Turkey Day

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year and I'm in charge of smoking the turkey and my wife does everything else.  Fine with me, cause I'm out of the house in 'My Domain'.  My brother came out and we hung out in the garage smoked some stogies, drank some (well a lot) of beer and watched the football games.  Doesn't get much better than that, hanging out with my older (but not as good looking :-) brother).

Started out injecting my 16lb turkey with a simple brine.  You can do a traditional brine, but this method is so much faster, easier and you get the same result.

Brine Injection

• 4 Cups -  Cold Water
• 1/4 Cup - Table Salt
• 1/4 Cup - Brown Sugar
• Little bit of Granulated Garlic
• Little bit of fine ground black pepper
• Little bit of Poultry Seasoning

Blend until everything is dissolved and inject all of it into every portion of the bird.  Majority of it goes in the breast, but don't forget about the legs, wings and thighs.

The 'Injectee'.....a 6% Enhanced Giant Brand Turkey.  I actually preferred this bird and it was butchered, MUCH better than the more expensive Shadybrook Farms turkeys I normally get.  So, cheaper is sometimes better!  

The 'Injector'.....I pumped the whole quart of brine in that bad boy!  I did this about an hour ahead of time, but you could let it sit longer.

Loaded up the WSM with Royal Oak and Apple Wood, ass the Oak Leaves continued to snow down into the charcoal!

 

The bird is on and ready for a 5 hour Sauna and Tanning Session!

Now it's time to kick back and enjoy the day and football!  My brother.

 

And Your's Truly.

I got cold and sat inside next to the Kerosene heater for a bit.

My wife is obviously from FREAKING MARS..........she makes giblet gravy by simmering the giblets and neck and then takes the giblets out.  I tell her 'IT'S NOT GIBLET GRAVY WITHOUT THE CHOPPED UP GIBLETS IN IT' but she refuses, so I oblige and eat them, LOVE THEM ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM.  My brother, couldn't even watch me eat them, he's obviously my wife's neighbor on MARS.  WHO doesn't like the gizzard, liver and heart?  I'd rather eat a plate of those than the turkey itself.  Anyways, enough ramblings.......I thoroughly enjoyed eating them and watching my brother almost puke as I ate them!  LOL

After 5 hours the turkey looks like it enjoyed it's day in the sauna!

After about a 30 minute rest, it was time to eat!

 

Removed one side of the breast.  The legs, wings and thighs will be vacuumed sealed and frozen and used for seasoning beans, greens or pot pies for future dinners!

My plate.  Turkey, corn casserole, broccoli casserole, sweet potatoes and sausage cornbread stuffing.  My wife made all the sides, everything turned out great.

And.......the effects of drinking beer all day, them Beam and Cokes and a Turkey Coma.........glad I stuck with beer!