Originally posted by K79
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Here's what I do for my Thanksgiving turkey.
I bring my oven up to temp, clean out the coals & ashes, close the fire door and let the oven equalize-usually takes about an hour. Once my oven temp is stable (shooting for 450-475F range), I put the turkey in (breast down) and close the fire door. I rotate the pan every 30 minutes or so, and turn the bird breast side up after the first hour. My 14-15 lbs of turkey takes between 2.5 and 3 hours to cook (with the door only open to turn/rotate/inspect). I will tent the bird and cover the drumsticks & wings with foil when they get that "almost perfect" brown. When the meat's up to 155-157F, I bring it from the oven to the house and pull the foil down tight over the whole bird. The meat's temp will continue to coast up to the 160F goal. Always let it rest for at least 45 minutes before carving...it will stay plenty hot and will be much juicer.
If I want a little smoke flavor, I add some wet hickory/apple/mesquite/whatever chips in a small aluminum pan. The pan goes in at the beginning-off to a side from the bird and I leave the fire door open an inch or so. The chips will smoke (& possibly burn), but they will impart an excellent smoky flavor to the bird. When I first turn the bird pan (30-45 min into the 2.5-3 hr bake), I remove the chip dish/pan of ash. After that, my oven door is closed except to turn the pan or inspect the bird's cooking process.
Hope your Thanksgiving is a great one!
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