Before, during, and after. Those are sage leaves under the skin. Click here to see enlargements.

Some other recipes for a great turkey and tuber dinner Classic Bread, Butter, and Sage Stuffing Simple Bread Stuffing Drunken Cranberries Soused Apple Slices Warm French Potato Salad Garlic Mashed Potatoes Crunchy French String Beans Italian Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Leftover Smoked Turkey Supper Salad Swedish Glögg

You don't need a fancy smoker to make a killer smoked turkey! This is my 20 year old Weber Genesis. I have removed the grates. The bird sits on a wire rack above a drip pan filled with a flavorful gravy which is really a turkey soup, and the drip pan sits right on the flavor bars. On the left is a disposable aluminum loaf pan with apple wood chips. I have covered the tips of the wings and drums with foil to keep them from burning. The foil is removed later.

In memory of turkeys past I followed your instructions for brining the bird and have to say that this year's turkey was by far the best one that I have ever produced. It was flavorful, juicy, tender and was quickly devoured. Dale Cooper, Bethlehem, PA Used your ultimate smoked turkey recipe for the first time this Thanksgiving and it was FANTASTIC! Best Ever and even the dark meat tasted GREAT. Thanks. Van Stuckey, Gainesville, FL Made your Ultimate Smoked Turkey and the Classic Bread Stuffing yesterday for a party of 10 and it was AWESOME!! Everyone loved it!!! I have made a LOT of your recipes and have NEVER been unhappy with the outcome of ANY of them... THANKS!!!! Jonathan Zang, West Chester, PA You completely changed my attitude to turkey. Mark Lynott, Brookfield, IL Did up the The Ultimate Smoked Turkey recipe for Thanksgiving and it was THE most amazing bird I've ever had! Mike Daigneault, Timmins, ON After trying many of your recipes in the past, I knew when I got the one for the smoked turkey that I had to try it for Thanksgiving. Wow! I don't think I'll ever fry one again. I've since smoked another one for Christmas and two for New Year's. I've never had a turkey that juicy and tasty. It definitely had to be carved in a pan versus a cutting board. Bo Massey, LA We have some mean southern cooks in our family and holidays are the best! They feed us well, mostly family recipes passed down. I used to love showing up empty handed and feasting on their handywork. Well, I wanted to try to do a turkey for Thanksgiving, so my Mom, who usually does it, didn't. Pressure was on. I used your turkey recipe and followed it closely. I couldn't carve it fast enough! I had to hide some for myself! And guess who got chosen to bring turkey on Christmas! I see a lot of turkeys in my future and I'm blaming the Meathead! Really do love the site and appreciate all the time you have put in it. And you made it into the family recipe book! Phillip Sorrell, Lawrenceville, GA Your recipe is great and your instructions are phenomenal. It was my world's record best turkey ever. I'm looking forward to your book. Jeff Giberstein, Atlanta, GA My friends and family love my ribs but they were missing something. So I tried Danny Gaulden's Legendary Glaze. WOW this did the trick. Dadgum goods ribs! Mike Traweek, Brooksville, MS

