We’ve done turkey in dozens of ways and tonight we wanted to do simple and simply delicious. We had a special friend and neighbor join us for our feast and we all liked different parts of the bird. So, Ken cut it into pieces like you would a chicken. We slow smoked our turkey for 3 hours at 225 degrees (107c) with Lumberjack Maple and Apple pellets mixed. Then, we grilled our bird for 1 hour at 350 degrees (177c) next to Patti’s traditional Stuffing/Dressing. Patti had lots of plans for leftovers, but this hen turkey was so juicy and tender with a smoky richness that there just weren’t enough leftovers. We may have to make a separate turkey just for the casseroles we love.
Patti and I have set one night a week just for us. It’s our date night. We usually put something special on our Green Mountain Wood Pellet Grill/Smoker but sometimes we cook inside. We always eat outside on our patio where it is very comfortable with a rainforest theme. Wood burning stove, little lights, candles, lanterns and surround sound. We enjoy a little wine, or strawberry margaritas using frozen strawberries for ice, good food, music and sometimes a dance or two…
Overview:
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hrs @ 225 degrees (107c), 1 hr @ 350 degrees (177c)
Grill: Green Mountain Wood Pellet Grill
Pellets: Lumberjack Maple and Apple
Ingredients:
- 1 13lb. turkey
- GMG’s Sizzle Seasoning Rub
- KW’s BBQ sauce (Patti’s favorite Sweet & Spicy flavor) or your favorite sauce
Directions:
Cut the turkey up as if it were a chicken for frying. Apply a nice amount of your rub and lay it out in the smoker. Smoke it for 3 hours at 225 degrees (107c). Then, turn the heat up to 350 degrees (177c) for a hour to finish it off and crisp it up some. The last 30 minutes of cook time add your BBQ sauce so the sauce doesn’t burn. Turn and sauce the other side in 15 minutes.
Cut into Pieces and Season
To prepare the grill for cooking, check your pellet supply – top off or change flavors as needed. Scrape grill grates off. Set the temperature to 450 degrees and press the “Start” button. Give the grill about 15 minutes to reach temperature and the grates to burn clean.
Note: You can set the start temperature anywhere you want. I do 450 (230c) for a quick cleaning burn.
I like to smoke everything for at least 30 minutes with 3 hours being even better. After all the Green Mountain wood pellet grill is a awesome smoker so use it for all the wood smoke flavor it will add to your food.
So after the grill comes up to temp and burns clean turn it back down to 225 degrees (107c). Place everything directly onto the grill and just let it hang out in the smoke and get happy for 3 hours or so. This is referred to as “Smoking” or “Hot Smoking”.
After 3 hours, turn the (Temperature Control) up to 350 degrees (177c). Now you can cook your sides and pick up all of the wood fired flavor from the grill. I did an hour here at 350 (177c).
When the meat reaches an internal temp around 170 degrees (77c) pull it off, cover it and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. U.S.D.A. says 165 degrees (74c) is the safe temperature poultry but I like the way it flakes apart if it cooks a little longer. Keep in mind that the meat will continue cooking for another 5 to 10 degrees after you pull it off the grill. I use a Maverick ProTemp Instant Read Thermometer for checking meat temps.
In the Smoke with the Stuffing on the Grill Grates
Note: I get a lot of questions about the kind of pellets you can use with a recipe. Keep in mind that a recipe is just an outline. Some you need to follow closely like when you are making bread, but most you can do anything you can dream, our favorite way to cook. Feel free to mix and match the pellets until you find a combination you really like. Also you are only smoking at temps less than 250 degrees (122c), anything higher is cooking and there will not be much if any smoke so it does not matter what kind of pellet you are using.
Sauce the last 30 Minutes of your Cook
Let’s Eat!!
