My first Thanksgiving with the Egg

Mrs Lenick

Well, it's my first Thanksgiving with the Egg.  I'm excited, but I am also nervous. I'd like to try smoking a turkey this thanksgiving.  I'm nervous because I haven't smoked anything yet and it's a big project to undertake and I don't want to ruin the holiday bird.  How long will it take to smoke the bird and more importantly, what do I do?

Grillin & Chillin

Hello Mrs. L<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

You definitely do not want to learn on a Thanksgiving dinner with many people waiting. It all depends on weight of turkey for cook time and there is tons of great info on GreenEggers.com the "original" forum for BGE. I suggest you do a turkey cook before to learn by trial and error. You will then enjoy and be relaxed during your TG holiday dinner cook. Let us know and post pics. Hope this helps.

 

Jasper

I always follow Mad Max's Turkey recipe. It's a well known and used recipe with "eggers" on both forums.

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/madmaxturkey.htm

Austin Egghead

Mrs Lenick

I have done the Mad Max turkey for several holidays and it is always a winner.  This year I will be doing my turkey using Little Steven's "butt up" technique.  You could also spatchcock the turkey.

There are several good methods on the net and other egg forums (see Grillin & Chillin's post above), plus two good discussions on this forum.  Other threads: Turkey time and Thinking Turkey.  

I would recommend that you do a couple of chickens first to get the feel of the cook.  Turkey isn't much different from eggin a chicken except for the longer time to cook.  Don't forget to adjust the amount of lump for the longer cook.  Keep us posted on the out come.

GrannyX4

Mrs Lenick

I'm in the same boat. It's also my first Turkey Day with the egg. We have been eating lots of chicken and gravy trying to figure out what we like. Start playing with some chickens and go for it the worse that can happen is you go out for dinner. One thing I have learned the hard way is don't use a lot of wood when smoking poultry - a little goes a long way.

There are two rules to follow: one is there are no rules and the second is cook to temp.

Squeezy

Doing a turkey is not a big deal ... but did I read you right? You haven't smoked anythng?

Austin Egghead

Mrs Lenick,

Granny is correct.  Fruit woods like , apple, pear or cherry compliment turkey and chicken, but use judiciously.  I like to use "chunk" wood rather than chips  Like Granny said a little goes a long way.

Mrs Lenick

I'm just getting back to this thread.  No, I haven't smoked anything yet.  I just got the egg in May. It was a wedding gift. I've baked and cooked on it plenty but I've been nervous to try something that will take so long as smoking.  I guess I am nervous about keeping the heat even for such a long period of time.

LDD

Sometimes you just gotta close your eyes... Grab the hand of someone you love and jump

newegg

Last year I made a traditional oven turkey and another on Green Egg. My family chose the Green Egg Turkey as the best. Just my opinion. You cannot go wrong with anything done on the Egg. Just make sure you build a good fire and allow extra time for it to be done.

Mrs Lenick

Thanks Newegg and everyone else that responded. I'm excited to try it. I think I will practice on a large whole chicken this weekend and see how it does. I do have a nice roasting pan and a rack that are stainless steel. Are they fine to go into the egg? Also, should I put the plate setter in and cook w/ indirect heat or just put the pan and rack right on top of the grill?  I know, I know, sooooo many questions. 

**==

Squeezy

Use the plate setter to put the drip pan on. Add some liquid to the pan as it will get fairly hot even at only 350º to 375º pit temp.

GrannyX4

Your stainless is fine on the egg. I have cooked in the pan direct and indirect. There isn't a right or wrong way to cook a bird. Just cook to temp and be careful with the wood. My favorite way to cook the bird is the spatchcock method. I just seem to have better luck and the skin seems to turn out a little nicer.

Mrs Lenick

Thanks Granny.

I actually did the bird today and so far so good. I decided to roast the bird whole this time and try spatchcocking next time. It seemed like a lot of extra work and after Church and grocery shopping, I was a little bushed.  Stil, I am excited to try the method and see if we like it better.  I will let you know how it goes.

