EQUIPMENT:
A KETTLE CHARCOAL GRILL – WEBER IS THE BEST YOU CAN GET
A LARGE BAG OF CHARCOAL
A TURKEY (with me so far?)
A TURKEY (with me so far?)
A turkey cooks faster on the grill than in the oven – and by cooking it outside, it frees up the oven for the yummy stuff like casseroles and pies. Remember the USDA HAS CHANGED ITS INTERNAL TEMPERATURE FOR WHOLE POULTRY TO 165º
OOOOOOOOK….. first of all, the bird needs to be 100% thawed – best way for this – buy a fresh bird! Speak to your market meat department and have them reserve a fresh bird for you - especially if you need a big one for a crowd, because they don't usually get in lots of big ones. If you can only get a frozen bird, thaw it in a large cooler. Put the wrapped bird in, cover with COLD water and put it where you'll be reminded to check it. It takes a 20 lb. bird about 16 hours to thaw in a cooler of cold water. On cooking day, unwrap the bird and remove all the innards and put your hand up inside - if there is still any ice, cover it again with FRESH cold water and check after an hour. The bird really needs to be properly thawed but it's not safe for poultry to be left sitting on the counter for very long.
About 20 minutes before the ‘start cooking time’, remove the innards (from both openings – OMG, I’ve cooked one with the stuff still inside! LOL) and thoroughly wash the bird inside and out, scraping out any leftover bits of organs that are always left behind from processing – rinse REALLY WELL and pat dry with paper towels inside and out. Place the turkey in a shallow pan (just for transport - not for cooking) and grease the entire exterior surface with a thin coat of Crisco solid shortening, sprinkle LIGHTLY with kosher salt and lots of ground black pepper, and insert a meat thermometer [See P.P.S. below] in the thickest part of the breast.
About 20 minutes before the ‘start cooking time’, remove the innards (from both openings – OMG, I’ve cooked one with the stuff still inside! LOL) and thoroughly wash the bird inside and out, scraping out any leftover bits of organs that are always left behind from processing – rinse REALLY WELL and pat dry with paper towels inside and out. Place the turkey in a shallow pan (just for transport - not for cooking) and grease the entire exterior surface with a thin coat of Crisco solid shortening, sprinkle LIGHTLY with kosher salt and lots of ground black pepper, and insert a meat thermometer [See P.P.S. below] in the thickest part of the breast.
Wrap the OUTSIDE of a 9x13 brownie pan with heavy duty aluminum foil – this will be your drip pan – drippings make great gravy, especially after you fish out the 1-2 lumps of charcoal that inevitably fall in the pan.
These grilling directions are basically taken from the Weber Grilling Cookbook - if all else fails, FOLLOW THEM! If possible, set up your grill out of the wind, as that can really effect the grill temps AND can make the charcoal burn away more rapidly.
These grilling directions are basically taken from the Weber Grilling Cookbook - if all else fails, FOLLOW THEM! If possible, set up your grill out of the wind, as that can really effect the grill temps AND can make the charcoal burn away more rapidly.
Prepare the grill for INDIRECT cooking. Most may know this already, but ‘indirect’ means the charcoal is NOT directly below the meat. Weber has rails or ‘D’ shaped baskets for indirect cooking – you place the grilling rack over these and there are little hinged thingys built into the rack you can lift to add charcoal (which you need to do every 30-45 minutes.)
Light the grill and get the coals white hot – spread them behind the rails or if you have the ‘D’ baskets, set the baskets against opposite sides. Put the drip pan down the center and put the grill rack on top – and place the bird over the drip pan. Add 6-8 new briquettes to each side and close the lid (making sure the bottom and top vents are open.) Set the timer for about 30 minutes and add 6-10 briquettes to each side, depending on how much they have burned down. Continue adding charcoal every 30-45 minutes until the bird is done.
[Editorial comment: One charcoal briquette will provide roughly 25º for half of a kettle grill, so start with 14-16 pieces on EACH SIDE – this yields about 350º of heat inside the kettle. DON’T BE TEMPTED TO SNEAK PEEKS AT THE THERMOMETER - every time you lift the lid you lose all your heat and increase cooking time…. It will seem like forever before the thermometer starts to move but once it does, it will move rapidly. Add your charcoal quickly and close the grill as fast as possible]
APPROXIMATE GRILLING TIME [UNSTUFFED]
10-11 pounds 1-3/4 – 2-1/2 hours
12–14 pounds 2-1/3 – 3 hours
15-17 pounds 2-3.4 – 3-3/4 hours
18-22 pounds 3-1/2 – 4 hours
When thermometer reaches 160º-165º in the thickest part of the breast, check the knee joint – juices should run clear and there should be no redness at the bone. The turkey will continue to cook a few more degrees after you remove it from the grill.
REMOVE BIRD FROM THE GRILL AND LET IT SIT LIGHTLY TENTED WITH FOIL IN THE CORNER AT LEAST 30 MINUTES BEFORE CARVING.
The hardest thing about this turkey will be keeping people from picking at it before you carve it!
I make gravy with the pan drippings, including any ashes I can’t fish out. Use a little of the fat to make a roux with flour over medium high heat. Gradually whisk in a mixture of pan drippings and turkey stock.*** When gravy is nice and thick, add the cooked meat pieces (from the cooked neckbone, etc) and cook another minute to warm them up. Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste.
Stand back and enjoy the oooooooh’s and aaaaaaaaaaaaaah’s from your family and guests, and have a wonderful meal.
*** STOCK:
Rinse those things you took out of the cavity - the neck, gizzard, and heart (TOSS THE LIVER IN THE GARBAGE). Add these to a heavy saucepan along with a quartered onion, 2-3 stalks of celery with leaves, and 10-12 whole peppercorns. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for about an hour - until the meat on the neck in tender. Fish out the neck, gizzard and heart with tongs and set aside for the gravy. Strain the liquid into a bowl and toss the veggies in the garbage. Voila - Stock!
P.S. Cut the COOKED gizzard and heart into tiny pieces; pull the meat from the neck and pitch the bones. Set the meat aside to add to the gravy.
P.P.S. Another thing I recommend. Even if your turkey comes with a pop-up thermometer, also use a regular 'stick in the meat and leave it' thermometer - you really need to see the temp as it rises. You could add charcoal and put the lid on and that pop-up thing could pop up as you walk away - and when you come back your turkey will be overcooked.
P.P.P.S. Finally (finally, I know) if you are nervous about trying a turkey on the grill, don't do it when you're having a special event....buy a turkey and try it one weekend just for the family - turkeys are almost always available, and they are cheap compared to most meats these days. Cook one and work out the kinks - I promise you won't be sorry!
P.S. Cut the COOKED gizzard and heart into tiny pieces; pull the meat from the neck and pitch the bones. Set the meat aside to add to the gravy.
P.P.S. Another thing I recommend. Even if your turkey comes with a pop-up thermometer, also use a regular 'stick in the meat and leave it' thermometer - you really need to see the temp as it rises. You could add charcoal and put the lid on and that pop-up thing could pop up as you walk away - and when you come back your turkey will be overcooked.
P.P.P.S. Finally (finally, I know) if you are nervous about trying a turkey on the grill, don't do it when you're having a special event....buy a turkey and try it one weekend just for the family - turkeys are almost always available, and they are cheap compared to most meats these days. Cook one and work out the kinks - I promise you won't be sorry!
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