First Turkey - Thanksgiving prep - Rosemary Basil Garlic!

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herkysprings

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Jun 2, 2009
578
11
Eugene, OR
Rosemary Basil Garlic smoked turkey

Brined in basically my beer brined chicken brine, except i swapped bay for fresh rosemary, basil and garlic, and Zinfandel for beer. Rubbed with garlic rosemary basil Italian spices and EVOO.

Out of the brine:



Side view. I tried the leepfrog prep. Although I didnt do as good of a job as the guy who originally posted, it ended up working for what I was going to do.



I am basically hanging this beast over top of a beer can chicken holder.

Roasting Pan:



Rubbed:



Cooked!



I could barely get the pan in my WSM, so I had to put the pan in the bottom rack then put the turkey in. No shots of it in the smoker. On the top rack (which also barely fit on top of the turkey) I put a bunch of bacon.

Gravy with extra bacn bits!



Mostly Carved:



I smoked this at around 230-260 until 160. I removed and halved the bird, and foiled meat side down until 170. Pulled it out and rested in the cooler.

This is probably the best turkey ever, but I cant tell. The fragrent smell of rosemary and basil has been in my nostrils for 2 days so I can only guess. The brine was awesome, the meat was not overly salty, and the juices made a really nice gravy!

Thanks for looking.
 
I have only done one turkey, in fact, it was one of the very first things I ever smoked. I have wanted to do another one ever since as it was great. But now looking at yours, I would like to try your recipe, if you care to share. That bird looks fantastic. Good job.
 
Turkey:
Skinned and "leap frogged"

Brine:
8 cups hot water
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tbl peppercorns
3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
equal amount of basil
5-6 crushed cloves of garlic
1 bottle zinfandel (use what you like)
4 cups of cold water
2 trays of ice

Put all spices in a contianer, pour hot water and stir to combine. Add ice cubs and cold water to chill, then the wine. Refridgerate until 40F or below.

Rub:
3/4 - 1 cup of EVOO (use less until you get a good paste)
3 tbl minced garlic
2 tlb fresh chopped rosemary
1 tble fresh chopped basil
1 tbl Italian seasoning
1 tsp ground black pepper
salt to taste

Mince garlic and sprinkle salt on top. Run and press a chef knife over the minced garlic until it gets oil / paste like. Combine all ingredients.
 
Wow that was fast. Thanks buddy, much appreciated. Can't wait to try it.
 
Wow wow wow that looks like one fine turkey!
Great job on it, I LOVE turkey and that looked amazing.
Points for a great success!
 
Yeah the skinless thing worked out very well. I had 6-7 strips of bacon on the grill above it, and lots of veggies / liquid in the pan to keep it moist.

Oh yeah I forgot, I wrapped the leggs in BACON too, just for fun. They turned out well!
 
Hey Herky... that bird looks great. Quick question. Is removing the skin but adding the bacon just for flavor? Maybe the spices penetrate the meat better? Did you find that the outer layer of the bird had any different texture than the inside by having the skin gone? Thanks for fielding these questions... Not questioning you... learning from you! Thanks!
 
I know the brine penetrates better, I've tested this many times with chicken. Probably the rub and smoke too. I put the bacon on top for flavour and a bit of moisture protection.

The outer layer will form a type of bark for chicken. Its a bit tougher, and not ususally very deep. if you slice the meat well, its not a big deal, and this layer like most bark is very tastey. :D I'd starting to think this layer also protects the meat and keeps it moist inside.

I also smoked at around 250-260. I went to 155-160 on the thigh meat then I foil until 170. For this turkey I did cut into 2 pieces to foil, and I had the meat side down to get into the liquid better. I smoked for about 5 hours total, and I sprayed 3 times with leftover Zinfandel diluted with water.
 
Wow thats a good looking turkey but I'm alittle confused with this leep frog thingey. You push what and shove who where?
 
That looks great! Congratulations
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Thanks Herky... Since my family doesn't eat the skin anyway, I'll give it a try. I've always just left it for protection then pull it away. Flavor penetrating better does make since.
 
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