• Oven: This is the traditional roasted turkey method done in the oven.  Both my wife and I grew up with this method.  It’s the tried and true method.  Sometimes I wish we did this method, because in my opinion it yields the best stuffing results.  And for me it’s all about the stuffing.
• Smoked:  Usually done, at our house, on the Weber Smokey Mountain or Traeger with a either peach or apple wood.  We will aslso use a brine and nice rub, usually Plowboys Yardbird or Simple Marvelous Season-All.   Because smoking doesn’t provide for a good crisp skin I will usually drop it in the Char-Broil Big Easy for a few minutes to crisp up the skin.
• Oil-less Turkey Fryer:  I love the results from putting a nice brined turkey in the Char-Broil Big Easy.  The end result is a great “fried” bird.  The results are much like you get in the store with one of those rotisserie chickens that taste so good.  And clean up witht he Big Easy is a snap.
• Deep Fried:  I believe this is the family favorite.  Again, the turkey is brined.  There’s just something about a fried turkey that screams tasty.  A lot of people use some type of injection with their fried turkeys but I’ve never found it necessary after brining to bother with injection.

This year my oldest daughter was the first to request this years cooking technique and chose a fried turkey.  So fried it was.  This meant getting out the Masterbuilt Indoor Turkey Fryer.  (You can read my full review of this fryer from last year by clicking here.)

For years and years I always wondered what all the hoopla was about when it came to Thanksgiving.  I could never understand why turkey was so popular.  No matter where I ate turkey or how it was cooked it always had a strange after taste to me.  I could manage to eat the turkey if I was lucky enough to get some of the limited dark meat and smother it with gravy. 

What I’ve come to realize is that it wasn’t the cooking technique, it was the turkey.  This epiphany came a couple of years ago when I decided to spring for a “Plump & Juicy” Natural Range Turkey from a local market.   I have always been amazed that on many holidays or other family get togethers people will spend hundreds of dollars for a prime rib or a “honey” spiral cut ham but when it comes to Thanksgiving let’s go find the cheapest, frozen bird you can find.  Why would you be willing to spend big dollars for a great piece of beef, but not be willing to spend $2 a pound for a great turkey.  Start with great ingredients and you’ll have a better chance for great results.  To me it’s worth it.  Anyway…

I picked up the turkey from the market on Tuesday afternoon and put it in the refrigerator.  Since my turkey comes from the market unfrozen I didn’t have to worry about the whole defrosting process. 

What is the safest way to thaw a frozen turkey?
The USDA recommends three ways to defrost turkeys: in the refrigerator, in cold water and in the microwave. Never defrost turkey on the counter or in other locations.

• It’s best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. Allow about 1 day for every 5 pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator.
• Turkey may be defrosted in cold water in its airtight packaging or in a leak-proof bag. Submerge the bird or cut-up parts in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes.
• Turkey defrosted in the microwave should be cooked immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving. Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present wouldn’t have been destroyed.

If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled properly. (Source: Food Safety of Turkey… from Farm to Table. For information on thawing other items, see The Big Thaw – Safe Defrosting Methods for Consumers)

On Tuesday night I dissolved the salt and sugars in boiling water and let it cool on the stove before storing in the refrigerator over night.  Personally, I don’t like to add the seasonings to the brine until it’s cold.  If I’m using fresh herbs I will add them to the brine when it’s slightly warm so the flavors will start to infuse a little.  (Why do I do it this way?  No real reason it just seems to be the way I began doing it and it works for me)

(Left) The first step is to add the seasoning, oranges and lemons to a five gallon bucket.  (Right) Then pour in half the brine liquid and stir until the seasoning start to dissolve.  Stir it well, this will start to infuse the citrus into the brine.

(Left) Next put the turkey into the bucket with the legs up.   You’ll notice the plastic leg holder is still on.  I like to leave it on because it gives you something to grab hold of to remove from the brine when it’s done.  Stick an orange and lemon wedge into the cavity.  I leave the legs untied to make sure the brine has a chance to penetrate between the legs and breasts. (Right) Add the rest of the brine liquid.  Make sure the whole bird is covered. 

