Grilled Turkey

[stagis]

The replies/discourse in the deep-fried turkey thread got me thinking - how does one go about grilling a turkey? I have a hugemongous backyard smoker, but the last time I did that, I was WAY too drunk by the time the turkey was done (a beer for the turkey, a beer for me - glass of wine for the turkey, glass of wine for me.......bourbon-baste the turkey, bourbon-baste me....and so it goes). Also - smoking cheese is a magic trick - it disappears.

I don't have a rotisserie/spit for the grill - is it necessary?

One of the issues/surprises I've had with my grill was after putting something on the high rack and closing the lid, I found that the 'ceiling' of the grill gets WAY hot due to the entrapment of air...

Thanks in advance - and I've got no problem experimenting with new recipes on my guests.

[spqr]

I remember seeing Bobby Flay grill a turkey somewhere, so I suppose it can be done. But I would suggest instead grill-roasting it. That is, light one side of your gas grill or make a fire and then rake the coals to one side of the grill and then place your trussed or spatchcocked bird on the opposite side of the grill so it cooks with indirect heat. Close the lid and bake until done. I've done this many times, and I can verify that the method is virtually foolproof and it produces great results.

[Simon Majumdar]

last year for the launch of our Weber Grill book, we cooked two ( amongst a whole lot of other things ) huge turkeys on the Weber. We placed them in trays, rubbed with lemons, slathered under the skin with butter and then lots of seasoning. The insides were seasoned as well and we then popped the squeezed lemon rinds inside as well.

We poured a cup of water in each tray and a head of garlic.

They took a good four hours to cook but the taste was sensational and the water kept the birds really moist. There was a great gravy with it as well.

I am going to do it again this year as a "Thanksgiving in the UK" treat for some displaced Yank friends.

S

[Dave the Cook]

I think grill-roasting gives you a superior result, but--

--you can grill a turkey if you butterfly it, you have a grill that's big enough to hold it, and a way to flip the sucker over without making it a sacrifice to the neighborhood dogs. It's a high-heat method, so be sure to brine your bird (you should anyway), and mind the fact that you've got different thicknesses of meat, and meat (legs v. breast) that cooks at different rates.

But butterflying a turkey is at least an order of magnitude more difficult than butterflying a chicken, so be prepared for a struggle (big knife, shears and a rubber mallet are de rigeur)--it's more like butterflying a VW Beetle.

[Ron Johnson]

The indirect method on a Weber works fantastically. Best turkey I have ever had. Super juicy and really intense flavor, plus a smoke ring! The Weber Grill book, of which Simon speaks will set you straight. Enjoy.

[CathyL]

But butterflying a turkey is at least an order of magnitude more difficult than butterflying a chicken, so be prepared for a struggle (big knife, shears and a rubber mallet are de rigeur)--it's more like butterflying a VW Beetle.

And a lot of cursing. It's occurred to me that if anyone could see what I put a poor turkey through before it hits the table, they might be less interested in eating it.

I put the butterflied and brined bird skin side up over a water pan (because my heat source is directly under the grill) and smoke-roast it at 325. It takes roughly 15 minutes per pound. A rich stuffing under the skin keeps the breast extra moist and helps the skin brown and crisp.

Butterflied turkeys are much easier to carve than whole ones, and look very impressive on the platter.

[Shiva]

A good sturdy pair of pruners makes spatchcocking easier. These are Felco #2, but a Japanese or Chinese knock-off would work as well.

[CathyL]

Shiva, that's a great idea. I have a pair of poultry shears but they're a little anemic for turkey (I like to cut down the center of the backbone rather than to either side). Thanks!

[col klink]

Grilled is the one way I haven't tried whole turkey, but my roomate's folks do it every year and he's always liked it. I prefer my turkey's smoked though.

No, you don't have to use a rotisserie to get a good result if you brine it first. Plus, rotissering a turkey is really a big pain in the ass, I've tried it and I don't recommend it. It will make a great bird, but the problem is that turkeys are pretty heavy and there's a lot of balancing to do. Plus, since the bird is rather large, you're really prone to cooking one side more than the other. If the bird is left free to roam the grill, you'll get a more even roast. The birds that I've smoked have tasted just as good rotisseried as the ones that weren't.

But personally, I would go back and try to smoke a turkey again, tag team if you have to. Luckily I've trained most of the people who enjoy my smoker how to do it in a pinch. For me it takes less than 3 hours to smoke a large bird, but of course, I don't have any juices for gravy.

A tip for smoking cheese, do it at the beginning of the smoke while the smoker is still warming up, that way you still get plenty of smoke with a smaller chance of melting and loosing the cheese.

[High Priestess]

Hi! There's a cookbook called "License to Grill" that has a couple of interesting ways to grill turkey.

The cookbook is kind of a "Southern Man" vibe.

But I love Southern men. And they know how to grill in Alabama.

[High Priestess]

Hi! There's a cookbook called "License to Grill" that has a couple of interesting ways to grill turkey.

The cookbook is kind of a "Southern Man" vibe.

But I love Southern men. And they know how to grill in Alabama.