Don't sweat the timing with a faux cambro Here is a guideline of a timeline for a 15-20 pound bird. Remember, if you want to serve a 15-20-pound bird Thursday at, say, 5:30 p.m., you will need to begin refrigerator defrosting the previous Sunday. Click here for more on thawing the bird. At 325F, 15-pound bird will be done in about 3 to 3.5 hours and a 20-pound bird should take a total of about 4 to 4.5 hours, depending on how well you control the oven temp and how often you open the lid. If you are unsure about what temp your cooker will settle in at, and variables like the ambient temperature, sun, and wind can really muck things up, I recommend you put the bird on early, and when the probe says it is 160F, put the bird into a faux Cambro (a plastic beer cooler) to keep the bird warm until dinner time. While in the faux cambro, the meat temp will rise at first to about 165F, and then it will slowly cool. But it will take several hours to get dangerously cool, below 150F, if it is a good tight box. The faux cambro is especially handy if you need to take the bird over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house. If you have space in the oven, you can cover the bird with foil to keep in moisture and put the bird in the oven at 155F until you are ready to serve. But you probably won't have room in the oven because Aunt Annie is bringing her famous sweet potatoes with marshmallows and then there's the string bean casserole and the stuffing, etc. So get that cooler cleaned up. Practice makes perfect Rather than waiting for the big night to do a turkey, why not do one a few weeks in advance to get your technique down? Leftover smoked turkey is good grub. WHAT TO DO WHEN TO DO IT Begin thawing 1 p.m. Sunday Make brine 7 p.m. Wednesday Bird in brine. Make gravy 8 p.m. Wednesday Dry the bird 8 a.m. Thursday Rub the bird 11 a.m. Thursday Preheat smoker and gravy 11:30 a.m. Thursday Put the bird on and add wood 12 p.m. Thursday Add water to gravy pan, remove foil 1 p.m. Thursday Add water to gravy pan if necessary 2 p.m. Thursday Put the bird in the faux Cambro 3-5 p.m. Thursday Remove gravy, strain 3-5 p.m. Thursday Carve and serve 5:30 p.m. Thursday

Stuffing on the side Alas, we will not be stuffing this bird. Why? 1) An unstuffed cavity allows smoke and flavor into the meat from the inside. 2) Stuffing pulls flavor and juices out of the meat. 3) Cooking a large cold mass of stuffing so the juices are safe to eat means that the meat will be overcooked. If you must have stuffing, and if you're having me over, you better have stuffing, then cook it on the side. And why not cook it in muffin pans so each individual serving will brown all around making lots of crunchy bits for everyone. If you want your stuffing wet and juicy, there will be lots of gravy from this recipe to pour over it. 4) Stuffing sticks to the ribs and if you break down the carcass and make stock the next day (see below), the bread in the stuffing will make the stock cloudier than usual. Want a good recipe? Try David Rosengarten's Classic Bread, Butter, and Sage Stuffing.

What you need to know about turkeys You may have to order your turkey a week or two in advance, so get crackin' now. Pick a bird that is labeled "natural", no "additives", or "minimally processed." If you plan to brine it, and I recommend brining, do not buy a turkey that says "basted" or "self-basting" or "enhanced". They have salty fluid injected into the meat. This adds some flavor, and as much as 15% weight which adds profit. They do not work as well as the brining process and the result can be too salty. Now beware, it is getting hard to find a bird that has not been injected. There are a lot of turkey farmers who will sell you a fresh bird, just look for them and order early. Some butchers have a relationship with local farmers and they'll take orders for fresh birds. You can usually order an unpumped bird from Whole Foods, a grocery chain specializing in natural and organic foods. Buy a fresh turkey only if you are certain it has been killed recently. I would rather have a frozen bird than a "fresh" bird that has been sitting around for a couple of weeks. The experts say there is no flavor difference between fresh and frozen birds. Whatever you do, don't brine an enhanced bird with an altered brine with less salt. The salt concentration is needed to prevent microbial growth, and a less salty brine could suck moisture out of the meat. Some people believe hens are slightly more tender than toms, but because most turkeys are slaughtered when young, usually 4-5 months old, there is no noticeable difference according to Cook's Illustrated magazine. Buy about one pound per person to make sure you have enough for the heavy eaters, for latecomers, and leftovers. This also allows for shrinkage and includes bones and other waste. Why not buy more than that so there willbe plenty of leftovers? Remember: Raw turkey is potentially dangerous. It is likely to be full of microbes. This is unavoidable. So you must thoroughly wash your hands, tools, counter top, sink, platters, and anything that contacts the uncooked bird. Click here to read more about food safety.

How big a bird? Several variables to consider. Do you want leftovers? Male to female ratio? How many children? How many side dishes? As a rule of thumb, 1 pound per person will be more than enough when you subtract bones and shrinkage. I usually go 2 pounds per person so those who want leftovers can take some (I do).