If you live in a cold environment, and mean really cold, you might be able to just leave the bucket covered in your garage.  If not then you have to find a way to keep the turkey and brine cold.  Fortunately I have refrigerator with removeable shelves and I can make run for the bucket.  Should you not have that luxury one way to keep things save is to set the bucket in an ice chest and fill the chest around the bucket with ice.  This should keep you in the “safe zone” for the brining period.

Brine the turkey for 24 hours.  Remove the turkey from the brine three or four hours before cooking.  This will give you plenty of time to soak and rinse the bird completely to remove any salt residue from the brine. 

IMPORTANT:  Make sure the turkey is 100% dry inside and out before putting the turkey in the hot oil.  If you attempt to fry a frozen, partially frozen or wet turkey you run the risk of severe damage to both person and property.

(Left) Masterbuilt recommends less than a 14lb bird in my model of fryer.  I can tell you that 14lbs is a tight fit.  This is what it looks like with 13.87lbs of turkey.  It’s a tight, tight fit.  (Right) The turkey is lowered into 2 gallons of hot (375 degrees) peanut oil. 

(Left)I normally set the built in timer for 3/4 of the recommend cooking time and then check the thigh temperature.  The recommended cooking time is 4 minutes per pound.  Experience tells me that 5 minutes per pound is really closer to what you’ll need to get a properly cooked turkey.  (Right) After the turkey is done remove from the pan and allow to rest, covered with a foil tent, for 30 minutes.  The plastic leg holder was removed prior to putting the turkey into the fryer.  What I should have rememebered to do was tie the legs together.  This would have made it easier to remove from the pan and would have displayed a little more attractively.

Overall this may have been my most successful Thanksgiving turkey.  One of the problems with being limited to a 14 pound turkey is that with nine people there wasn’t much leftover turkey.   Next year I’ll have to do two turkeys or get the bigger fryer that Masterbuilt now makes.

The BBQ Grail 2010 Thanksgiving Turkey Brine

Ingredients:

• 2 gallons filtered/bottled water*
• 1 cup Morton’s Kosher Salt**
• 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 oranges, quartered
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 2 tablespoons Char-Broil “All Purpose” Rub***

Directions:

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot.  Reduce heat and add salt and sugar.  Stir until dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow to cool before using as a brine.  I prefer to make up my brine the night before and keep it in the refrigerator until I’m ready to use it.  Add lemons, oranges and “All-Purpose” rub just before starting the brining process.

* The key to great food is your ingredients.  This is true even with the water you use.  Make sure you use filtered or bottled water when making up your brining liquid.  This way you know, for the most part, what’s in your water… nothing!  Having a good solid base, your water, will give you a brine that will give you results that can be repeated.

** This brine recipe works well with Morton’s Kosher Salt.  Not all salts are the same weight.  If you use something other than Morton’s Kosher Salt you may have to adjust the amount of salt.  For great information on brining read Michael Ruhlman’s book “Ratio.”

***Char-Broil’s “All-Purpose Rub” is a new product.  I really like this seasoning.  It has a nice herbal flavor and worked quite well in this brine.  My initial recipe calls for 2 tablespoons, but you could easily increase this amount to 3 or 4 tablespoons without overpowering the turkey.

So I came up with The BBQ Grail Turducken Burger.

It was a great deal of fun coming up with a way to turn a burger into a Thanksgiving meal on a bun.  I didn’t quite come up with a whole meal on a bun, but I did manage to get a Thanksgiving themed burger meal on the plate.

Here’s how I did it!

I purchased two duck breasts. After removing the skin I used my Kitchenaid mixer with grinder attachment to grind the duck meat.

I created the patty with a layer of ground turkey, then a layer of ground duck and topped with a layer of ground chicken.

Grilled the burger using my GrillGrates on the Char-Broil RED. Came out perfect.

How to make "stuffing" for the Turducken burger was the next question. Mrs. Grail came up with a compound butter seasoning with poultry seasoning and other spices. We brushed the butter on the buns and grilled them. Worked to perfection.

