiding in the carving.
Enjoy your meal!
Turkey types and classifications.
Turkey (as well as all other poultry) is described and classified using a number of different criteria, which are described below.
Follow the link below to find out what constitutes a fresh, frozen or organic turkey in the market conditions of today. You may be surpised to know that your 'fresh' turkey can be kept at 26° F.!
www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1286/turkey-types-and-classifications.asp
Here is a great side dish that I would like to share with you. It’s quick, easy and people love it.
Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
3 large cooked sweet potatoes (or use canned, drained)
½ cup, approximately, butter or margarine
¼ cup, plus or minus, cheap bourbon
¼-½ tsp ground cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
Mash the potatoes; add the butter, bourbon and spices. Add more butter if needed for consistency. Put into a lightly greased casserole dish. Top with more cinnamon if desired or dot with butter or mini marshmallows. Bake approx 30-45 minutes at 350-375° until hot.
