Sixteen years ago, I grilled my first turkey and have never looked back. I can’t sing the praises enough of grilling the Thanksgiving turkey. First, you save a lot of oven space that you always need on Thanksgiving for all the other dishes. Second, the meat is moist and has a faintly smoky flavor. Third, grilling a turkey goes much faster than roasting one in the oven. Fourth, the gravy from the drippings of a grilled turkey tastes like nothing else–just amazing.

I’m discussing this today because grilling a turkey involves….well…your grill. Be sure to have a fresh tank of propane or a goodly supply of charcoal on hand for grilling, as the grilling takes a few hours of heat. Meanwhile, here’s what you’ll need to grill YOUR turkey.

I always buy a great big aluminum roaster pan to grill my turkey in. (Note: you must put the turkey in a pan on the grill. If you place the turkey directly on the rack, a great conflagration will ensue, possibly even involving a visit from your friendly neighborhood firefighters.)

About 5 days before cooking the turkey, I take it out of the freezer and put it into the fridge. Information on poultry safety is all over the web and I’m not going to write it out all over again. Make sure that you don’t let your turkey defrost on the counter for two days. That is dangerous. Let it defrost in the fridge for a couple days or in a sink full of very cold water for a couple hours.

On the morning of the day you plan to cook your turkey, take it out of the fridge and put it into a clean sink. Retrieve the neck, giblets, and whatever else you might find stashed inside the bird. You can cook those giblets and the neck up to serve or set them aside in the fridge to put into the stock later. Rinse out the turkey and pat dry with paper towels.

Place the turkey into the large aluminum roasting pan. Make sure that the roaster pan is sitting on top of a second, sturdy pan, like a heavy duty cookie sheet. You will be carrying a fully loaded turkey out to the grill and those aluminum roasting pans just aren’t that sturdy. The cookie sheet or even a board will give the pan the support it needs for that quick walk to the grill.

Quarter a couple of onions and stuff those inside the cavity of the turkey. Then cut 3 or 4 carrots into thirds and put those into the bird as well. These will not be eaten–in fact, are not SAFE to be eaten–but they will infuse the turkey with some good onion-y flavors and will also keep it very moist. If you’re so inclined, throw in a handful of whole garlic cloves and a quartered apple.

Prepare a marinade from the following items:

• 1 bottle of wine (white or red will be up to you. When I prepare the turkey for our church dinner, I will probably substitute apple or cranberry juice because I know of a few people who need an alcohol alternative.)
• 3 T. minced garlic
• 1/2 c. soy sauce
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. white vinegar
• 2 T. rosemary

Mix all these things together and pour as much as you can into the cavity of the turkey. After you tie the legs back up and set the turkey down, the marinade will run out and that’s okay. When you put the roaster on the grill, you want about 2 inches of marinade in the bottom of the roaster. As the turkey cooks, some of this marinade will boil off. Replenish it with the rest of the marinade or with water. You will be watching to make sure it doesn’t cook dry.

Check the doneness of the turkey by checking the temperature. You can do this a number of ways. If you can get one of those little pop up thermometers that pop up when the turkey is the correct temperature, those are probably the handiest. A quick read thermometer works well. You can’t leave it in the meat, but you can slide it into the meat and get a temperature pretty rapidly. A regular old meat thermometer that sticks into the turkey and stays there also works nicely. The temperature that you’re watching for is 185°. This is the safe temperature for cooked turkey.

After you stuff the onions and carrots into the turkey and drench it in marinade, completely cover the turkey with foil. It might take more than one sheet of foil to seal around the entire bird. You also might need to replace the foil if it works loose or gets torn during the cooking process.

Once the bird is prepared, take it out to the grill. I have used a gas grill for this process, so I’ll give instructions for that. I know that the directions for cooking with charcoal will be a little different. I lower the rack inside the grill as far as I can, so as to fit the turkey into the grill and get the cover closed. Some years, the bird I cook is so big that I end up taking out the lava rocks and just setting the roaster pan on the lower racks. The grill lid MUST close though.

I usually start the turkey out on a medium high heat. It won’t take long before the marinade starts bubbling. You want to keep it simmering and almost boiling. If it boils too vigorously, it can end up boiling over the edges of the pan and you lose a lot of marinade that way. After about an hour, you can start using a turkey baster to squirt the marinade over the turkey. Replenish the marinade as the level drops. How long you cook the turkey will depend on how large it is.