Turkey t*ts If you don't want to do a whole bird, you can get turkey t*ts. They come in two forms, a double breast cut off the bird with bone in, or de-boned and rolled together and held tight with a mesh. If they are de-boned, cooking time may even be longer than for the whole bird because the meat is thicker. Personally, I prefer to cook the whole bird and savor the leftover smoked turkey on salads and sandwiches.

Briners beware of double salt jeopardy! Rubs are a great way to add flavor to meat. Brines are also a great way to add flavor as well as moisture. Rubs often contain a lot of salt (click here to read about The Zen of Salt). You can use both a rub and a brine, but beware of double salt jeopardy. If you use a brine and then a rub, you should make your own rub mix and leave the salt out of the blend. A salty rub on top of brined meat can make the meat unbearably salty. Never brine meat that is labeled "enhanced" or "flavor enhanced" or "self-basting" or "basted" because they have been injected with a salt solution. Remember, you can always add salt, but there's no taking it away.

Secrets of crispy skin 1) Pat the bird dry and leave it in the fridge a few hours to dry even more. 2) Oil the skin with butter or vegetable oil just before cooking. 3) Cook at 300F or more. 4) Keep the door closed and the heat in. 5) That means no basting. Bastes do not penetrate the skin which is very fatty. Basting is not necessary for good color. The smoke will take care of that. If you must baste, use oil or melted butter, but not water based baste, which just gets the skin soggy, cools the meat, and slows the cooking. So lay off the basting. Do you hear me, all you masterbasters? 6) For crispy skin you must get the timing right. The bird must come off the cooker, rest for no more than 15-30 minutes, and then be carved. Using the faux cambro method the skin will get soft. Read this article for more on the subject of basting.

Is pink meat safe? Yes, it can be, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), if it has been cooked to a temperature of 165F in the center of the breast. According to the USDA "The color of cooked meat and poultry is not always a sure sign of its degree of doneness. Only by using a food thermometer can one accurately determine that a meat has reached a safe temperature. Turkey, fresh pork, ground beef, or veal can remain pink even after cooking to temperatures of 160F and higher. The meat of smoked turkey is always pink." We take the bird off at 160F and it will rise to 165F even if it is off the cooker. In addition, smoked meat turns pink due to a chemical reaction with the combustion gases and the smoke and the meat. Click here for more on what are ideal meat temps. Click here for more on meat science and the thermodynamics of cooking.

Wine for turkey: Match the sides, not the bird Turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie. No other meal has such a set menu. So what to serve? When cooked properly, turkey can be flavorful and moist. When overcooked, as it often is, the dry meat is neutral and unexciting. So we moisten it with gravy and cranberry sauce and surround it with flavorful and sweet dishes to enliven it. If the task of selecting the beverage to accompany the annual eat-in has fallen to you, remember the sweetness of the sides, the fact that you are buying for everyone, not just yourself, and the fact that the average American does not like wine that is very dry. What is needed is something quenching to wash down overcooked white meat, something with a hint of sweetness so it will not taste bitter beside the side dishes, something tart enough to cut their sweetness, and something friendly that everybody will love. Making a list of specific wines that I like will bring more frustration and satisfaction because so many wines are sold only in a handful of stores. So below are my recommendations for different types of wines. Ask your wine merchant for recommendations. They will rarely steer you wrong because they want you back. German Riesling Kabinett. Riesling is light and fresh, and Kabinett is a grade of wine that is slightly sweet, but not too sweet. They can be floral and like a handful of fresh grapes. Austrian Riesling, New York Riesling, Washington State Riesling. Occasionally as good as the best German Rieslings, but the Austrians are good values, and the best New Yorkers can be shockingly good. Alsace Riesling. Similar to German Riesling, but often a bit more complex from aging in wood barrels. Alsace Pinot Blanc. Refreshing, with just a hint of sweetness. Alsace Pinot Gris and Oregon Pinot Gris. Light and tart. Steer away from California Pinot Gris. French Rhone whites, American Viognier, American Rousanne, American Marsanne. These are bigger wines, richer, complex, but rarely too sharp or harsh. Often reminiscent of tropical fruits. Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon. I love these wines, especially Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and white wines from Bordeaux, but they are usually bone dry, and are not great matches to all the sweet stuff. If your meal is mostly savory, and your guests winos, go this route. Rosés or other pink wines. These wines are very refreshing and delightful. Alas, most are too sweet. But if you can find a good one, it will go well with your meal. If your guests are into wine and prefers them bone dry, and if your meal is more savory than sweet: Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon. I love these wines, especially Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and white wines from Bordeaux. Pinot Noir and French Burgundy. The best of these are expensive, but they can be lighter than Cabernet and Merlot, and more tart, making them great foils for rich savory foods. Click here for some websites that are good sources of specific wine recommendations.

