Smokin' Hot Turkey

Beautiful that is - not spicy! The best way to prepare a turkey as far as I am concerned!

I first fell in love with smoked turkey at one of the famous Rudy's restaurants in Texas. Born out of a gas station, I still credit Rudy's with some of the best BBQ I have had. I have measured every single bite of turkey against theirs ever since. It was shockingly moist and tasty.

I realized I had been doing turkey wrong for all of my adult life. Don't get me wrong, fried turkey is pretty awesome, and definitely a close second. You get that same juiciness, but you cannot get that amazing smoky taste in a fryer.

"I am on my way. See you in two hours."

The trick to moist poultry is the brine. I use this same brine for my chicken, just adjusting the amounts based on the size of the bird. It is a must, so don't skip it! The rub is the same recipe I use for brisket, but you may find that salt needs to be added. Believe it or not, a dry brine leaves a salty taste on the meat, but this type of brining does not.

Smokin' Hot Turkey

Ingredients

Smoke:

• 1 10-12 lb. turkey thawed

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup apple juice

• 1 spray bottle

Pro tip - Turkeys larger than 12 lbs. can sit at dangerous temperatures for too long during a smoke. It is better to use smaller birds, multiple if needed for larger crowds instead of larger.

Brine:

• 2 cups of water

• 2 cups kosher salt

• 3 bay leaves

• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary

• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme

• 1 tablespoon of dried parsley

• 1 orange sliced thinly

• 2 cups apple juice

• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 4 whole cloves

• 2 cups of ice

• 1 gallon cold water, more if required to cover bird

Injection Broth:

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup chicken stock/broth

Rub:

• 1 tablespoon dark chili powder

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon celery seeds, ground

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, ground

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano, rubbed

• 1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika

• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, ground

Directions

Brine:

1. Prepare your turkey by removing all innards and place in a roasting bag in a large stock pot or roasting pan.

2. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add all remaining brine ingredients, and simmer and stir until salt has completely dissolved.

3. Cool brine with ice, and then add into the roasting bag with the turkey. Add remaining water and seal the bag, ensuring the turkey is completely submerged, adding more cold water as necessary.

4. Refrigerate for 12 hours but no more than 24 hours.

Rub, Injection & Smoke:

1. Remove turkey from brine, rinse and place in a large roasting pan, taking care to remove all remaining herbs and peppercorns. I like to use a beer can setup to keep the turkey upright, but it isn't required.

2. Inject approximately half of the injection solution into the breasts of the turkey, and then use remaining solution to coat the exterior of the bird.

3. Apply rub liberally.

4. Combine 1 cup of water and 1 cup of apple juice in a spray bottle.

5. Smoke at 250 degrees for until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165 degrees, approximately 6-8 hours depending on size of the turkey. Spray every hour with the apple and water solution.

6. Rest for 15 minutes before carving.