I've smoked many a turkey, but not in a true smoker. I use my Webber Kettle Barbecue. Brined or unbrined, the choice is yours. The method I use makes an extremely moist and tender bird. Here's how I do it.
Gather together sticks or chunks of hardwood. My favorites are maple, birch, and apple. Soak the wood for about two hours before starting the fire.
Make 2 piles of charcoal on either side of the kettle, seperated by about 4 to 5 inches. While the charcoal is getting hot, bring the thawed bird up to room temperature in hot (about 110 degrees F.) water. REmove and dry inside and out. Rub with cooking oil and salt the skin. Rub the inside with salt and place several stems of fresh basil in the cavity, along with two medium, raw-sliced onions.
When the fire is hot, place a drip pan between the chacoal piles. I like to use ready made disposible aluminum loaf pans for my drip pans, or fold aluminum foil into a water-tight pan. Place several sticks of wood on the charcoal piles. Place the cooking grate on top. Truss the bird to pull the wings agains the breast and place the turkey over the drip pan. Cover the barbecue. Adjust both the bottom and top vent to the half open position and cook for 12 minutes per pound. Better yet, use a meat thermometer and bring the meat to an internal temp of 150 degrees with the thermometer tip inserted into the area where thigh joint is, but not touching the bone. Every twenty minutes, check the fire to make sure there are sufficient coals, and add more charcoal and wood as needed. Baste with a bit of huney and butter to add flavor to the skin.
You have to cover the thermometer face with aluminum foil to prevent the smoke from darkening the glass, rendering the tool useless. REmove the aluminum to check the temp and replace it before covering the barbecue.
This technique and its results have been requested for weddings, for pot-lucks at work (with my fellow employees purchasing the food and charcoal), and at my church. It produces a great smoky flavor, but is tempered by the honey. The spices and onion help flavor the whole dish, but mildly.
A twenty pound turkey cooks at about 1 to twelve minutes per pound with this method, which is substantially faster than in the oven. But be prepared. If your birds come out as good as do mine, you may be asked to preapare many turkeys.
Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