Leftovers and the carcass 1) After the guests are gone or the next day, wash your hands well, and begin pulling all the remaining meat off the carcass. Set it aside for Smoked Turkey Supper Salad, sandwiches, fajitas, pot pie, turkey salad, or for soup. Cold smoked turkey is great nekkid. 2) Take the stripped carcass and break it into chunks. Put it into a deep pot, cover with water, and toss in 2 chopped carrots, 2 chopped onions (skins and all), and a few celery leaves. Add any leftover drippings from when you cooked the bird. 3) Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Do not boil yet. Simmer for two hours. Turn off the heat, skim off the scum, remove the big chunks, and strain. Taste it, but resist the temptation to add salt. You can always add it later, but you can't take it out. Thin it if you wish or cook it down to make it more concentrated. I like to concentrate it and freeze it in an ice cube tray, drop the cubes into a zipper bag, and label it with the date. 4) The next time you are making rice, risotto, couscous, paella, or soup, use the frozen cubes for a wonderful flavor. Leftover turkey gravy and/or stock make a great French Onion Soup. Add some caramelized onions, float a toasted crouton on it, put some muenster cheese on top, stick it under the broiler, and you've got a killer French Onion Soup. 5) Then pick the boiled meat off the carcass and save it for turkey salad (just like chicken salad), or toss it into a soup, or make pot pie.

Don't forget the dishrack The sweet young thing was preparing her first Thanksgiving dinner. As she got everything ready she sternly reminded herself to let the turkey finish thawing in the sink overnight. She put it in and placed a dishrack over the top of the bird. Her new husband walked into the kitchen and asks "Why the dishrack?" "Mom always did that to help the turkey thaw" she said. The next day Mom called to see how everything was going. "Fine, Mom. I have everything ready to go in the oven. I even remembered to put the dishrack over the turkey last night." A moment of silence, then, "What are you talking about?" Mom asked. "Oh, I remembered how you always put the dish rack over the turkey when it was thawing in the sink," she said. There was a pause on the end of the line. "Yes, I did. But honey, you don't have cats!"

A Thanksgiving divorce A man in Phoenix calls his son in New York two days before Thanksgiving and says "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing. Forty-five years of misery is enough." "Pop, what are you talking about?" the son demands. "We can't stand the sight of each other any longer. We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her." Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. "Like heck they're getting divorced," she shouts, "I'll take care of this." She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at her father, "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" and hangs up. The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. "Okay," he says, "they're coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own way."

The Ultimate Smoked Turkey: Gobble 'til You Wobble!

This is no ordinary turkey preparation, pilgrims. Follow these (excessively) detailed steps and you will never have a dry, stringy, cardboardy, boring bird again. In fact, most of the people at the table will tell you it is the best turkey they've ever tasted. Just read the feedback from people elsewhere on this page.

There are several tricks we will employ that make this turkey soar while most barely walk:

1. Soaking the bird in a flavorful brine if it is not "enhanced"
2. Using aromatics in the cavity instead of a stuffing
3. Basting and herbs under the skin
4. Oiling the outside of the skin
5. Roasting the bird in a steamy, smoky atmosphere
6. Using a digital probe to monitor the bird's temp to make sure it is not overcooked
7. Removing it from the oven at 160F instead of 170F as most recipes recommend
8. Crowning it with an amazing gravy

The result will be a magnificent looking, dark mahogany skinned avian, with incredibly tender and juicy meat delicately and elegantly flavored with savory herbs, fruit, and seductive smoke.

