If the traditional method of oven-roasting a turkey for your Thanksgiving feast is boring, it’s time to cook it a different way: on the grill.
Roasting on the grill produces excellent results–a moist, tender, golden-brown turkey with a delicate smokiness. Best of all, it frees much-needed oven space for finishing the traditional trimmings.
“Cooking on the grill is an excellent way to prepare turkey,” says Dorothy Jones, Butterball Turkey Talk-Line supervisor. “You often get great results. The skin will be a dark, golden-brown color. Under the skin will be a rosy band of color, which is the reaction of charcoal to the meat pigment. It’s completely safe.”
When a national magazine wrote about grilling turkeys last year, the Weber-Stephens Products Co., maker of Weber grills, received more than 10,000 calls from people interested in trying it at home. (Call 800-446-1071; the hot line will not be manned on Thanksgiving Day or Nov. 28.)
Grilling is not an exact science, but with the help of experts at Weber, Butterball and the Barbecue Industry Association, here are step-by-step directions.
Choose the right bird
Weber recommends choosing a broad, flat turkey rather than one with a high-rising breast because it will fit the grill better. The weight and size you need depend on what your grill can handle; you’ll need at least 1 inch of space between the lid and the bird so the heat can circulate.
Remember: Thaw the turkey.
Calculate the time: Weber experts advise allowing at least 11 to 13 minutes of cooking time per pound of turkey–about the same as a turkey done in the oven. But cooking times will vary depending on the size of the turkey and, especially, the heat level. Allow an additional 25 minutes for the first briquettes to heat or 10 minutes to heat a gas grill.
Figure your charcoal needs: The number of briquettes required depends on the grill’s size. Start with 50 for a 22-inch-diameter grill; figure on adding 12 to 16 more when you put the turkey on and a similar number after each hour of cooking, says the Barbecue Industry Association. For a turkey that needs three hours of cooking time, you’ll need 86 to 98 in all. Plan on using the higher number if it’s a windy day, says Betty Hughes, Weber’s director of consumer affairs.
Prepare the grill
Probably the most important part of successfully grilling a turkey is correctly preparing the grill for the indirect cooking method. Rather than being concentrated directly beneath the bird, indirect heat radiates off the inside of the grill lid and circulates for even cooking.
For charcoal grills: Open the air vents and remove the cooking rack before lighting the coals.
Either light the briquettes in one pile and divide them after they’re hot, or build two individual fires. When it’s time to cook, place 25 glowing, ash-covered briquettes on opposite sides of the grill with a wide space separating them. Try to position the coals and the cooking rack so that you can add briquettes without moving the rack. Don’t replace the cooking rack or lid yet.
For gas grills: Indirect grilling procedures vary among manufacturers. Generally speaking, if your gas grill has three burners, heat the grill about 10 minutes with all burners on high and then turn off the one directly below where the turkey will be and set the others to medium or low; consult your instructions or call your manufacturer for precise information.
Prepare the turkey
Grilled turkeys should not be stuffed because stuffing increases cooking time. Remove the packages containing the neck and giblets from the turkey’s cavities. Rinse the turkey thoroughly in cold water and pat dry. To keep the wing tips from sticking out, fold them behind the bird’s back. Tie the legs together using kitchen string. The idea is to keep the wings and legs from extending over a heat source.
Season the turkey inside with salt and pepper. Lightly brush it all over with vegetable oil to keep it from sticking to the pan or grill rack. Season with salt and pepper.
Check heat level: Heat grill to medium heat. To check, hold your hand about 4 inches above the cooking rack and count the number of seconds before you have to pull away. It should be about three seconds; a thermometer would register 325 to 350 degrees.
Add wood if you like. If you want a smokier flavor, add aromatic wood chips or chunks–soaked in water for 30 minutes–to the hot coals just before grilling. Hughes prefers chunks because they burn longer. For gas grills, follow the manufacturer’s directions.
