I had to create an account to say thank you. I was intimidated smoking my first bird, but I stumbled across this post and right away felt more confident since this thread keeps getting bumped each year. I gambled and went "all in" without a practice run, but it all worked out and turned out delicious. Everybody was surprised when I told them I put fruit in the cavity. I really like your tip on how to slice it. I wasn't wild about the idea of creole flavors, so I found a small business that makes their own Italian Herb Olive Oil and injected that instead. I used their dry herbs & spices (that are infused in the olive oil) in the cavity and outside. Like a lot of the other posts here, mine came out a little dark. Maybe it's because I used cherry wood? You said color will get better with practice, but what do we need to do to fix that? I also struggled with where to insert the thermometer, and unfortunately lost some of the juices by moving it around trying to find the right spot. (But I at least caught all the fat & juices in a drip pan and used it to make a superb gravy.) My first few tries were showing at or near 165 degrees in the breast just a few hours after starting my 20# bird. Any tips on what I was doing wrong? I later found some videos online that showed to insert it in the thigh muscle and cook it to 180 degrees. That reading looked a little more accurate. I might've cooked it just a little longer than necessary, but still not too shabby for my first try.
Thanks b! I did your recipe this year and everyone loved it!
Lovin the fruit idea BD. Brined overnight, injected with honey garlic and sittin in the fridge till morning. Thumbs Up