With the typical burger condiments we created a fantastic meal.  Grilled sweet potato fries (sprinkled with brown sugar) and a cold green bean salad gave us pretty much a whole Thanksgiving meal.  (Mrs. Grail got the pumpkin in the picture by adding some toasted pumpkin seeds to the salad.)

And it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without pie.  Celeste (Mrs. Grail) baked a fantastic apple pie.

The recipes for the Sweet Potato Fries and Green Bean Salad will follow later in the week.

Due to some technical difficulties combined with some family issues the announcement of the winner will be delayed until 12/31/2009.  I’m sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Do you cook your Thanksgiving Turkey outdoors?  If you do and are willing to share your Thanksgiving experience with the readers of the BBQ Grail you could win a prize.

The contest rules are quite simple.  Cook your Thanksgiving Day Turkey outdoors.  It doesn’t matter how you cook it as long as it’s cooked outdoors.  You can fry it, smoke it, grill it you can even cook it in a dutch oven.  It just has to be cooked outdoors.  When you’re done eating take a few minutes and write a short story on how you did it and send up a couple of pictures.  The pictures need to show you cooking the turkey and a final table picture is also needed.  ( You can send up to five pictures)  If you’d like to include your favorite recipe for outdoor cooked Thanksgiving Day Turkey or a favorite side dish feel free to do so.

One Grand Prize Winner will be selected along with two “Honorable Mention Winners.”

Email your entries to thanksgiving@thebbqgrail.com.  Entries must be received by The BBQ Grail no later than 11:59pm on December 2nd, 2009.   All entries, including pictures, become the property of The BBQ Grail.  All decisions made by the judging team are final and will be based on your submitted pictures and write-up.

The Grand Prize Winner will receive a Char-Broil “Big Easy Oil-Less Infrared Turkey Fryer courtesy of Char-Broil.

Char-Broil’s new infrared oil-less turkey fryer is the safe way to fry your turkey. And because it uses NO oil, it’s healthier, too.  Prepare your turkey with the same injectable marinade you already use, or use seasoned rubs on the outside, which is not an option with traditional fryers. Cooks a turkey from start-to-finish just as quickly as oil-frying without the messy clean-up.

Take The Big Easy Virtual Tour to see how the infrared heat circles the cooker to penetrate the meat evenly and seal in juices. The result is a bird that’s moist inside and crispy outside but without the risk, hassle or added fat and calories of oil. Safely cook a turkey (up to 16 lbs.) or chicken in about 8 to 10 minutes per pound. Roasts and most other large cuts of meat cook for slightly longer.

The Big Easy includes a cooking basket, basket lifting handle, and meat thermometer and features:

• Enclosed burner design with 16,000 BTU’s
• Rotary Ignition
• Cool-touch handles
• Pull-out grease tray
• Stainless steel cooking chamber

Honorable Mention:

One Honorable Mention Winner will receive an autographed copy of "Asian Grill" by Corinne Traing

Another Honorable Mention Winner will receive an autographed copy of "Everybody Grills"

The Judges:

Corinne Trang:

An award-winning cookbook author, expert on Asian cuisines and cultures, beverage and food consultant, lecturer, spokesperson, chef, recipe developer, and lifestyle writer. A frequent radio and television guest, she is the chief east coast correspondent for America’s Dining and Travel Guide (Business Talk Radio).

Her first cookbook, Authentic Vietnamese Cooking (Simon & Schuster, 1999) won Best Asian Cuisine Book in the World and Best Book on Asian Cuisine in English at France’s Salon International du Livre Gourmand (The 2000 World Cookbook Fair). It was also awarded Best of the Best of 1999 by Food & Wine magazine. Her second book, Essentials of Asian Cuisine (Simon & Schuster, Feb. 2003), which covers Chinese cuisine and its influence on the major cuisines of Asia including Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, has already received much praise from the press including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Cook’s Illustrated. Since then she’s published The Asian Grill (Chronicle Books, 2006), A Food Lover’s Companion: Vietnamese (Mark & Spencer, 2007), and the recently published Noodles Every Day (Chronicle Books, 2009). In addition to writing her own cookbooks, Trang has contributed to many others including Curry Cuisine (Dorling Kindersley, 2007), Saveur Cooks Authentic American (Chronicle Books, 1998), Saveur Cooks Authentic French (Chronicle Books, 1999), and The Encyclopedia of Food & Culture (Scribners & Sons, 2003).