Cooking the bird
A drip pan is essential for grilling a turkey. The best choice is a simple disposable foil pan at least 2 inches deep and large enough to either hold the turkey or catch the drippings.
Where the pan goes depends on the kind of grill you’re using and how important you consider the pan juices to be.
For gas grills or if drippings are a must, put the bird in the pan and put the pan on the cooking rack above the grate holding the coals.
Your other choice is to put the drip pan on the lower grate, which holds the coals, so the juices drip down into it. But if the pan is too close to the coals, the drippings can burn. You’re also more likely to get ash into the juices this way.
When the bird is on the heat, close the lid, being sure the air vents remain open.
Maintain the heat level. The indirect method of grilling is a no-peek one. Try not to lift the lid; otherwise, heat will escape and could increase cooking time. But watch for excess smoke, which might mean the wings have loosened and are extending over hot coals, Hughes says.
At the end of each hour of charcoal cooking, add six to eight briquettes to each side of the grill to maintain the heat. Don’t pre-light them; they’ll catch fire. This is also a good time to recheck your approximate heat level.
If one side of the breast is browning more than the other, turn the turkey around 180 degrees, Jones says. “You’re trying to maintain a temperature around 325 degrees,” she says. “If you’re in the 300- to 350-degree range, you’re doing great.”
Browning the bottom: If the turkey has cooked in the drip pan, move it directly onto the cooking rack 30 minutes before it’s done, using a grilling fork and tongs. “This allows the bottom of the bird to brown up a little bit in case it was shielded too much from the pan,” says Hughes, and gives you time to make gravy with the drippings.
– Glazing: If you use a glaze, brush it on about 30 minutes before the turkey is done; longer cooking can cause it to burn.
– Testing for doneness: A turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer, plunged into the thickest part of the thigh muscle between the drumstick and the body, registers 180-185 degrees, Butterball experts say. The breast should register 170-175 degrees. Remove turkey to a platter and let stand at least 10 minutes before carving.
CORN BREAD AND MUSHROOM STUFFING
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: About 7 cups
Adapted from “The Thanksgiving Cookbook,” by Holly Garrison.
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 or 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 large onion, peeled, chopped
1/2 pound small white mushrooms, sliced
6 cups corn bread for stuffing, broken into small pieces, see recipe
1 cup dried currants or golden raisins
2 teaspoons each, crumbled: dried sage, dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup port wine
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup turkey or chicken broth
1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add celery, onion and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are limp but some liquid remains.
2. Place corn bread pieces in a large mixing bowl. Stir in skillet vegetables, currants, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss thoroughly. Drizzle in port wine, egg and about half of the broth, until the stuffing is moist and holds together when lightly pressed between the palms of your hands.
3. Use to stuff a 12- to 14-pound turkey. Or bake in a casserole after adding a little more turkey or chicken broth to the stuffing, in a 325-degree oven until heated through, about 45 minutes.
Nutrition information per 1/2 cup:
Calories …… 230 Fat ………… 13 g Cholesterol .. 65 mg
Sodium ….. 585 mg Carbohydrates .. 24 g Protein …….. 4 g
BASIC CORN BREAD FOR STUFFING
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 cups
Because this is a dry corn bread intended to be used for stuffing, it’s ready as soon as it comes from the oven and no further drying is necessary. From “The Thanksgiving Cookbook,” by Holly Garrison.
Butter for greasing pan
1 cup each: yellow cornmeal, flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease an 8- or 9-inch-square pan. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper with a wire whisk in a large bowl. Stir in buttermilk, egg and oil until mixture is just combined. Do not overmix.
2. Scrape batter into greased pan. Bake about 20 minutes, or until top of bread springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven; cool on wire rack. If not using immediately, cover tightly; set aside until ready to proceed with the stuffing.
Nutrition information per cup:
Calories …… 140 Fat …………. 7 g Cholesterol .. 30 mg
Sodium ….. 450 mg Carbohydrates .. 16 g Protein …….. 3 g
