Who's frying their bird on thursday?

All sorts of good tips, that I could have used first time I did this.  Turned out OK, but sounds like it could have been better! 

These days I just do the Alton Brown/Good Eats methods while cooking.  He did a whole episode on the turkey fry if anyone is interested:







Particularly liked the idea of using a ladder and a pulley to lower the turkey into the fry.

Also, if anyone wants to get rid of their extra peanut oil, let me know.  Have a friend that runs/makes bio-diesel for his car.

Cool deal, I will have some oil for sure.

Sean is Jelly going to hunt one down for you guys this year?

We have TONS of em running all over the hill behind the house, (Fremont, near 84/Mission).

I've been tempted many times...

I've always skinned the bird, rubbed with "oll", then sprinkled on the allspice.  Fire up the Brinkman smoker (you know we all have or have had one), throw in the hickory and let it smoke for ten hours.  It's easy and fun, but the deep fry sounds like the bomb.  Besides, that Alton knows his grits. 

Did you make an extender ring?? Any Pictures? I would like to beer can a Turkey

No need to make one the ring comes with the motor and spit in the kit.  Great for the rotisserie but not as good for smoking as it lets out a lot of smoke, I tried to plug the holes with aluminum foil.  I will post a pic once I get my home computer back from the shop it crashed today.

I finally figured out how to post here.  I don't have any bird pics yet, give me time.  but here are a few things I have done with and without the rotissierie in the Weber.  I also threw a pic of some blackened snapper I did a week or two ago.

Nice smoke ring on those ribs! 

!!that is pure TORTURE NOW! OMG that looks good..ALL of IT! 
I can't wait til then...I need a turkey sammy NOW!!

Pheasant is also best when brined.  It's kind of counter-intuitive, especially since fish seems to do the opposite and puff-up when put in fresh water.

Nice smoke ring on those ribs! 

7 hours of low and slow on one bucket of coals. I only start one third of the coals and stack the rest on top.  The water pan in the smokenator keeps everything in the chamber around 180- 200 degrees.  If you have a weber with the smokenator, it is the bomb for really good ribs.  I did two racks of beef ribs that day, and I have done upwards of four racks of pork spare ribs.  If you get he smokenator get the hover grill as well.  It allows you to add another grill grate that rest on top of the main grate adding another so many hundreds of inches of cooking room.  Or you could make your own with an 18 inch grate and some nuts and bolts to do the same thing.  I also give Steve Rachlins "How to Grill" five stars.  I was good before I got that, now my BBQ is light years from where it use to be.  I love that book, I have worn mine out it is falling apart now.   If your not the best at grilling or you just want to try something different, get this book or give as a gift.  I have given a few copies away as gifts and I have never heard anyone complain yet!

Sean is Jelly going to hunt one down for you guys this year?

Nope...the birds all boogied.    Paige was wanting to smack one down too...that girl is a little savage!

We are going to fry one this year though and I am stoked.

If you don't have a fryer... High Heat turkey method is a good alternative.  I've been doing them for years like this.  Like frying, the skin carmelizes and seals the juices in the bird.  Works very well.

http://www.chefmarc.com/videos/view_recipe_2

An alternative is to Beer Can that bird, I have done a 12 pounder using a Fosters sized can (it has to big and wide, fosters cans seem to fit the bill easiest).  Cut the top off, pour half the beer in a pan (or a Pyrex pan if doing it in the oven).   The other half stays in the can, throw a spoon ful or two of the seasoning in the can as well. Three hours at 350 does it nicely, make sure to prop the can upright or it can fall over.

Some points:

1. I pull the neck skin over the top of the bird (chicken or turkey doesn't matter)
2. rub the bird well
3. If grilling place the water pan on the lower grate and surround the pie pan with charcoals both lit and unlit (this extends your cooking time by already having those unlit coals in there so you don't hav eto keep opening the the lid.

4. Measure the height of your bird, to make sure you can close the lid. Or better yet measure the height than look for a bird that will fit.

5. Using both the upper and lower vents adjust your heat to 350 degrees ( I use my grill all the time, so I am Know where that spot is, you may have to paly with it).

6.   Keep the center of the can over the center of the pie pan and all will be well. 

7. Injecting or brining the bird, your call I have done both and done it without and found injection tends to bleed out, brining is okay, but make sure you dry the bird out for a 8-12 hours so the skin crisps up.

8.  Tie off the legs and wings

9. Once removed from the grill let bird stand for ten-15 minutes so it can reabsorb all of its juices. 

10.  When carving this guy up remember it will be juicy so cut over the sink or have some towels ready because it can over load the troth in the cutting board and make a greasy mess.

How about a follow up to those turkey's everyone did?

Mine: This was a multi-day project, picked up the bird at the Moffet Commisary on Saturday. Defrosted it over Monday-Tuesday. Brined it overnight Tuesday, dried in the fridge Wednesday (after brining the bird if you leave it on covered in the fridge it dries the skin out so it is crispy when you do it later.)  We took the bird up to GF's Brothers house, and I set up the Weber with rotissierie, and Smokentor 1000 (got to be the cheesiest name for a device, but the damn thing works great).  Using lump charcoal and applewood chips I smoked/slow roasted the bird  for 6 1/2 hours till it got to 175 degrees.  Now because it seems everyone in her family loves dark meat, I also did 4 turkey thighs in my Brine solution, and smoked them on Wednesday.  Everything came out great, super moist great smoke ring, lots of compliments.  Two problems, one: the camara batteries went dead the moment I got near the grill.  Two: what do you do for an encore? The bird went over so well her cousin who also swears by his Weber, is now looking for the Rotissierie.