GrannyX4

I'm still clucking from all the chicken and turkeys I have tried cooking on the egg in preparation for T-day. Cutting the back out of the chicken just takes a second. Run the sicsors down either side and lay it out. Not much to it. Happy testing!

Mrs Lenick

The testing and the tasting are the best parts, that's for sure

Nicholas_Wetton

My first TG with my XL.  If I don't have a roasting pan can I place the bird on the grid with a drip pan underneath the bird, resting on the BGE feet on the inverted plate setter?  

Thanks!

Dave in Florida

I also am doing my 1st turkey on the BGE, plus a 2nd one for a friend.  I will be spatchcocking the birds.  400 dome temp, high in the dome direct, John Henry's Timmy's Herbal rub, with a little pecan and cherry wood.  If the turkey comes out half as good as my spatchcock chickens there will be few left overs for sandwiches.

Mrs Lenick

Oooooh, the pecan and cherry wood sounds like a good idea.  Do you just use regular wood or do you use the chips that you have to soak?  The chickens I've done thus far have come out really nice. Excellent skin. Unfortunately,we decided my sister would do the Turkey for thanksgiving, I'll do the one of Christmas. I am going to to do ham and all the side fixings on the EGG to give them that unique EGG flavor.

Anyhoo, not to uspset about not doing the turkey,  It will give me more time to practice and sense it's the right time of year, I can do a couple of Turkeys in-between and practice. I want to try and spatchcock the next time.

Anyone have a great recipe for homemade cranberry sauce?  

GrannyX4

Ocean spray does such a good job that I just rely on them. But I have melted a can of whole berry and a jar of red pepper jelly together and that is really good. I put it over cream cheese too. Kids always ask for it. They must like the canned too because they never eat homemade cranberry sauce. I have tried. Children are now over 40 and it's the one thing we don't mess with anymore.

Skids

Mrs Lenick,
I've had enormous success with the William-Sonoma "molded Cranberry
Sauce" recipe. Here's the link: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/molded-cranberry-sauce10.html?cm_src=RECIPESEARCH<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

I also share
the sentiment of others that a traditional (non-spatchcock) turkey is easy. Though
a huge fan of the spatchcock method, on Thanksgiving we stay traditional. In
our house we make the brine two days out, brine the bird one day out and then
we cook (to temp...works out to about 15 min/lb). I use the ps with legs up,
ceramic feet under the roasting pan, about 1/4 inch of liquid (personal
selection...but water, broth, etc all work) in the bottom, bird in the V-Rack
with the breast down...for about 1 hr, then I turn with the breast up for the
finish. Unlike some, I don't ice the breast prior to cooking, I don't cover
anything (though I do tuck the wing tips under) and I've not experienced any
over-cooked or burnt parts.

My wife
encouraged me to buy an Egg for years...cost scared me away. I've not had one
regret since I made the purchase of my BGE...had it for more than 3 years now.
I can't remember a weekend where I was near my Egg and I didn't cook;
slow/fast/bake/smoke/etc..

Happy
Thanksgiving to all and thanks to all for the enormous help you've provided to
my family and me.

Squeezy

@ Mrs Lenick 

No need to ever soak any wood, chips, chunks or otherwise ...

morrow

Veteran Eggers please help!  I am using with Brine recipe from the BGE cookbook.  For the size of my bird, I had to double the brine recipe to submerg.  Also, recpipe calls for leaving in solution for 12 hours.  I have to leave town and will have to leave in solution for 24 hours.  With the solution and time doubled, will my bird be too salty or too seasoned?

Squeezy

Won't be a problem, especially for a larger bird. Just make sure you rinse well before cooking.

Let us know your results ...

morrow

Thank for your input.  Cooked many in the oven, but new to the BGE.  Also, new to the brine process.  ALways injected "a la cajun".