Dan Phelps from Learning To Smoke joined The PLACE with a recipe just in time for Thanksgiving - smoked turkey!
Ingredients
1 whole turkey
2 Tablespoons olive oil (or mayo)
1/2 cup butter (same as one stick)
2 Tablespoons (minimum) of your favorite rub
BRINE
1 gallon water
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups apple juice
2 apples, sliced
HERBED BUTTER
1/2 cup (aka- 1 stick) butter, softened
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon thyme, chopped
1 Tablespoon chives, chopped
1 Tablespoon sage, chopped
Instructions
Remove turkey from packaging, remove packet, gizzards from inside of bird. Set aside.
Prepare brine by combining water, kosher salt, brown sugar, apple juice, and sliced apples into a cooler or five-gallon bucket. Double or triple the brining ingredients as necessary to have the turkey completely submerged. Place turkey in brine in the refrigerator overnight or for 12 hours.
Make herbed butter by combining butter, garlic, parsley, thyme, chives, and sage. Set aside.
Preheat grill/smoker to 250F, using pecan wood (or smoking wood of your choice)
Remove turkey from brine and rinse off the bird. Spatchcock the bird as described in link
Using your hand, create separation between the skin and the meat by starting where the head used to be. As you create separation between the skin and the breasts, smooth in some herbed butter. Then put in the rub. Repeat the process with butter and rub on top of the skin.
Put turkey on grill at 250F and cook for four hours or until the middle of the thickest part of the turkey breast reaches 165F. Remove from grill/smoker and let rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Keep in mind the prep time is so long mostly due to the brining of the turkey. This is usually done overnight.
If you decide not to spatchcock, the bird will take an extra couple of hours to cook.
You can find Dan at www.learningtosmoke.com or on Instagram (@learningtosmoke).
