Turkey on the Weber challenge

[bae]

OK, I have here one 15 pound fresh turkey. One classic 3-burner gas Weber grill. 3 tanks of propane.

I've grilled The Bird many a time before, or done him up in the smoker. It always turns out great, and keeps the oven free for all those pies my mother seems to bake when she comes over for Thanksgiving.

So here's my question for y'all - how do *you* do your bird on the grill? I'm looking to get out of my "stuff an apple/onion in the cavity and lard it with bacon" rut :-)

[WadeP]

You just throw the bird on the grate? Indirect heat, I guess but how long does it go for?
My co-worker just told me how he cooked a whole turkey on the rotisserie on his grill. It had to be tied up with string and went for 13 hours but was very tasty. My grill doesn't have one or I'd be tempted to give it a try but we're having brisket and ribs for Thanksgiving because my mom's allergic to turkey.

[John Chambers]

15-20 pound bird on an offset firebox smoker. Use a mixture of mostly mesquite wood with some pecan wood and smoke it slow, usually around 16-20 hours. I keep a water pan under the bird to keep it moist. I also use the same system for venison and I just pulled a 20+ pound haunch out of the deep freeze, which will be going on the smoker tomorrow. YUMMY!

[bae]

You just throw the bird on the grate? Indirect heat, I guess but how long does it go for?

When I put it on the grill, I usually set it in a drip pan on the grate to prevent forest fires, with a small wire rack to hold it steady, and use indirect heat with the grill running about 350, so I can essentially treat it as an oven. So with the 3-burner gas grill, I leave the center burner off, the other two running at about "medium" seem to keep it at the proper temp.

[336Whiskey]

I use real fire - charcoal. So I do it totally different with oak for smoking. Thursday I am doing 2 turkey breasts that way. We slice them up and make sandwiches out of them for Thanksgiving.

[Redacted]

Used this recipe last year with excellent results on both chicken and turkey. Starts with a brine, then a rub, then smoke (I like apple wood). Did the smoking in my 3-burner gas Weber. The gravy was great, too!

http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/chicken_turkey_duck/ultimate_smoked_turkey.html

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Bill Lindsay]

OK, first no gas ever...........never. The 2 best ways I have found are, of course, charcoal. Using a Weber get the Somkenator system. Indirect cooking and a liquid pan for moist meat. The next is one of the greatest charcoal systems ever. it's called the Orion. Found it at Basspro. Stainless steel and very heavy duty. Cooks all around and cuts time in half. Includes a drip/liquid pan and a tray for wood chips. Look at it at www.orioncooker.com (http://www.orioncooker.com).
Enjoy and God bless your Thanksgiving.

[blackballed]

Cornish games hens in a dutch oven.

[bae]

Thanks for the tips!

6am this morning, 40 knot wind howling outside, cooking for the clan began!

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wp2NfmC7nPA/Ts0K36tTysI/AAAAAAAAER8/s3Bq0Yr-l_Q/s640/IMG_0257.JPG

[ERN]

Since you guys are in the know: Thread derail:

I just got a 25 lb Turkey as a gift for helping with the slaughter on the farm. It is frozen and currently thawing in the fridge.

I have access to a convection oven, not a grill.

Any tips you would recommend for cooking this monster?

[yoni]

Since it will just be 3 of us this year, this being the first Thanksgiving since mom died. It seems with my mom passing some of her family wants to go eat at a restaurant. Screw them, so dad, wife and myself will modify the feast some what.

Smoked Chicken

Dressing

Yams

Green bean casserole with onion rings

Mashed potatoes and gravy

Pecan pie

My Cylinder and Slide Hi Power on my hip, gold plated hammer and trigger shinned up special for the day.

[Heywood]

I wrap the whole bird in foil and start the charcoal. Shove an open can of beer up it's ass and stand it on its head, Just as it lights I cover the works and let it cook all day. Though I usually do this for independence day weekend camping not for Thanksgiving.

[bae]

Victory.

The experiment begins.

Pre-salted for a day or so, larded with home-made bacon, cavity stuffed with apple, onion, and herbs, skin rubbed with olive oil, achiote paste, and pepper.

In at 325 over a pan of broth, with apple wood chips to the side.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vyzxSkay8WU/Ts60qAk7ALI/AAAAAAAAESU/p144mfa08PA/s640/IMG_0266.JPG

And, it worked!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6HgIQq7ksMg/Ts77ufCaOQI/AAAAAAAAES4/egK1oTpjG1c/s640/IMG_0273.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-efOtsekx2Fs/Ts77RdJ7dwI/AAAAAAAAESg/sFcrUVrp0xo/s640/IMG_0276.JPG

[yoni]

I also had success.

Dad came over and while I was cooking he came into the kitchen. Seeing me cooking, and not mom, brought emotion to the surface and he got a little misty eyed.

We had a great feast and I sent the left overs home with dad.

It will rank as one of my favorite thanksgivings, since I was took care of my father.

[Mickey Rourke]

Believe it or not, some of the best, juiciest turkey I've ever eaten came from a Reynolds Wrap browning bag slow-cooked in a regular oven. YMMV.

(I know you said no oven, but we have more than one...)

[DC950]

the only way I will cook turkey is on my Weber charcoal grill. I even hauled it to my mother's house yesterday. I swear to you that every time I've done it (10 or so) it comes out looking like it came off a magazine cover. Not one has been dry either. No drip pan, wood, fans, magic, or anything like that. Just a good herb rub and follow the cooking directions in the Weber Big Book of Grilling. Everyone who's eaten some of mine has remarked how good it is.

The keys are 1) don't cook it too fast - counting the charcoal is critical; 2) use a meat thermometer and take it off when the breast is no more than 160. Most people forget that meat will continue to cook after it's removed from the heat source - turkey will easily rise 5 to 10 degrees which is why IMHO most people end up with a dry bird. If you let that little plastic thing pop up, it's going to be dry. Throw that away!

Sorry I didn't see this before but there is always the Christmas feast.

[bae]

... use a meat thermometer and take it off when the breast is no more than 160.

I believe this is the main magical trick, yes!