For the last hour or so, I usually loosen up the foil a bit so that the turkey can get golden brown. I don’t take the foil off completely because I want to keep some steam going around the bird. When the thermometer (stuck into the thickest part of the turkey breast but NOT touching any bones) reads 185° it’s time to turn off the grill. Getting the turkey off the grill and onto a sturdy cookie sheet or board might take two sets of hands and a LOT of pot holders.

Take the turkey inside and let it sit for about 15 minutes. When you carve the turkey, throw out the onions and carrots immediately. If you’re making stock, you can put the onions and carrots into the stock because it will be boiling for hours. Do NOT serve these veggies. Any other bits of the turkey that you don’t want to serve or eat later can go immediately into a stock pot to make stock from once you’ve cleaned the carcass.

After you’ve carved up the turkey, there should still be some wonderful drippings in the pan. You can make gravy from these drippings that tastes just heavenly. Not only will you have marinade in those drippings, but you’ll have lots of turkey juices (and butter if it’s a Butterball.)

I’m reserving the right to come back and edit this post…It’s hard for me to remember every single step of something that I do 3 or 4 times a year, every year, so I might have forgotten something.

Enjoy!

Barb

It was station owner Arthur Carlson who uttered those words on the historic Thanksgiving episode of WKRP in Cincinnati.  I don’t think all the chefs at Food Network could fix that Thanksgiving disaster.  Well, if you have a problem or questions about turkeys then check this out:

FOSTER FARMS TO RESCUE COOKS FROM TURKEY DAY MISHAPS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH ANNUAL TURKEY HELPLINE AND WEB RESOURCES
Consumers count on Foster Farms’ on-call poultry professionals, 24-hour hotline, online tutorials for preparation tips and last-minute help preparing their Thanksgiving centerpiece.

LIVINGSTON, Calif. – How do you stuff and roast the perfect turkey, drum up delicious gravy, or even grill your bird this Thanksgiving holiday? Foster Farms answers these questions and many more with its free, around-the-clock Turkey Helpline (1-800-255-7227) and expanded informational Web site (www.fosterfarms.com).

In addition to serving up fool-proof turkey tips, this year’s helpline offers hints to help consumers savor the season with expert holiday entertaining advice and delicious traditional recipes for everything from the centerpiece turkey to pumpkin pie, as well as many low fat and low-carb dishes to please health-conscious guests.

In what has become a celebrated annual tradition, Foster Farms turkey meal specialists will take to the phones in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving Day, November 27, providing thousands of home chefs with inspiring recipes, time-tested cooking advice and consumer safety guidelines.

From November 19 to December 1, including Thanksgiving Day, the Foster Farms Turkey Helpline may be accessed 24-hours a day, seven days a week by calling (800) 255-7227. The Turkey Helpline is staffed by live operators and provides consumers with tips to help make their turkey dinners a success. Prior to November 19 and after December 1, the Foster Farms Turkey Helpline is available Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. PST. Online self-help resources are available at www.fosterfarms.com year-round.

Last year, nearly 3,000 consumers contacted the Foster Farms Turkey Helpline throughout the holiday season. Even more consumers are turning to the company Web site at www.fosterfarms.com, where site visits increase exponentially each day as Thanksgiving Day draws closer.

“Preparing a top-notch holiday meal for family and friends can rattle even experienced cooks. Fortunately, our experts know what to do in any turkey dinner situation,” says Teresa Lenz, Foster Farms’ consumer affairs manager. “We have helped tens of thousands of families over the years at every stage of the process, from meal planning, to grocery shopping, to last-minute emergencies.”

The Foster Farms Turkey Helpline and Web site address common questions and provide holiday meal suggestions, thawing times, roasting and basting techniques, cooking instructions, servings-per-pound calculations, step-by-step carving instructions, nutritional information, food safety tips and even ideas for making the most of leftovers.

Foster Farms also offers consumers a free holiday brochure with time-tested tips, techniques and recipes. The brochure is available by request at (800) 255-7227.

“Our team can even help with less traditional Thanksgiving plans,” adds Lenz. “For example, we’ve noticed that a growing number of people want a grilled turkey at Thanksgiving, so we’re offering grilling information and suggestions for cooks who crave that smoky flavor.”

