Barbecued Turkey
I think people often pressure themselves to put on a big, fancy spread for the holidays—but I’m all for keeping things simple, which is no problem if you start with this sticky, tangy barbecued turkey. Turning the holidays into a cookout sets such a casual, welcoming tone that you can’t help but take it easy and have a good time. I made this turkey the year Martha Stewart joined us for Thanksgiving, and it was such a big hit that we’ve taken to making it all year round. Be sure to plan ahead to allow for at least six hours of marinating time.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Rinse the turkey inside and out, pat dry, and trim any excess fat. Place the turkey, breast side down, in a disposable aluminum roasting pan. Season the inside of the cavity with salt and black pepper to taste.
Step 2
Combine the vinegar, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes in a bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Pour the sauce over the turkey and massage all over into the skin. Cover and let marinate, breast side down, refrigerated, for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
Step 3
About 1 hour before cooking, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill and let the coals burn to gray ash with a slight red glow. Keep the coals on one side of the grill to create areas of direct and indirect heat (see Know-how, page 151); if using a gas grill, heat just one side on medium.
Step 4
Flip the turkey, breast side up, in the roasting pan and brush all over with the marinade in the bottom of the pan. Flip the turkey again so it is breast side down and place the pan over the indirect heat (the side without the coals), cover the grill with the lid, and cook for about 2 hours, basting the turkey every 30 minutes with the marinade on the bottom of the pan and rotating the pan a quarter turn each time.
Step 5
Use a fire-starter chimney to heat new coals; replenish the coals every hour or so, as needed, to maintain an even temperature of about 350°F (see Know-how, page 151).
Step 6
Flip the turkey, breast side up, in the roasting pan and continue to cook, rotate, and baste with the barbecue sauce 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer, until the skin is crisp and an internal thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads between 165°F and 170°F. Remove the turkey from the grill and let rest, loosely covered, for about 20 minutes before carving. Serve warm with additional barbecue sauce on the side.
Know-how: Grilling Basics
Step 7
Start a fire using a chimney starter (available at most home improvement stores) and hardwood charcoal, if available.
Step 8
Open the vents on the bottom of the grill.
Step 9
When the coals are lit and glowing red, dump them from the chimney onto one side of the grill and spread evenly on one side only.
Step 10
When the coals turn to gray with a red glow, they have reached their hottest point; the coals will begin to cool after that.
Step 11
If using a gas grill, set the grill on high for recipes that call for gray ash with a bright red glow; on medium for those that call for gray ash with a slight red glow; and on low for gray ash.
Step 12
Place the grate at least 6 inches above the coals and allow to get fully hot before grilling.
Step 13
To determine how hot the coals are, hold your hand above the grate, about 6 inches above the coals, and count how many seconds you can keep it there before it becomes uncomfortable: hot: 1 to 2 seconds; medium: 3 to 4 seconds; low: 5 to 6 seconds.
Step 14
To cook over direct heat, place the meat directly over the coals. Steak and fish are usually seared and should be placed over direct heat when the coals are at their hottest. If you are cooking something that takes longer, like chicken or pork, place it over direct, medium-hot heat to brown and crisp the skin, then move to the indirect heat until the coals die to low to finish cooking.
Step 15
To cook over indirect heat, move the meat to the side of the grill without the charcoal, but maintain the fire so the grill stays hot. Cover with the lid and open the vents.
Step 16
For slow-cooking dishes like Wood-Smoked Backyard Barbecued Pig (page 170), monitor the temperature using a thermometer. If your grill doesn’t come with one, insert an instant-read thermometer in the grill vent to get a read on the temperature and try to maintain the temperature indicated in the recipe.
Step 17
To replenish the heat, prepare extra coals in a fire-starter chimney placed over a separate grill and add the hot coals to the hotter, charcoal side of the grill as needed.
Step 18
For information on grilling steak, see page 190.
