Sage and Thyme Smoked Turkey on a Gas Grill

Name: Sage and Thyme Smoked Turkey on a Gas 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; 8 fist-size applewood chunks; 20 larges thyme sprigs, (6 in. long), divided; 6 kilograms turkey; 118 milliliters unsalted butter, at room temperature

Need a gluten free main course? Sage and Thyme Smoked Turkey on a Gas Grill could be an amazing recipe to try. This recipe makes 14 servings with 577 calories, 70g of protein, and 27g of fat each. This recipe covers 31% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. A mixture of fist-size applewood chunks, sage sprigs, brown sugar, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so flavorful. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 5 hours.

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 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 oversize 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

Prepare a gas grill for indirect low heat (250 to 300): Set an aluminum drip pan (at least as large as turkey) under the cooking grate and on middle burner for a 3-burner grill or on one burner for a 2-burner grill. Fill drip pan halfway with hot tap water (this is the indirect heat area). With grill lid open, ignite direct heat area and turn to medium (about 350).

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Water

Equipment you will use

Grill

Frying Pan

Drain 2 soaked wood chunks and set directly on burners (not under the drip pan). Close lid and heat 10 minutes, then adjust to maintain 250 to 30

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Once smoke is coming from grill (it may take 20 minutes), set turkey with breast up on cooking grate over drip pan. Close lid; cook and smoke, setting 2 drained wood chunks directly on a lit burner every 30 minutes and adding water to drip pan if needed to keep it about half full, until meat thermometer registers 165 to 170, 2 1/2 to 3 hours total.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Water

Meat

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Thermometer

Grill

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