Bob Devine:

Since the explosion of BBQ restaurants in New York a few years ago,I have worked as a Pit Master in the NYC and surrounding area, and have been around BBQ since the early 1980′s.. I started of on a 22 1/2 Weber, smoking a turkey the day I opened the boxed, and havn’t looked back since. Turkey is still, to this day, one of my favorite meats to smoke
I’ve graduated somewhat to commercial smokers, as well as mobile smokers.. Some of the equipment I’ve used in the past, and up to this present day ares Southern Pride: SPK500, SPK700, various mobile units, as well as other electric and gas models. Old Hickory: CTO’s, SSJ, various mobile units. Cook Shack: 300 series, 250 series. J&R Oylers: 700 series, 1000 series, and the 250 RFS  Alto Sham “cook and hold” models. Various wood burning, “mobile” units, used for festivals, street fairs, catering and competitions; to include: Lang, Meadow Creek, Stumps, Spicewines, Traeger, Fast Eddies, and many custom made models

I’ve worked at the Big Apple BBQ, on a couple of teams, and, as recently as the 2009 Big Apple BBQ, was hired by a new team to the event, to organize, set up, and cook, for their initial time at the Big Apple BBQ. I also engage in Competitive BBQ as a team member for various teams, as well as being a Certified Barbecue Judge at those events.   Am also well versed in “on-site” BBQ catering for all types of affairs, to include whole hog, surf and turf, and various smoked meats to include ribs, briskets, pork butts, chicken, and other meats.

Barry “CB” Martin:

It’s been my pleasure and honor to write the Sizzle on the Grill newsletter for more than 5 years and I have enjoyed every minute! Recently I was honored to be asked to create  recipes and write the informational pages of the new cookbook from Char-Broil called Everybody Grills.

I am not a professionally trained chef, although I have worked in a variety of restaurants and cultivated an appreciation for fine cuisine as a head waiter and wine steward at both French and American restaurants. The bottom line is I’m just a guy who really enjoys cooking and serving food to his friends and family. When I write about recipes for grilling, smoking or Q’ing…it’s because these are recipes I prepare. Now I expect there are many folks who are better cooks than me…and certainly you may be one of them. I just try to share some of my experiences to (hopefully) encourage you to take on the challenges of grilling, or Q’ing or smoking food that pleases you and delights your friends and family. I cook what I enjoy eating and I’m always interested in expanding my understanding and appreciation of food!

Dr. Gonzo:

What led this inventor of the (seen on TV) “Jiffy Home Lobotomy Kit”: just insert the stainless steel icepick behind your ear and stir in a circular motion until all your problems and worries dissapear…, proud founder of Spruce Up Yours Landscaping International LLC, this high powered Washington lobbyis, tirelessly fighting for our rights to carry concealed Kazoos, this former lead accordion player of a Maraca Rock and Roll Revue (until he was exiled from Columbia after an alleged affair with Juan Valdez’s burro), to dabble in the world of spicy comestibles? Maybe we’ll never know the reason for his shift in focus. All we can hope for is that he will continue to weave delicate textures, tastes and heat profiles in an effort to liberate us all from a world burdened by Bland.

Now, contrary to popular opinion, this iteration of Dr. GONZO is not (and never has been) a 300lb Samoan attorney. He is (and will continue to be) the traveling professor of Advanced Mixology and Arcane Aviation Physics at Hardknock University. Home of the Fighting Black and Blue Humping Lumper Marching Band; that not only carries the instruments in tight formation across the rugby pitch, they also carry the people that play the instruments in tight formation across the rugby pitch, and the (oh, so hard to get on) Intramural Cross Country Pruning Shear Relay Team, where we take running with scissors to the next level…

Stay tuned to YouTube’s DrGonzosCondiments <http://www.youtube.com/user/DrGonzosCondiments> channel for behind the scenes footage of Dr. GONZO’s ‘Secret’ Underground lab, Xtreme Grilling Team and early failed  high volume production experiments of our “World Famous” Peppermash. Yes, sometimes the best humor involves the failings of another so, have a giggle at our expense.

