Dancing Spoon: Shep's Grilled Turkey

Grilling Summer/Winter

David Shepherd sent this recipe to me. Shep is an old friend, a foodie, an avid fisherman, and will brave the New England winters to grill up a turkey for a mid-winter’s feast.

First step for the bird is a 24-hour spicy brine. Then the turkey is coated with a BBQ sauce-based marinade and allowed to rest for another 24 hours. Grilling time: the turkey is browned on the grill and cooked with the indirect heating method.

Shep's Grilled Turkey

For the Brine
Combine
2 qt water
2 qt apple cider or juice
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup light brown sugar
6 Tbsp cracked black pepper
4 tsp rubbed sage
2 tsp cinnamon

(Note: try to incorporate the spices and herbs into the liquid, vs. having them float on top. A brisk stirring, or wetting them out with a little water first to make a paste then adding to the brine will help.)

Wash and pat dry the turkey. Using a deep, tall stockpot, brine the bird for 24 hrs. (Note: I’ve never gone above a 13-pounder, but you could, perhaps adjusting the container size and quantities for coverage).

BBQ Marinade
(Adjust/modify seasonings to taste)
Combine
1 cup cider vinegar
2 cups BBQ sauce (you could make your own—recipes abound, and it ain’t hard--or buy a high-quality, no additive version, like Dinosaur brand, etc. One complete standard bottle (16-19 oz.) is enough; pour the entire contents first, then cut the residue w/the vinegar to drain the last bit of it. Mild to hot is a matter of choice.)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp light brown sugar

Reserve some of the marinade for serving at the table if you like.

Remove bird from brine. Place into a sturdy pan (I use a large disposable tin roasting pans, with a cutting board under for rigidity). Coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Grilling
Using a gas grill that allows for left/right on-off operation (not front back), place a drip pan under one side, which will be the cool side, removing briquettes if any, etc. Bring the warm side to low-medium heat; sear the bird on all four sides for approx. 15 min. per side, or whatever your particular grill allows, to obtain a nice even golden brown tone. The goal is not to burn it, but brown it! Next, move the bird to the cold side, breast side up, baste liberally w/the marinade, close cover, and let cook for approx. 40-45 minutes. Repeat baste every 40-45 minutes, rotating bird front-to-back, and perhaps onto its sides as well, to maintain an even exposure to the hot side.

Depending on the grill, a 12-13 pound bird will take approximately 3-3 1/2 hours, including the searing. Adjust time according to your grill, but err on the side of caution! You can always keep it on a little longer. To check doneness, pull one thigh away from body, and cut into the deepest part, next to the bone, examine the meat coloration—I prefer a bit of pinkness. The juices should run clear as well. Or, using an instant-read thermometer, check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. The USDA tells us that a whole turkey is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.

When done, remove and let stand 20-30 minutes before carving. Serve with the barbeque sauce on hand, or whatever else suits you.

Note: this method can also be executed on a larger charcoal grill, building the briquettes to one side of the fire box, adding dampened wood chips at the standard intervals, etc. Just be sure there’s enough space to establish a ‘cold’ side. Careful: charcoal grills are hotter than those running on propane, so a little more attention is required.

This method yields some mighty good eatin’! Would also work with a large roasting chicken.

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