Gary’s smoked turkey wins the beauty and taste contest every year. But he has to make great sacrifices to fix this bird. Here are the steps:
Note: Order your fresh, organic turkey one week in advance. It should not be more than 16 – 18 pounds.
1.) The day before Thanksgiving, clean and wash your turkey.
2.) Select a marinade or a brine recipe. Gary prepares a soy, ginger marinade with garlic, dry sherry, and a bit of sesame oil. You can use your favorite recipe or brine the turkey.
3.) Place in a large pot or oversized bowl. We use our lobster pot. Cover with the marinade and turn several times over the 24 hour period.
4.) Get up at 4 a.m. to get the smoker going. Light the charcoal, fill the water pan with water and this is where we use up all the leftover bottles of wine that we keep for cooking occasions.
5.) Remove the turkey from the marinade and smoke in the heated smoker for 7 to 9 hours at about 220 degrees.
6.) After 6 hours, insert an instant read thermometer and cook until the internal temperature of the turkey is 160 to 170 degrees.
7.) Have the turkey ready about 1 hour before you plan to eat. It gives you time to prepare your other last minute ingredients and allows the turkey to cool for serving.
Smoked Turkey