I got this recipe from Jim Berry, husband of a woman I work with at HP. They're from Houston, and this is their favorite Thanksgiving turkey preparation. I tried it last weekend, and it was a little too salty for me, but with some adjustments you might enjoy it.
Regards,
Chris
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Spicy Texas Turkey
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>1 12-14 lb. Butterball self-basted turkey (solution added)
<LI>2 medium apples
<LI>2 medium oranges
<LI>2 medium white onions
<LI>1 8-ounce canister Tony Chachere's Original Creole seasoning
<LI>vegetable oil
[/list]
Defrost turkey per package instructions. Remove neck and giblets, rinse inside and out, and pat dry thorougly with paper towels. Tuck wings under the bird.
Fire WSM using the Standard Method--one full chimney of lit Kingsford in the charcoal bowl followed by another full chimney of unlit, allowing all coals to become fully lit before cooking. Foil the water pan, but leave it empty.
Allow turkey to sit at room temp while firing the cooker.
Cut the apples, oranges and onions into small diced pieces. Place in a mixing bowl and add a generous amount of Tony Chachere's seasoning (2-3 ounces). Mix well.
Sprinkle a generous amount of Tony's inside the neck and body cavities. Fill the neck cavity with some of the stuffing and pin the skin down with toothpicks or skewers to secure.
Apply a thin coat of vegetable oil to the outside of the turkey, then sprinkle on Tony's to your liking. Finish by stuffing the body cavity with the remaining stuffing.
Jim writes, "If you think you've probably ruined the bird by overfilling the cavities with the seasoning and caking it on the outside, you probably have nearly enough."
(This is where I caution you about saltiness. I found that caking on the seasoning resulted in the turkey being a little too salty for my taste, so you may want to go with just a heavy sprinkling instead.)
Place 2-3 medium-sized chunks of dry apple wood on the hot coals. Cook the turkey breast-side up on the top grate. Leave the top vent fully open, start with the bottom vents at 50% open and adjust accordingly to maintain 325-350*F measured at the lid.
Cook to 160-165*F in the breast, 170-175*F in the thigh. Start checking internal temp at the 2 hour mark. Turkey may be done between 2-3 hours. Remove from cooker and let rest 20 minutes under loose foil before carving.
It's gonna be well-seasoned and spicy, so have some cool beverages on hand.
Regards,
Chris
-----------------
Spicy Texas Turkey
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>1 12-14 lb. Butterball self-basted turkey (solution added)
<LI>2 medium apples
<LI>2 medium oranges
<LI>2 medium white onions
<LI>1 8-ounce canister Tony Chachere's Original Creole seasoning
<LI>vegetable oil
[/list]
Defrost turkey per package instructions. Remove neck and giblets, rinse inside and out, and pat dry thorougly with paper towels. Tuck wings under the bird.
Fire WSM using the Standard Method--one full chimney of lit Kingsford in the charcoal bowl followed by another full chimney of unlit, allowing all coals to become fully lit before cooking. Foil the water pan, but leave it empty.
Allow turkey to sit at room temp while firing the cooker.
Cut the apples, oranges and onions into small diced pieces. Place in a mixing bowl and add a generous amount of Tony Chachere's seasoning (2-3 ounces). Mix well.
Sprinkle a generous amount of Tony's inside the neck and body cavities. Fill the neck cavity with some of the stuffing and pin the skin down with toothpicks or skewers to secure.
Apply a thin coat of vegetable oil to the outside of the turkey, then sprinkle on Tony's to your liking. Finish by stuffing the body cavity with the remaining stuffing.
Jim writes, "If you think you've probably ruined the bird by overfilling the cavities with the seasoning and caking it on the outside, you probably have nearly enough."
(This is where I caution you about saltiness. I found that caking on the seasoning resulted in the turkey being a little too salty for my taste, so you may want to go with just a heavy sprinkling instead.)
Place 2-3 medium-sized chunks of dry apple wood on the hot coals. Cook the turkey breast-side up on the top grate. Leave the top vent fully open, start with the bottom vents at 50% open and adjust accordingly to maintain 325-350*F measured at the lid.
Cook to 160-165*F in the breast, 170-175*F in the thigh. Start checking internal temp at the 2 hour mark. Turkey may be done between 2-3 hours. Remove from cooker and let rest 20 minutes under loose foil before carving.
It's gonna be well-seasoned and spicy, so have some cool beverages on hand.