Special tools

1) Grill or smoker. A smoker is nice for this recipe, but it can be done just as well on a normal charcoal or gas grill. For info on buying a smoker as well as the internet's best buying guide, click here. If you are using a gas grill, a charcoal grill, or an offset smoker, you need a setup like the picture here.

2) Plastic drink cooler. You will need a well-insulated plastic drink cooler large enough to hold the bird and cover it with brine. Do not use a styrofoam cooler. It could give the bird an off-flavor and you'll never get it clean. This cooler can also be used when the bird is done to hold it until you are ready to carve. I call it a faux Cambro.

3) Non-reactive roasting pan. You'll need a non-reactive roasting pan for the gravy and rack to hold the bird above the pan. This means a stainless steel or enamel pan, not an aluminum, copper, or cast iron pan. The pan should have at least 3-quart capacity and be large enough to fit under the bird in the smoker as in this picture. The rack should cover the pan and hold the bird a few inches above above the liquid. If you are using a bullet-shaped water smoker like a Weber Smokey Mountain, you can use the smoker's water pan for the gravy.

4) Thermometer with a probe. A digital thermometer with a probe that can be inserted into the bird and a cord that can run from the probe to the outside of the smoker so you can monitor the temperature while the bird is cooking. Click here for a buying guide to thermometers. Do not trust the popup thermometer that comes with the bird. It is set to pop at too high a temperature and will guarantee an overcooked bird.

5) Smoking wood. You'll need about half a cup of smoke wood. That's all you need. Turkey loves smoke, but too much can ruin it. I usually use chunks of apple wood, but if you do not have chunks, you can use chips. If you cannot find apple, try alder, peach, or oak. Try to avoid mesquite, and hickory. I think they're too strong for delicate lean meats. Click here for more on smoking woods.

6) Lifters. Turkey lifters or bear paws (shown at right). Click here for more info about these handy tools (a must for pulled pork). If you don't want another gadget in the kitchen, you can lift a turkey by sticking the handles of two wooden spoons into the cavity.

Ingredients

For the bird
1 turkey, 15-20 pounds. Read "about turkeys" at right before buying your bird. Then read my thawing meat article.
1 large onion, cut in quarters

Optional. 2 large sprigs of fresh sage or thyme, each about 3-4" long

Gravy
The gravy goes in the pan under the bird while it cooks. It puts moisture into the atmosphere, helping to keep the bird moist, and captures drippings, making an incredibly flavorful broth. Don't skip this.

3 quarts water
1 cup apple juice
2 onions, skin on, ends removed, chopped into quarters
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch lengths
1 stalk of celery, cut into 2 inch lengths
1 tablespoon dried sage leaves, crumbled (do not use sage powder)
1 tablespoon dried thyme
trimmings from the bird (neck, tail, excess skin and fat)

Optional. You can replace some of the water with chicken stock, vegetable stock, or a bottle of a white wine. I usually get something from the closeout bin of the local liquor store. Oxidized white wine is fine, just don't get anything that has turned to vinegar. And no red wine! I have occasionally added mushrooms to the gravy, too. You can substitute a small handful of celery leaves for the celery stalk. This is a good way to get rid of them.

Brine
2 gallons water
3 gallons crushed ice (or 3.5 gallons of ice cubes)
7.2 cups pickling salt (or 4 cups table salt or 6 cups kosher salt)
2 cups brown sugar
6 tablespoons garlic powder (not garlic salt)
4 tablespoons crushed black pepper
2 (5 pound) bags ice in water-tight bags

The wet rub
1 teaspoon dried crushed sage
1 teaspoon dried crushed thyme
1/4 cup of vegetable oil or olive oil

Optional. I often use 2 teaspoons of my Simon & Garfunkel Rub with the oil instead.

