Loading ...How To: Grill A Turkey On Thanksgiving
Growing up, my family would often grill out, although I hate to admit it was usually on a gas grill. It wasn’t until I met my wife that my father-in-law introduced me to the world of charcoal grilling. He swears by charcoal grilling and has been cooking on the same Weber kettle for over 30 years. We’ve swapped countless tips and tricks, but the greatest grilling tradition he passed on to me was that of grilling a turkey the first snowfall of every year. After giving me his only daughter in marriage, I figure continuing that tradition on is the least I can do.
If you’ve never tasted a grilled turkey you don’t know what you’re missing. It has an incredible grilled flavor you simply cannot get from an oven and a juiciness like none other! And if you can’t wait for the first snowfall, fire up the grill this weekend and treat the family to a little Thanksgiving preview.
Follow these 4 Easy Steps and I guarantee you’ll never taste another turkey as good:
1.) Brine Your Bird. Click here for recipes.
2.) Rub Your Bird. After brining and rinsing your bird, rub it with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and a good amount of fresh ground pepper. You can also get creative and season the bird with your favorite BBQ rub; but start slow and don’t do too much the first time around. Find out what you like (and dislike) and adjust your seasoning accordingly.
3.) Prepare An Indirect Fire. If you’re cooking on a Weber kettle, put a drip pan in the middle of your charcol grate. Start a chimney and pour your coals left and right of the drip pan. You want the bird sitting directly above the drip pan with the heat source to the left and right. Note: If you are careful enough not to get coals or ash in your drip pan you can make some killer gravy out of the drippings!
4.) Grill. Follow my grilling timetable and be sure not to open your lid too often (or at all) because you can easily add 15 minutes to your cook with each lift. If you notice the wings or legs are too close to the fire and getting burnt, simply cover them in foil. Help monitor the internal temp of the bird by placing a remote thermometer into the thickest part of the bird (a.k.a. the breast).
5.) Turkey’s Done! When the turkey is done, foil and let rest for atleast 15 minutes or up to an hour before carving.
Be A Man.
-The Founding Father
