This is a basic recipe for doing the turkey on your ProQ™ water smoker this Thanksgiving or Christmas, please feel free to play around with your own combination of herbs spices and sauces.
Before we get started, a few basic truths to dispel any fears you may have about cooking your turkey on your smoker...
1. You're NOT alone - Millions of households around the world are filled with anxiety, when faced with the prospect of producing a succulent and golden bird for family and friends - DO NOT PANIC!!! it's easier than you think. Remember, this is a special time and it is meant to be celebrated by everyone, yes even the cook!
2. BBQ in winter are we mad? - No, unlike conventional grilling, which requires constant attention, water smoking is easy (don't tell anyone just how easy it is though), as all you have to do is get it going, after that all that is required is patience (a 12lb bird will take about 6 hours on your smoker, running at around 250°F), but let me tell you, the result is well worth the wait. I guarantee you that if this is your first time doing a turkey on the smoker, you'll be truly amazed at how moist, tender, tasty and golden your bird will be.
Serves 8 -12
Preperation time 15 minutes - Can be done the day before and then refrigerated overnight.
Cooking Time ± 6 hours (220 - 250°F)
Ingredients
1 Turkey 10 - 12lbs
100g sun dried tomato pesto (store bought or homemade)
BBQ Rub (store bought or homemade) we've used Steve Raichlen's Mediterranean rub.
Cherry wood (Chunks or Chips) for those of you in the USA, we highly recommend Smokinlicious wood products.
Method
Set up your water smoker see here for basic set up instructions, allowing for the fact that you will need to keep the smoker going for at least 6 hours, so don't skimp on the charcoal. Getting the smoker ready at this stage, before you tackle the turkey, will ensure that it is ready to go as soon as the turkey is prepared.
Make sure the Turkey is fully defrosted before you start. Step 1 through to step 3 should be done at least 2 hours before going onto the smoker, but can be done in advance the day before and then the bird should be kept refrigerated overnight.
Step 1
Loosen the skin, by pushing your fingers beneath it. Be careful not to make a hole in the skin (those of you with long nails).
Step 2
Once the skin is loose, take a teaspoon and use this to insert the pesto beneath the skin, making sure to spread the pesto evenly.
Step 3
Use some of the left over pesto and rub the outside of the turkey (this will not only add flavour to the skin, but will also help to make the BBQ rub stick to the bird). Sprinkle the turkey with plenty of BBQ rub, then massage the bird thoroughly.
Step 4
Take the turkey out of the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature before placing it on one of the cooking grills of your water smoker.
Step 5
Place the lid on the smoker - REMEMBER to make sure the vent in the lid is fully open.
Your smoker should be running at between 220 and 250°F, if you have a ProQ™ Frontier or ProQ™ Excel 20, slight adjustments can be made to the air vents to set your smoker to the required temperature.
Some points to remember... at this time of year, we have to be aware that wind and lower ambient temperatures (the biggest thieves of the temperature inside your smoker) will come into play, so if you can, place your smoker in a sheltered area that is out of the way, as we also don't want someone accidentally knocking the smoker over and ruining our Turkey.
Step 6
Carefully and lovingly remove the bird form the smoker (don't be distracted by the oooohs and aaaahs coming from the crowd, as many a turkey has ended up on the floor due to this). Allow the bird to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