The gravy

This gravy is not thick and goopy. The thick stuff usually has flour in it. It sits on top of the meat. This gravy is a thin, flavorful broth that penetrates the meat making it incredibly moist.

1) After the bird has thawed, open the bag it came in and pour the juices into a large non-reactive pot. Put the neck in the pot too.

2) Remove the gizzard, heart, and liver. They will not be used for the gravy. Cook and feed the gizzard and heart to the dog. Freeze the liver and save it along with your chicken and duck livers until you have enough to make a nice paté. Be sure to check for innards in both the big rear cavity and in the smaller front cavity under the skin flap.

3) Remove the tail and trim excess skin and fat from around both cavities, front and rear, and put it in the pot along with the neck and the juices.

4) If there is a plastic pop-up thermometer, remove and discard it. If you rely on it you will get an overcooked bird.

5) Add the rest of the gravy ingredients to the pot and bring it to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. We will use it in the drip pan during cooking.

The brine

A brine is a mix of salt and water, and in some cases, flavorings. When meat is put into a brine, the salt induces the meat to allow in moisture and the flavoring without making the meat too salty.

If your turkey says it has been "enhanced" or "basted" or is "self-basting", that usually means it has a salty solution injected into it. Never brine a bird that has been injected. I know from first hand experience, and my wife won't let me forget it. Click here to learn more about brines and how they work. If your bird has been enhanced just skip the brining stage.

You will brine the meat in a plastic insulated cooler. If the cooler is large, you may need to scale up the brine recipe to make sure the bird is submerged. You can use something like a large stainless steel pot, but the ice will melt quickly if it doesn't fit in the fridge and you'll need to change it regularly. Do not use an aluminum pot. I can react with the salt and create off flavors. If you only have an aluminum pot, line it with a food safe plastic bag such as the Ziploc XL. But the best tool by far is an insulated plastic cooler. You can use it later when the bird is done. Just clean it thorougly with hot soapy water first.

You may see brine recipes elsewhere that call for adding chicken stock, vegetable stock, apple juice, and all kinds of herbs and spices. Don't waste your money. They barely impact the flavor. You'll have plenty of flavor without them, especially from the gravy.

1) Mix all the dry ingredients in 1 gallon of warm water and stir until salt and sugar dissolve. I recommend pickling salt because it has no additives and because it dissolves easily. You can boil the water if necessary to help dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour the brine into the cooler and add 1 gallon of cold water and 3 gallons of crushed ice or 3.5 gallons of ice cubes (cubes take up more volume than water).

2) Put the bird into the brine breast side (the large humped side) down. Clean the bags of ice. People often walk on them in the delivery truck. Put the bags of ice inside another plastic bag if necessary to make sure they don't leak and dilute the brine. Put one bag of ice in with the bird now and store the other in the freezer. You will use it in about 6 hours when the first bag is mostly melted. Move the bird around and get the air bubble out of the cavity. Most of the brine will enter the meat through the cavity, since the skin is like a water-resistant jacket. Let the bird swim in the brine for 10-12 hours in a refrigerator or other cool place. Keep the brine under 50F, adding more ice when necessary.

3) After 10-12 hours, remove the bird, rinse it thoroughly inside and out so the exterior will not be too salty, and pat dry. Rinsing is crucial! While the skin is soft and elastic, insert your fingers carefully between the skin and the meat and loosen it so later you can put the baste there. You can work from both the front and rear, and reach down to the thighs and wings.

4) Place the bird on a rack in the refrigerator for 3 hours or more so the skin will dry. You can even leave it there overnight. This will help make the skin crispy.

The wet rub

Most folks know that a rub is a mix of spices, but there is also such a thing as a wet rub, a mix of spices and oil. That's what we'll be using to penetrate the meat with flavor and crisp the skin. Click here for more about rubs.

Optional. Sometimes, if the sage in the garden hasn't frozen, I'll put a little olive oil or butter and whole fresh sage leaves under the skin instead of a wet rub and use the wet rub on the outside of the skin only. If you look at the picture of the finished bird up close you can see the sage leaves under the skin. They taste great.