Foster Farms’ fresh turkey offerings include Whole Young Turkey for traditional roasts, Young Turkey Breasts for shorter cooking times and guest lists, and pre-marinated Savory Servings® Turkey for no-fuss family dinners. For households hosting smaller feasts or who want to host an encore turkey meal inspired by Thanksgiving later in the year, Foster Farms’ Savory Servings pre-marinated Turkey Tenderloins are the perfect turkey choice.

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About Foster Farms
Foster Farms whole turkeys are locally grown, raised cage-free and 100% natural without added hormones, steroids, salt, chemicals or artificial taste enhancers.  Foster Farms’ Turkey Helpline helps thousands of home chefs each year, with more than 2,000 calls usually taking place on Thanksgiving Day alone.

Founded by Max and Verda Foster in 1939, Foster Farms continues today as a family-owned and operated company. Foster Farms ready to cook, fresh chicken is all natural with no preservatives or sodium-based additives. For more than 70 years, families in the Western United States have trusted Foster Farms for the highest quality, locally raised, fresh chicken.

Editor’s Note: For high-resolution photography, recipes and tips from Foster Farms experts, please contact Karmina Zafiro at 415.392.1000 or kzafiro@finemanpr.com.

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And now, one of the funniest scenes in television history:

Peace out, my gobblers.

If you are the fortunate to work for a company that gives great holiday employee gifts and receive a gThankYou™ Turkey Gift Certificate, you’ll want to know a delicious way to prepare turkey that’s guaranteed to receive compliments from your family and guests.

My family loves turkey. It tastes delicious from the oven, but for us, the #1 way to cook a turkey is on a charcoal grill. It’s the easiest turkey recipe we know, the set-up is fast and the bird has a taste no oven or gas grill can match.

Here’s how we do it. We start with an ordinary Weber kettle grill, just the basic, least expensive, standard-size, One-Touch Silver unit ($65-$85 online); there’s nothing fancy about it.

Use the “indirect” cooking method; that means charcoal is placed on the perimeter (around the edges) of the grill and a foil pan is in the center to catch drippings from the bird. You can buy foil pans from Weber dealers, or generic ones at the grocery store; we make our own from aluminum foil. If you decide to use foil, first fold the edges twice to create rigidity, then fold the corners tightly so it doesn’t leak. When you’re set up, it will look like the photo on the right.

Setting up the grill. Light the charcoal using your favorite method (lighter fluid, electric or gas starter or chimney with newspaper) and wait until all the briquets are alight. I use basic Kingsford charcoal, but any brand is fine, including some of the specialty varieties such as mesquite, hickory or apple wood. I also find the easiest way to start the charcoal is using a chimney and two sheets of newspaper.

When the coals are ready spread them into two piles, one on each side of the grill and carefully place the drip-pan in the middle. Make sure you use insulated grill mitts to protect your hands from the heat.

Preparing the turkey. Prepping the turkey is simple and fast. First, (this is the secret) cut a lemon or two into quarters and put the pieces in the turkey’s cavity. The lemon is a technique we from Marcella Hazan for preparing chicken; it keeps the bird moist, but

doesn’t impart much flavor. Second, prepare a mixture of roughly 1/2 cup olive or peanut oil, 1 tablespoon salt (we like kosher salt) and 1/2 tablespoon pepper (ideally freshground). Brush this mixture on the turkey to prevent burning. (Food safety note: we’re careful about reusing brushes that touch fresh meat, fish or poultry; wash with soap after use, fully dry and use only for meats afterward.) Tuck the neck skin flap in or attach it to the bird with a small skewer or sharp toothpick. Finally, truss the bird with string: first tie it snuggly once around the breast to hold the wings in place and keep them from burning or flopping; next tie the legs tightly together at the ends to hold them in place.

Cooking the turkey. This is the easiest part of all. Place the turkey in the middle of the grill over the drip pan. Grill about 15 minutes per pound; that means a 14-pound turkey should be on the grill 3-1/2 hours. After two hours or so carefully lift the grate while wearing mitts and add a few briquets to the charcoal on each side of the drip pan.  Remove the turkey from the grill when it is 180˚F. Often the temperature rises a few degrees after you remove it from the grill.

Serving the turkey. Let the turkey sit 15 minutes or so before carving and serving. (I’ll talk about easy ways to carve a turkey in a future posting.)

Enjoy. That’s all there is to it. If you have comments or suggestions, post them below.

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