Well posted this before I could finish the thread.... here we go again :)
Turkey being pulled the next morning getting ready for the smoke
Patted dry and let rest while the smoker gets up to temp.
Using my ever trusty
WSM with limp charcoal. Will be hitting the bird with a blend of Pecan and Cherry chunks.
Now on to the injection. For this I used butter, more ever trusty bourbon (both in equal parts and a few tablespoons of chicken stock
getting ready to make the injection
stock heating up while butter and Bourbon being combined. Once all set I mixed the butter bourbon and stock and used an ice cube to bring the injection to room temp.Now, on to the injection
all looking good so far... kitchen smells of spices and Bourbon, a real thing of beauty!
On to the grill with the bird. It’s 19 Lbs, but bigger then I would have liked but manageable, fit just fine on the 18”
WSM. TBS maintained for 1st half of the cook (3 hrs). Maintained heat between 225 and 50 throughout, was a bit of a challenge with the extreme winds we had, but all turned out great! Bird came off at 6 hrs once it hit 165.
light foil for 20 min to rest the meat while I make the Aus Jus.
during the last 2 hrs I used the remainder of the chicken stock in a aluminum pan under the bird in the
WSM to catch the drippings and get some lovely smoke. Aus Jus has fat separated and heated in a sauce pan with a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken it up a bit. Now in to carving...
thighs breast and legs all separated out. Of course I try a piece or two ;) the flavour, texture is fantastic... not too salty. Finally a platted shot.
served with a side of home made cranberry sauce, rolls from the local bakery, smashed sweet potatoes and a medley of veggies.
Picture of the crosscut.
overall the bird was a huge success. Meat was perfect, skin nice and crunchy, and the fixings compliment everything just right. The Aus Jus was great with a really nice light smoke flavour.
The request from the family are I for next year already, perhaps even for Christmas!
loaded the 5 gallon bucket into a cooler packed with ice packs to keep temps good overnight
