Brian Thomas
TVWBB Pro
For the first rotisserie cook of the New Year why not do a turkey?
All seasoned and trussed and the cook begins..
[/URL]
At the halfway mark (1.5 hrs). Looking good.
[/URL]
Of course you have to have a beverage or two while the turkey is cooking
[/URL]
Done! Total cook time was 3 hrs.
[/URL]
Side dish #1 - Mashed Potatoes (Yukon Golds)
[/URL]
Side Dish #2 - Grilled Zukes on the Genny
[/URL]
And no turkey dinner is complete without gravy.
[/URL]
A few notes on this cook.
After my screw-up on Thanksgiving Day while cooking a turkey breast from a 22 lb bird (I let the coals die out, etc), I wasn't going to make that mistake again so I added a Weber Mini Chimney of fully lit coals at the 1:15 hr mark and again at 2:15. The dome temp never got below 300F during the entire cook.
It was a bit of a challenge adding the mini chimney of lit coals while the turkey was cooking but it paid off big time. The turkey turned out great with nice crisp skin!
I pulled it when the IT in the breast read 153F. I let it rest for about 30 minutes while getting the side dishes done, etc.
One thing that helped in the cooking was putting the charcoal baskets in a V shape so the legs and thighs got most of the heat. I did this for the first 2:15, then moved the baskets to each side and adjusted the turkey so the breast got more heat for the last 45 minutes.
For those interested this Turkey (Jenny O) was 13.6 lbs, and was pre-brined at the factory with a 9.5% solution so I didn't bother brining it.
I don't think I'll do a 20+ lb turkey again as the smaller ones are easier to cook, etc.
The next time we do a turkey I'm going to take it off the rotisserie and set it aside in a large glass tray when adding additional lit coals, then slide the spit back into the motor after I'm done adding the coals. This will make the process easier. Like I said, it was a bit of a challenge getting the chimney into position to add the lit coals with the turkey in place on the spit.
The cold temps didn't seem to affect anything. It was in the high 30's when I started the cook at about 2:15 PM and then the temp began falling like a rock once the sun set. One blessing to these cold temps though. My beer stayed nice and COLD while sitting out on the deck while the turkey was cooking!
All seasoned and trussed and the cook begins..
At the halfway mark (1.5 hrs). Looking good.
Of course you have to have a beverage or two while the turkey is cooking
Done! Total cook time was 3 hrs.
Side dish #1 - Mashed Potatoes (Yukon Golds)
Side Dish #2 - Grilled Zukes on the Genny
And no turkey dinner is complete without gravy.
A few notes on this cook.
After my screw-up on Thanksgiving Day while cooking a turkey breast from a 22 lb bird (I let the coals die out, etc), I wasn't going to make that mistake again so I added a Weber Mini Chimney of fully lit coals at the 1:15 hr mark and again at 2:15. The dome temp never got below 300F during the entire cook.
It was a bit of a challenge adding the mini chimney of lit coals while the turkey was cooking but it paid off big time. The turkey turned out great with nice crisp skin!
I pulled it when the IT in the breast read 153F. I let it rest for about 30 minutes while getting the side dishes done, etc.
One thing that helped in the cooking was putting the charcoal baskets in a V shape so the legs and thighs got most of the heat. I did this for the first 2:15, then moved the baskets to each side and adjusted the turkey so the breast got more heat for the last 45 minutes.
For those interested this Turkey (Jenny O) was 13.6 lbs, and was pre-brined at the factory with a 9.5% solution so I didn't bother brining it.
I don't think I'll do a 20+ lb turkey again as the smaller ones are easier to cook, etc.
The next time we do a turkey I'm going to take it off the rotisserie and set it aside in a large glass tray when adding additional lit coals, then slide the spit back into the motor after I'm done adding the coals. This will make the process easier. Like I said, it was a bit of a challenge getting the chimney into position to add the lit coals with the turkey in place on the spit.
The cold temps didn't seem to affect anything. It was in the high 30's when I started the cook at about 2:15 PM and then the temp began falling like a rock once the sun set. One blessing to these cold temps though. My beer stayed nice and COLD while sitting out on the deck while the turkey was cooking!
