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1
Thaw the turkey if frozen.
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2
This takes at least 4 days and should be done in the refrigerator.
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3
Put the turkey into the pan youll roast it in to catch any leaks.
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4
After it thaws, remove the metal or plastic tie holding the legs together.
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5
(A pair of pliers is essential, I find.)
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6
Remove the giblets and neck from the cavity and clip off the wing tips.
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7
(You can use these parts for making stock for the gravy.)
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8
The day before, marinate the turkey in a brine.
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9
The standard proportion is 1 cup of salt to 1 gallon (16 cups) of water.
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10
Make enough of this to completely cover the turkey in an ice chest with an unopened (so as not to dilute the brine) bag of ice to keep everything cold.
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11
The brining process takes 12-18 hours for a 15-pound turkey.
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12
Another method is to put the turkey and the brine solution inside a leak-proof plastic bag and put it into the refrigerator.
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13
The morning of the day you want to serve the turkey, dump the brine and rinse the bird very well inside and out with cold water.
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14
Season it with salt (yes!)
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15
and pepper.
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16
Stuff the cavity with all the other ingredients and tie the legs just tightly enough to keep everything inside.
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17
Fire up the grill with charcoal.
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18
Add pieces of smoking wood, soaked in water and then shaken dry.
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19
Stack 6 or so foot-long pieces of sugarcane on the grill directly over the fire.
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20
Put the turkey into an aluminum pan with a loose tent of foil over the top.
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21
Place the turkey as far from the fire as possible and hang a curtain of foil down to ward off direct heat.
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22
Any heat that gets to the turkey should arrive in smoke.
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23
Close the cover.
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24
Add coals and cane at intervals to maintain a temperature of 200-250 degrees inside the pit.
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25
It takes 6-7 hours for the internal temperature of the turkey to reach about 180 degrees.
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26
Use a meat thermometer to check; the useless pop-up plastic indicator will pop only when the turkey is overcooked.
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27
Take the turkey out and put it on the table to rest and cool before carving.
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28
Although it may be tempting, dont use the drippings for the gravy.
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29
They reduce so much during the long cooking time that they become impossibly salty.
