Holidays
Season The Holidays Perfectly With A Barbecued Turkey
By
Nov 13, 2007, 22:02

(NAPSI)-Looking to really impress your guests this holiday season? One surefire way to get everyone at the table is by serving turkey straight off the outdoor barbecue.

"Many years ago, I converted from ordinary oven-roasted turkeys to lightly smoked birds with much more succulence," said Chef Jamie Purviance, author of "Weber's Charcoal Grilling: The art of cooking with live fire." Follow these steps from Chef Purviance for an uncommonly delicious tradition that solves the old problem of the white meat turning dry before the dark is done.

The Day Before

Once the turkey has thawed, remove the wing tips at the joint. Also remove and reserve the neck and giblets from both ends of the turkey. Use these parts for gravy.

Start With A Soak

According to Purviance, "Brining a turkey before barbecuing helps the meat stay moist and delicious throughout." A brine is essentially a salt-and-water solution. He likes to add apple juice and herbs for better flavors, which are slowly absorbed in the lean meat of a turkey before cooking, protecting it from overcooking.

Arrange the turkey, breast side down, in a sturdy plastic bag. Put the bag in a cooler lined with ice, and then pour the brine over the turkey. Pull up the sides of the bag so the brine completely covers the turkey and let it soak for 24 hours.

Fire It Up

Prepare a crescent-shaped fire on one side of the charcoal grate for higher temperatures on that side. On the opposite side, a drip pan filled with warm water will help maintain the temperature of the grill, which should be 300° F to 350° F.

'Tis the Season!

Remove the turkey from the bag and rinse it with cold water. Pat it dry, lightly coat it with melted butter, and season it with pepper.

Next, in a heavy-duty roasting pan, combine good-quality chicken stock with aromatic vegetables and the reserved turkey parts. Place the pan over indirect low heat and add wood chips to the fire.

Barbecuing The Turkey

"Start by cooking the breast meat, on a rack, facing down in the pan. This way, the leg meat gets a head start, while the breast meat is shielded from the heat by the pan and the liquid," said Purviance. "After the first hour, the legs, wings and back will be golden brown but the breast will have barely begun to cook. Turning the turkey over will allow the breast and leg meat to finish together."

Remove the turkey from the grill when the internal temperature reaches 175° F in the thickest part of a thigh and 165° F in the breast.

Take A Break And Enjoy

Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and cover it loosely with foil. Let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes while you make gravy from the liquid in the pan.

For Purviance's Brined and Barbecued Turkey with Pan Gravy recipe from "Weber's Charcoal Grilling," visit www.livefirewisdom.com.

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