Smoked Turkey

Thanksgiving is upon us. One thing that I am thankful for is this recipe. Great turkey takes a bit of preparation. Start this process two days before cooking.

Brine:

  • 1 lb of Salt

  • 1 lb of Honey

  • 4 quarts of vegetable stock

  • 1 gallon of boiling water

  • A lot of ice

2 days before:

To prepare the brine, dissolve the salt and honey in a 10 gallon cooler with the boiling water. Add the 4 quarts of vegetable stock. Add a lot of ice to cool down the brine and to keep cold overnight in the cooler. Place the turkey in the brine, close the cooler and brine the turkey overnight.

1 day before:

Remove the turkey from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the turkey on a mesh rack on top of a sheet pan and refrigerate overnight.

For the turkey:

  • 2 sticks of room temperature unsalted butter

  • 7 leaves of fresh sage

  • 4 sprigs of fresh thyme

  • 1 sprig of rosemary

  • Cooking spray

  • Killer Hogs AP Seasoning

Chop the sage, thyme and rosemary and mix into the softened butter. Add the AP seasoning to taste. Carefully separate the skin from the breast of the turkey and pack in as much of the butter mixture as you can. Spray the skin with cooking spray and season the bird with AP seasoning. Smoke the turkey over indirect heat with a few chunks of hickory wood. Try to maintain a pit temp of 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The turkey will be done with the breast temp is at 160. Let rest uncovered for 20-30 minutes before carving.

Jared Rawlinson