Sage and Thyme Smoked Turkey on a Charcoal Grill

Name: Sage and Thyme Smoked Turkey on a Charcoal Grill
Prep time: 5 h
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h
Yield: 14
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 6 larges garlic cloves, smashed; 315 milliliters kosher salt; 158 milliliters packed light brown sugar; 2 Tbsps olive oil; 2 teaspoons peppercorns; 20 larges sage sprigs (6 in. long), divided; 59 milliliters finely chopped shallots; 4 fist-size applewood chunks; 20 larges thyme sprigs, (6 in. long), divided; 6 kilograms turkey; 118 milliliters unsalted butter, at room temperature; 70 About charcoal briquets

Sage and Thyme Smoked Turkey on a Charcoal Grill might be just the main course you are searching for. This recipe makes 14 servings with 576 calories, 70g of protein, and 27g of fat each. This recipe covers 31% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. It is a good option if you're following a gluten free diet. Head to the store and pick up charcoal briquets, garlic cloves, sage sprigs, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the light brown sugar you could follow this main course with the Apricot tart with brown sugar & cinnamon pas

Instructions

Make brine: In a stockpot, heat 1 qt. water with salt and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve.

Ingredients you will need

Brown Sugar

Brine

Water

Salt

Equipment you will use

Pot

Remove from heat, add 6 qts. cold water, the garlic, peppercorns, and half of the sage and thyme.

Ingredients you will need

Peppercorns

Garlic

Thyme

Water

Sage

Let cool to room temperature.

Discard leg truss from turkey.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Remove neck, tail, and giblets from cavities and save for gravy if you like. Pull off and discard lumps of fat. Rinse bird inside and out. Set turkey in an oversized pot, such as a boiling water canner*, and add brine. Chill, covered, 8 to 12 hours.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Brine

Gravy

Water

Equipment you will use

Pot

Soak wood chunks in a bowl of water until used (at least 45 minutes), with a plate on top to submerge them. Meanwhile, drain turkey, rinse, and pat dry. Set on a rack on a rimmed baking sheet to dry skin a bit.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Water

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Bowl

Chop leaves from remaining thyme. Chop enough of remaining sage to make 3 tbsp. In a food processor, whirl butter, chopped herbs, and shallots until smooth.

Ingredients you will need

Shallot

Butter

Herbs

Thyme

Sage

Equipment you will use

Food Processor

Slide your fingers between skin and flesh of turkey, turning bird to make pockets of space on the breast, back, and leg areas. Using your hands, slide about 1 tbsp. herb butter at a time under skin in all the pockets. Stuff main turkey cavities with remaining sage sprigs and skewer closed. Tuck wing tips under turkey. Insert a meat thermometer into thickest part of breast, touching the bone. Rub turkey with oil.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Whole Turkey

Bone

Meat

Sage

Cooking Oil

Dry Seasoning Rub

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Thermometer

Skewers

Set up a charcoal grill for indirect low heat (250 to 300): Light 40 briquets in a chimney starter. Open grill's bottom vents fully. When coals are spotted with ash, about 20 minutes, put an aluminum drip pan (at least as large as turkey) in middle of firegrate. Bank coals on either side of pan, piling them highest against walls of grill. Fill drip pan halfway with hot tap water.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Water

Equipment you will use

Grill

Frying Pan

Let coals burn to low.

Drain 2 soaked wood chunks and put 1 over each mound of coals now and after 1 hour of cooking. Put cooking rack in place with its hinged flaps aligned over coals. Position turkey on cooking rack over drip pan with breast up. Cover with lid and close bottom vents and lid vents halfway.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Cook and smoke turkey. Whenever heat dips below 250, add about 5 briquets to each pile of coals. If the heat climbs over 300, close vents, leaving at least a vent halfway open on lid and at bottom of smoker to keep fire going.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Add hot water to drip pan as needed to keep it about half full. Smoke until thermometer registers 165 to 170, 3 1/2 to 4 hours total.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Thermometer

Frying Pan

Transfer turkey to a platter and tent with foil. Save pan juices for gravy if you like.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Gravy

Equipment you will use

Aluminum Foil

Frying Pan

Let turkey rest in a warm place 15 to 30 minutes, then carve.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

* Find applewood chunks with grilling supplies. If pot won't fit in fridge, use an ice chest: Set bird in a turkey brining bag (buy in grocery stores and at williams-sonoma.com). Put bag in chest, pour brine over turkey, and seal bag tightly; add ice to cover.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Brine

Ice