1) After the bird has emerged from the brine and after the skin has had a chance to dry a bit, mix the herbs with the oil and gently push it under the skin and on top of the breast. Spread it out and work it as far down to the thighs as possible.

2) Spread the remaining rub on top of the skin. The oil will help it brown and make it crispy. If you run out, rub the exterior with olive oil or vegetable oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and sage. I usually use my Simon & Garfunkel Rub.

Cooking the bird

1) Crank your cooker up to 325F or as close as possible. We do not need to cook turkey low and slow like ribs and other fatty meats with lots of connective tissue. At 325F, 15-pound bird will be done in about 3 to 3.5 hours and a 20-pound bird should take about 4 to 4.5 hours, depending on how well you control the oven temp and how often you open the lid. If you have a smoker that doesn't get that hot, you will need to cook longer. Just remember, every time you open the lid you lose a lot of heat and moisture, and add about 15 minutes to the cooking time, so keep the lid on. If you're lookin', you ain't cookin'.

2) Claen the grate you will cook the bird on before you put the drip pan in. Pour the gravy into the drip pan, put it onto the cooker so the liquid will preheat and take a load off the cooker when you put the bird on later. Put the quartered onion in the cavity and the fresh herbs if you are using them.

3) If you have a digital thermometer with a probe on a wire, insert the probe into the front of the breast so the tip is in the center of the thickest part of the breast, being careful not to touch the ribs or keel bone. That's usually right where the popup thermometer was.

4) Put the onion you cut into quarters and stuff it into the cavity. If you wish, put some fresh herbs in there too. I like sage and thyme. Take four pieces of aluminum foil, each about 8" square, and cover one side with vegetable oil so it won't stick. Cover the wings and drumstick tips with the foil. That will keep them from burning. If you've oiled the bird, the foil shouldn't stick. You'll take the foil off after an hour, so the meat will brown and crisp. Do not pin or tie the wings up against the body of the bird or fold the wing tips underneath as some cookbooks say or the skin will not brown and crisp there, and what's the point of wings if they're not crisp?

5) If you're using a gas grill, put the wood beneath the grates as close to the fire as possible. You can use an aluminum pan or packet. On a charcoal cooker, the wood goes right on the coals. Put the rack on top of the drip pan and the bird on the rack, breast side up. Some people like to cook breast side down because they think fat and juices will percolate down and keep the breast moist, but that's not necessary for this bird. It's been brined. It will be plenty moist. Do not put the bird in a deep pan. Do not put the bird in a pan. We want her sitting out so she can get smoke and moisture penetration. Close the lid and don't open it for an hour. Every time you open the cooker you let out heat and moisture and you delay dinner. That means no basting. Not if you want crispy skin.

6) After an hour, open the cooker and remove the aluminum foil. If you don't have a thermometer on a wire already in the breast, check the temperature with a good probe thermometer by inserting the probe near where the popup was. Do not baste. If necessary, add a quart of boiling water to the gravy pan. Make sure there are at least 3 inches in the pan at all times. Do not let the onions and other solids burn! While you're under the hood, if you are using charcoal add another 15 to 20 chunks every hour. Tilt the bird and drain any liquid from the cavity into the gravy pan. Repeat this step every hour. Do not add more wood.

If you fear that the bird is moving too slowly and you are having trouble keeping the temp up to 325F, preheat your oven to 325-350F and then move the bird indoors on a wire rack over a pan of boiling hot water. It will be fine this way. Most of the smoke flavor is already in the bird.

7) When the internal temp of the breast reaches 160F, drain the cavity into the gravy and take her off. Some sources say you should take it up to 170F or 180F, but that temp is guaranteed to produce meat as dry as cardboard. If the temp is 160F in the center of the breast when you take it off, it will rise another 5F before you start carving. At 165F in the breast it is safe according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), even if it is slightly pink. At that temp, the thighs are likely to be at 170F or higher. They can handle it because they are juicier and slightly more fatty.