The fryer is housed in a stainless steel and measures 16-2/7 by 14-4/5 by 14-3/5 inches so although it’s a little large for kitchen counter use it is designed to be an indoor fryer.

The self-contained, electric fryer can handle up to a 14 pound turkey and uses only 2 gallons of oil.  At $12.00+ a gallon for the recommended peanut oil this is a significant savings advantage.

The control panel is user friendly with a thermostat up to 375 degrees, a red power light and a green “ready” light.  The digital counter counts down and is easy to read and most importantly is easy to set.

Although the fryer specifications state a turkey up to 14 pounds can be cooked, the 12 pound turkey I used was a very tight fit in the fryer basket and I can’t see how another 2 pounds of turkey could fit in the basket.

I started by injecting the Butterball turkey in an attempt to get as much moisture into the bird as possible.  At this stage it is time to make sure the turkey is 100% thawed out.  It is imperative you don’t attempt to fry a frozen turkey or one with ice crystals in the cavity.  (Thaw your turkey in the refrigerator allowing 4 hours for each pound)

Turkey Injection Recipe

• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Plowboy’s Yardbird rub

Heat all ingredients until the rub is dissolved and the butter is melted.  Allow ample time for the injection to cool and for the bird to be injection a couple of hours before cooking.

The oil takes 35 to 40 minutes to heat to 375 degrees.  Using the open flame method most house fires are caused during the heating of the oil.  Having a self contained unit without an open flame takes this danger out of frying your turkey.  The unit also comes with a magnetized power cord that will release with even the slightest amount of pressure.  This safety feature makes it even safter to use in the home.  If by some chance  you were to snag something on the cord you run little to no risk of pulling the unit off your kitchen counter.

The turkey is then dried inside and outside and placed in the frying basket.  It’s important to make sure all moisture is removed from inside the cavity.  The second most dangerous time of a traditional turkey frying process is when the turkey is placed in the hot oil.  The bird must be dry.

Using a “hanger” along with the handles on the fryer basket the turkey is lowered into the hot oil

If your turkey is completely thawed and dry you can lower the turkey into the oil without any splatter.  It is an extremely safe process if you follow the instructions.

A turkey takes 31/2 to 4 minutes per pound to cook.  Set your timer and start preparing your side dishes.  Remember to allow 30 minutes of resting time before carving the bird.

After the turkey is cooked I removed it from the oil using the hanger.  There is a hook for hanging the fryer basket in the fryer while it drains.  One problem I noticed is when you hang the basket the bottom of the turkey still rests in the oil slightly.  This made my turkey skin on the bottom just a little soggy.  It would have been nicer to be able to rest the turkey there, but it’s not possible.

The turkey came out a perfect golden brown color.  Having the ability to cook a 12 pound turkey in 45 minutes gives everyone the chance to have a turkey dinner anytime they want.

Dinner consisted of fried turkey, mash potatoes and grilled acorn squash.  It was a fantastic meal in about 90 minutes.

Next up after eating out dinner was clean-up.  This was the part of the whole meal that I was dreading.  It seems that no matter how great an appliance is or how easy it makes preparing the meal the clean-up makes it so I don’t want to even get it out of the pantry.  The prospect of cleaning up an electric fryer that contains 2 gallons of oil is not something I wanted to think about.  But…

The clean-up of the Masterbuilt Butterball Indoor Turkey Fryer was a breeze.  I couldn’t believe how easy it was.  The turkey fryer has an easy to use drain tube that enables you to drain the oil in a couple of minutes. \

The whole unit comes apart and can be wiped down with a damp cloth and a mild soap.  Some of the pieces are even dishwasher safe.