The Way to Smoke a Turkey

You can smoke your turkey if you need a simple but delicious meal to feed your family and friends. This
recipe will feed about seven to eight people.

Ingredients you need:
1 and 1/4 pound of turkey, either thawed or fresh
Olive oil
Butcher wine
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme
1 quartered orange with zest
One half cup of unsalted butter
 
The instructions:
1. Thaw/bring the unsalted butter to your room temperature, and mix the butter with your freshly chopped rosemary and thyme.

2. Remove the wing tips of the turkey with a pair of poultry shears.

3. Separate the skin of the turkey from the breast using your fingers, starting from the bottom cavity. Work yourself up towards the neck of the turkey, and do not split/tear the turkey skin.

4. Work in equal amounts of the mixed butter onto the breasts and thighs. Season the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper. Place your previously quartered oranges inside the cavity and truss the turkey with butcher wine.

5. Pat the turkey down with paper towels, make sure it is dry.

6. Season the outside of the turkey with orange zest, pepper, and salt. Rub all over the turkey with the olive oil.

7. Prep the smoker you are using. Read the Optional Instructions below for preparing a “Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker”.

8. Grill the turkey over medium low heat, about 300
to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the turkey on the top grate as the smoker climbs temperature towards 300 degrees. Close the lid.

9. Place no more than 2-3 medium chunks of wood on hot coals. Be careful not to use an aggressive species of wood, it can be too harsh. A little wood goes a long way.

10. If the fire is too hot, let some heat out by opening some vents. If cold weather is a problem for you, add 9-10 unlit briquettes every hour to maintain the temperature.

Optional Instructions for Preparing a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker:

1. Disassembling the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker, and fill up the fire ring halfway with charcoal. You need to roughly cover up the first layer of circles.

2. Fill the chimney halfway with charcoal briquettes and light them. NOTE: You do not need to put water in the water pan, since this is a hot cook. You can also line the pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup
afterwards.

3. When the coals turn grey and ash over in the chimney, dump them over unlit coals that are at the base of the smoker and let it stay still for about ten to fifteen minutes.

4. Re-assemble the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. NOTE: If you want to make a pan gravy, place a foil tray (disposable) on the lower grate of the cooker.

5. Follow instructions from #8 to smoke your turkey.

You need about 15-18 minutes of cooking time for each pound of turkey. Cook until the deep parts of the thigh reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit with an instant read thermometer. Please note, there are different ways to smoke the turkey (using water or electronic smoker), and different heating and cooking instructions will apply to them! Enjoy your smoked turkey!

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