8) Using turkey lifters, bear paws, clean oven mitts, or two wooden spoons with the handles stuck into the cavity, tilt the bird and drain the liquid from the cavity into the gravy. Move the bird to a large pan or platter with sides that will contain the copious juices when you cut it. A cutting board will overflow! Let the bird rest for 15-30 minutes or put it into a faux Cambro (a plastic beer cooler). The temp will rise about 5F at first, and an hour later the temp will drop only 5 to 10F! Just don't let it drop below 145F.

9) Carefully remove the gravy pan from the smoker. Pour the gravy through a strainer into a large saucepan. Taste it. It should be rich and flavorful. If you find it too weak (unlikely) bring it to a boil and cook it down a bit. Do not thicken with flour or cornstarch. Starches will prevent it from penetrating and moisturizing the meat. I have been known to pour it into a coffee thermos to keep it warm for a crosstown trip. In any case, keep it warm until you are ready to serve the bird and then transfer some to a gravy boat or serving bowl. Leftover gravy can be frozen. It is killer as a soup base or for cooking rice, risotto, or couscous.

10) If you absolutely must have the thick kind of gravy you had as a kid, take about 4 tablespoons of the fat you skimmed off and put it in a saucepan over medium heat with 4 tablespoons of flour. Whisk the flour until it is smooth, and keep whisking until the flour starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly pour in 2 cups of the gravy, whisking as you pour, and keep whsking until it thickens. It shouldn't need any seasoning, but you can add salt if necessary.

Carving

Here is a platter cooked and carved by reader Jeff Giberstein of Atlanta, GA. He says "I prepared your turkey recipe (modified for my pellet grill) this Thanksgiving. Your recipe is great and your instructions are phenomenal. It was my world's record best turkey ever."

1) After the meat has rested, you can begin to carve. I prefer an electric knife, but any carving knife will do, just make sure it is sharp.

2) You will need two platters, one for the white meat and one for the dark meat. Why is there a difference in color and flavor? According to the USDA "The pink, red or white coloration of meat is due primarily to oxygen-storing myoglobin which is located in the muscle cells and retains the oxygen brought by the blood until the cells need it. To some extent, oxygen use can be related to the bird’s general level of activity: muscles that are exercised frequently and strenuously — such as the legs — need more oxygen, and they have a greater storage capacity than muscles needing little oxygen. Turkeys do a lot of standing around, but little if any flying, so their wing and breast muscles are white; their legs, dark. The major reason that poultry meat is much lighter in color than beef is that it is dramatically lower in myoglobin. Also, as an animal becomes older, its myoglobin content usually increases. Turkeys today are young — 4-5 months old at the time of slaughter."

3) First the dark meat. Take a paper towel and grab the top of a drumstick and bend it until the joint is visible. Sever the joint and remove the leg. Then hold the thigh with the paper towel and cut through the skin that connects it to the body. Bend the thigh back to find the hip joint. Cut through the joint removing the thigh. Repeat with the other leg and thigh. You can serve the thigh whole, or you can remove the meat from the bone and slice it if there are a lot of people who want dark meat. To do this, flip the thigh skin side down, and run your knife around the bone and under the bone until you can lift it out. Then turn the thigh skin side up and cut it into slices. Now remove the wings by grabbing each wing with a paper towel, bend it back to locate the shoulder joint and cut through it. Arrange the wings, thighs, and drums on one platter and pour a little gravy over them.

4) Now for the white meat. The plan is to remove each breast from the carcass and then cut them into beautiful slices. In the middle of the bird is the keel bone. It separates the two breasts. Cut down along the keel bone until the knife hits the rib cage. Then tilt the knife and work along the rib cage until the breast falls away. Lay it skin side up on a cutting board and slice it across the grain in 1/8 - 1/4" slices. Fan the meat out prettily on the platter.

5) Carve away as much of the remaining meat from the carcass as possible and put it on the appropriate platter. Now pour a little gravy over the top of the meat, enough to moisten it but not drown it. Put the carcass in the fridge. Don't leave it sitting at room temp for more than 30 minutes.

This page was revised 11/27/2009

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