Bourbon-brined, Maple Smoked Turkey

[EGGARY]

I get from Steve Raichlen the Barbeque Bible in my Email. He included a recipe for Turkey. He wrote a Novel and in one of the chapters he writes about the main course featuring turkey.

Enjoy,

[EGGARY]

Re: Bourbon-brined, Maple Smoked Turkey

I forgot the recipe. My stupid.

BOURBON-BRINED, MAPLE-SMOKED TURKEY

"The main course featured turkey from a farm in West Tisbury-organic, free-range, and freshly slaughtered, it goes without saying-which Elliott had brined with bourbon and maple syrup the previous day and smoked over smoldering maple wood."

Island Apart, Chapter 12: "Giving Thanks"

Serves 8.

For the brine:

1 gallon cool water

1 cup sea salt

1 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup bourbon

2 cloves stuck in 2 large strips lemon zest

2 bay leaves

1 12-pound turkey (preferably organic), giblets removed, rinsed, and blotted dry

2 tablespoons melted salted butter

You'll also need: 3 cups maple wood chips or chunks, soaked in water for 1 hour, then drained.

Rinse the turkey inside and out, removing the giblets and any excess lumps of fat. Reserve the giblets for gravy.

Make the brine. Place the water, salt, maple syrup, bourbon, cloves, lemon zest, and bay leaves in a large pot and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Add the turkey, placing a pot lid on top to keep it submerged. Brine the turkey overnight (about 12 hours) in the refrigerator.

About 3 hours before serving, set up your grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium (325° to 350°). Note: I prefer indirect grilling to low heat smoking when cooking a turkey. Smoking produces rubbery skin.

Drain and rinse the turkey and blot dry inside and out. Arrange the turkey on the grill grate over the drip pan. Toss 1-1/2 cups wood chips on the coals and cover the grill. Indirect grill the turkey for 1 hour.

Lightly brush the turkey all over with melted butter. Replenish the coals as needed and add the remaining wood chips. Continue cooking the turkey until crisp-skinned, golden-brown, and cooked through (the internal temperature in the thigh will be about 170°), 1-1/2 to 2 hours more—2-1/2 to 3 hours in all. You'll need to replenish the coals after the second hour (but don't add more wood chips). Baste the turkey from time to time with melted butter or any drippings that accumulate in the drip pan. If the skin browns too much, shield the breast with foil.

Transfer the turkey to a platter and let rest for 10 minutes, loosely tented with foil to keep it warm. Carve and serve at once with your favorite gravy or sauce. Yes, you can fortify the gravy with a shot of bourbon and maple syrup.

Yours in righteous grilling,

Steven Raichlen, Grill Master and Editor-in

[Ducaticraig]

Re: Bourbon-brined, Maple Smoked Turkey

Thanks for the post now did you grill a Turkey?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[mdbinkc]

Re: Bourbon-brined, Maple Smoked Turkey

Tried the recipe today, and the family loved it!

I brined the bird for a full 24 hours. Took the turkey out of the brine about 6 hours ahead of cooking, rinsed, patted dry, and stored in the fridge until about 30 minutes before grilling. I used olive oil on the skin instead of butter, and dusted the bird with fresh cracked pepper before putting her on. The skin turned out nicely browned, but was not crisp. We generally don't eat the skin, so it was no big deal (but my Eskie did enjoy a couple of pieces).

Added apple chunks at the beginning of the cook, with a large handful of bourbon soaked maple chips. Added another handful of maple chips about 90 minutes in.

I cooked on the main grid, over a disposable foil pan, with no stone deflector in place, at 375 degrees. It took 2 hours and 15 minutes for a 12# bird. My thighs reached 170 before my breasts made it to 165. The meat was very moist, the smoke flavor was about perfect for our taste, and the meat had a good seasoned flavor. Really good!

[DennisLinkletter]

NO Photos.. it probably didn't happen!

Tried the recipe today, and the family loved it!

Really good!

You do know the forum rules..

No Photos..

We're not sure this really happened!!

[mdbinkc]

Re: Bourbon-brined, Maple Smoked Turkey

I'd like to play the "newbie" card here, but the fact is, I was too lazy (and hungry) to take a picture. This turkey was a dry run for Thanksgiving - I will take a picture of the next one!

[LarryR]

Re: Bourbon-brined, Maple Smoked Turkey

At least you didn't play the "I drank too much card" I've had to use that a time or too

[Firemonkey]

Re: Bourbon-brined, Maple Smoked Turkey

At least you didn't play the "I drank too much card" I've had to use that a time or too

Ah, yes. I know that one well. It's usually followed by the "ate too much" card.

[EGGARY]

Re: Bourbon-brined, Maple Smoked Turkey

I want to make the Bourbon-brined Maple Smoked Turkey for Thanksgiving. My concern is finding a Turkey without the 8% Salt Solution. At the Store that is all they have, turkeys with the 8% Salt Solution. Where can I find a turkey without the solution ?

Second item: Thanksgiving is at Brother-in-Law's house. Every year they do it at 12pm. That is another sore subject for

another time. They live about 30 minutes away. What would be the best way to a) cook the turkey time wise, and best way to transport the turkey ? I would like the turkey to still be warm by the time we get there.

Thanks.

[mdbinkc]

Re: Bourbon-brined, Maple Smoked Turkey

I found the 12# fresh turkey I cooked at the local meat market - I called to order it, and specified that I did not want it brined, and they had it for me the next day. Do you have a local meat market or butcher shop close by?

As far as transporting, I would double wrap the bird in HD foil right off the KK, then in a towel or two, put it in a cooler, and then off to your Bro-in-law's you go. The turkey should rest for 15 minutes or so anyway,and I don't think an hour in the cooler will hurt anything. It will still be warm and ready to carve when you get there.

[normstar]

Re: Bourbon-brined, Maple Smoked Turkey

Any FRESH turkey should be without brine. You may have to find a high-end grocery or butcher. In LA, It's Bristol farms or whole foods. Myself, I'm fortunate that my friend owns the best meat company in So Cal so I get it from him. I think they are called "Mary's Turkeys" from Petaluma, ca, same folks that raise high quality chicken.

[EGGARY]

Re: Bourbon-brined, Maple Smoked Turkey

I found the 12# fresh turkey I cooked at the local meat market - I called to order it, and specified that I did not want it brined, and they had it for me the next day. Do you have a local meat market or butcher shop close by?

As far as transporting, I would double wrap the bird in HD foil right off the KK, then in a towel or two, put it in a cooler, and then off to your Bro-in-law's you go. The turkey should rest for 15 minutes or so anyway,and I don't think an hour in the cooler will hurt anything. It will still be warm and ready to carve when you get there.

Thank you for the info. When the turkey is taken off the KK, wrapped in HD foil and towels, and put into a cooler, does the cooked, is it still cooking ?

Thanks.

[tony b]

Re: Bourbon-brined, Maple Smoked Turkey

Yes, there is enough residual heat if you wrap it up right away, that the temperature of the meat should go up another 5 - 10F.

This is generally true for any meat, so always factor that in if you plan to do this. For example, I take my pork butts off the grill @ 190F, wrap in HD foil, beach towel and place in the cooler for a couple of hours. When I take it out to pull it, it will still almost burn your hands when you first start, it's still that warm!