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BGE'ed my first turkey! With pics

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TheToast
TheToast Posts: 376
edited December 2016 in Poultry

Yesterday, I was cooking turkey for a large Christmas gathering at my inlaws house. They wanted a lot of meat not just for lunch but for buffet in the evening when about 30-40 friends and relatives come round. Decided upon two average sized birds (4.6kg and 5.7kg) rather than one massive one. 



One I was putting in the traditional oven using this recipe: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/890646/roast-turkey-with-citrus-butter#tab-comments

The bigger one in the BGE, using Mad Max method.  I added some olive and apple wood. And I put most of the rub under the skin rather than on top. 


PROGRESS SHOT. ALMOST DONE. 

I used the 'bacon shield' on the oven one - adjusted the recipe so that it's in a loose foil tent for most of the cooking, then removing the foil and bacon at the end to brown up. 

FINISHED BIRDS


Both turkeys turned out great - BGE one cooked a little quicker than expected. The oven one took about an hour extra. But the BGE one was UNBELIEVABLE. I cannot conceive how / why it was so damn good. I don't wet brine - never had. Am too lazy and don't have the room. I prepped them both a day before so they had about 24hrs with salt on them (dry brine) - maybe that helps. But both turkeys were wet inside - squirting juices when I pulled meat from them. Probably helped that they both rested for about 3 hours (wrapped in foil and towel). 

The citrus one is a very good recipe btw - orangey, rather than lemony (don't really like very lemony flavour - can taste like bathroom cleaner!). 

And the gravy made from the combined juices was divine - the mad max butter and rub, combined with BGE smoke made a strong tasting, rich, delicious gravy. 

ONE HALF CARVED.


ON THE PLATE


Hope you had a great Christmas. Have a great 2017 and thanks for all the advice and inspiration. Today is my one year Big Green Egg ownership anniversary! A year ago in the UK they were pretty much unknown but now I'm seeing them creep into restaurants. Still not met another home owner though. 

Comments

  • MJG
    MJG Posts: 598
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    Looks great. I've had my Egg for years now and have yet to do a turkey on it. That will change soon. 
    Large Big Green Egg in a nest. North Shore of Boston.
  • joeybrown105
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    Great job @TheToast!
    Nashville, TN

    Medium BGE | Large BGE | Little Griddle | Kick Ash Basket | Looftlighter
  • EggNorth
    EggNorth Posts: 1,535
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    That looks delicious, especially the one on the Egg.  Happy anniversary and also look forward to all the great cooks in 2017.
    Dave
    Cambridge, Ontario - Canada
    Large (2010), Mini Max (2015), Large garden pot (2018)
  • Fred19Flintstone
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    That's a strong cook my friend!  Your Christmas looked merry indeed!  Happy New Year!
    Flint, Michigan
  • CTMike
    CTMike Posts: 3,247
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    Very nice. We've done Mad Max turkeys for the last couple Thanksgivings and they always come out great. 

    One question though - why are you drinking bathroom cleaner since you know what it tastes like?
    MMBGE / Large BGE / XL BGE (Craigslist Find) / SF30x80 cabinet trailer - "Ol' Mortimer" / Outdoor kitchen in progress.  

    RECOVERING BUBBLEHEAD
    Southeastern CT. 
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,399
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    Great cook and result right there.  Congrats and best wishes for 2017.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
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    Awesome job! Merry Christmas and Happy new year. 

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."

                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
  • StillH2OEgger
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    Boy does that plate look great. Nice work.
    Stillwater, MN