Grilled Turkey With Gravy Recipes

THE GREATEST GRILLED TURKEY

Steps:

• Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect medium-high heat.
• Rinse turkey and pat dry. Turn wings back to hold neck skin in place. Return legs to tucked position. Brush turkey with oil. Season inside and out with Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a metal grate inside a large roasting pan. Arrange pan on the prepared grill. Grill 2 to 3 hours, to an internal thigh temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Remove turkey from grill and let stand 15 minutes before carving.

GRILLED TURKEY

Steps:

• Dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons cold water in a large (at least 16 quart) stockpot or a clean bucket. (You can also add fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme or bay leaf, or aromatics like onions and garlic.) Add the turkey, cover and refrigerate, or set in a very cold place (that stays somewhere between 32 to 40 degrees F) for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine 1 hour before grilling. Rinse well under cold water and pat dry to remove the salt.
• Prepare a charcoal grill for indirect grilling. The temperature inside the grill should be 350 degrees F.
• Place the turkey on the grill, cover and grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 175 degrees F, 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 1/2 hours. Let the turkey rest 1 hour before carving.

GRILLED TURKEY UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Determine how much salt you need for your bird: Figure about 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal kosher salt per pound of turkey, or 2/3 tsp. Morton kosher salt per pound of turkey. For example, for a 12-pound turkey, use 1/4 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt, or 2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. Morton kosher salt.
• Whisk salt, mustard powder, paprika, thyme, pepper, garlic powder, brown sugar, and onion powder in a small bowl.
• Place turkey, breast side down, on a large cutting board. Cut along each side of backbone with kitchen shears-this will take some force (you can ask your butcher to do this). Discard backbone or reserve for another use (like stock for gravy).
• With turkey skin side down, use a knife to score long oblong bone in center of breast all the way down. Turn turkey skin side up, then firmly press down with both hands on breastbone until you hear a cracking sound. The bone should be cracked completely in half; if not, use your knife to cut the bone the rest of the way in half.
• Pat turkey very dry with paper towels. Rub spice mixture all over skin and flesh sides. Splay open, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Tuck wing tips under breasts. Chill, uncovered, at least 1 day, preferably 2, and up to 3. If you'd rather cover the bird, loosely cover with plastic wrap, then uncover for the final 4-6 hours of chilling. Do not rinse turkey after brining. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour before cooking.
• Prepare a grill for medium heat (if your grill has a thermometer, it should register about 350°F). Wrap bricks or cinder block in foil.
• Oil grates well and transfer turkey, skin side down, onto grill. Wearing heatproof gloves, arrange bricks on top of turkey, with 3 across breast and 1 across drumsticks, or place cinder block in the center. Cover grill and cook, checking every 5 minutes, until skin side is deep golden brown and crispy, 10-15 minutes total.
• Wearing heatproof gloves, carefully remove bricks or cinder block and flip bird over, skin side up. Cover grill and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F (take temperature in a few places including thickest part of thigh and breast), 65-80 minutes more, replenishing coals if needed. Transfer turkey to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest at least 30 minutes before carving.
• Do Ahead
• Turkey can be seasoned with dry brine ideally 2 days but up to 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.

GRILLED TURKEY WITH CRANBERRY GRAVY

Steps:

• For turkey:
• Soak wood chips in water to cover 30 minutes and drain well.
• Rinse turkey and pat dry inside and out. Season turkey inside and out with salt and pepper and pack neck cavity loosely with some lemon halves and herbs. Fold neck skin under body and fasten with a skewer. Fill body cavity loosely with some lemon halves and herbes. Fold neck skin under body and fasten with a skewer. Fill body cavity loosely with remaining lemon halves and herbs and truss turkey.
• Put an oiled rack inside a metal roasting pan that will fit inside grill. Spread turkey with butter and put on rack in pan. Add water to pan.
• Prepare grill:
• Open vents in lid and Bottom of grill and put 25 briquettes on 2 opposite sides of bottom, leaving middle clear. Position rack with wider openings over briquettes and light briquettes. (They will be ready for cooking as soon as they turn grayish-white in color, 20 to 30 minutes.) Shake excess water off wood chips and put evenly on top of briquettes. When chips begin to smoke, in about 2 minutes, the grill is ready.
• Grill turkey on rack in pan in grill, covered, over glowing coals 1 hour. (Do not remove lid during cooking.) Remove lid and add 10 more briquettes on each side. Grill turkey, covered, 1 hour more. Remove lid and add 10 more briquettes on each side. Grill turkey 1 hour more and insert a meat thermometer in fleshy part of a thigh. If thermometer registers 180°:F. and juices run clear when thigh is pierced, turkey is done. If turkey is not done, add 10 more briquettes on each side and test for doneness in same manner every 15 minutes.
• Transfer turkey to a heated platter, reserving juices in pan, and discard string. Keep turkey warm, covered loosely with foil.
• In a saucepan cook cranberries and sugar over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is melted and cranberries burst. In a blender in batches purée cranberry mixture until smooth, transferring to a bowl. Cranberry mixture may be make 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring mixture to room temperature before proceeding.
• Skim fat from pan juices, reserving 3 tablespoons fat, and deglaze pan with water over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits. Simmer pan juices 3 minutes, stirring, and reserve off heat. In a saucepan whisk together reserved fat and flour and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add pan juices and stock or broth in a stream and add cranberry mixture, whisking occasionally. Boil gravy, whisking occasionally, until reduced to about 5 cups, 15 to 20 minutes, and strain through a sieve into a saucepan. Season gravy with salt and pepper and keep warm.
• Discard lemon halves and herbs from turkey cavities. Garnish turkey with lemon halves and/or slices and herbs.

GRILLED SALT-AND-PEPPER TURKEY WITH GIBLET GRAVY

Steps:

• Turkey:Stir together 1/4 cup salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Season inside turkey cavities with half of mixture, then stuff with lemons, 2 1/2 oranges, all but 6 thyme sprigs, and 1 1/2 heads garlic. Tie legs with twine. Rub butter evenly over skin of turkey, then season with remaining half of salt mixture. Let stand at room temperature while preparing grill.
• Open grill vents. Place a chimney starter on small lower grill grate, fill starter with char- coal (75 to 80 pieces), and ignite; let burn until ash gray. Pour charcoal evenly around perimeter of lower grate. Place a 9-by-13-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan on center of grate inside charcoal. Place remaining orange half, 6 thyme sprigs, garlic half, and wine in pan. Place upper grate in grill. Cover grill with vents partially open and preheat to 350 degrees, about 10 minutes.
• Place turkey on center of grate, directly over pan. Cover and cook, adding 16 to 20 pieces of charcoal around pan every 45 minutes to maintain temperature, until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (not touching bone) registers 165 degrees, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, depending on size of bird.
• Gravy:Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine turkey giblets and neck, carrot, celery, onion, broth, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes. Strain, reserving giblets and neck. (You should have 3 cups turkey stock; if not, add more chicken broth.) When cool enough to handle, shred meat from neck and coarsely chop giblets; reserve, discarding bones.
• Transfer grilled turkey to a platter; let stand at least 20 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, carefully lift disposable pan from grill. Strain drippings through a sieve into a fat separator or measuring cup; let stand until fat rises to surface. Discard fat.
• Combine pan drippings and 2 1/2 cups turkey stock in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Whisk together remaining 1/2 cup turkey stock and flour in a small bowl. Slowly whisk flour mixture into saucepan. Simmer, whisking frequently, until gravy has reduced and thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in reserved neck meat and giblets; simmer 1 minute more. Remove from heat and stir in butter.
• Serve turkey, garnished with citruses, pecans, and lemon leaves, and with gravy alongside.