HAPPY SMOKED TURKEY DAY!!
Please try our newest Big Green Egg recipe to make your Thanksgiving a tasty one!! Once you try this brined smoked turkey, you’ll agree that nothing does a better job of roasting meats than the EGG. The turkey has a subtle smoky flavor and is moist and succulent, but if you prefer a bolder smoky flavor, add more smoking wood chips in increments during cooking. Recipe courtesy of Kevin Rathbun.
Ingredients
- 16 cups (1 gallon) water
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- Rind of 1 navel orange
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 3 yellow onions, quartered
- 1 garlic head
- 1 (12-pound) turkey
- 2 lemons, quartered
- 10 sprigs thyme
- 10 sprigs sage
- 1 cup chopped potatoes
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Garlic powder
Instructions
Set your Big Green Egg for indirect cooking at 350ºF/177ºC. (but don’t add the convEGGtor until you add the smoking chips)
Pour the one gallon of water into a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, orange rind, rosemary, salt, two-thirds of the quartered onions and 1 halved garlic head. Mix until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove the giblets from inside the turkey and reserve for another use. Make sure to rinse your turkey well. Place the turkey in a 2½ gallon resealable plastic bag or any container that is large enough to hold the turkey and the liquid. Pour the brine over the turkey, making sure it’s completely covered. Refrigerate for 12 hours, make sure and turn the turkey periodically so the whole turkey gets brined.
Soak 4 cups of hickory chips in water in a medium bowl for 1 hour.
Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse well to remove the brining liquid, and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brining liquid and solids. Stuff the turkey with the lemon quarters, the remaining halved garlic head and onion, thyme, sage, and potatoes. Brush the turkey with olive oil and season with pepper and garlic powder.
Scatter 1 cup of the hickory chips over the hot coals and, using barbecue mitts, add the ConvEGGtor, legs up, in the Big Green Egg. Place the turkey on the V-Rack and put the V-Rack in the Drip Pan. Place the Drip Pan on the ConvEGGtor and close the lid of the EGG. Cook for 2½ hours, adding more chips every 30 minutes. If the turkey starts to brown too quickly, carefully tent the turkey with aluminum foil. Continue cooking until the instant-read thermometer registers 165ºF/74ºC.
Remove the turkey from the EGG and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Carve and serve immediately.
Serves 8