Page 32 - NOV2020 BNM Digital Issue

If you must cook it whole, do not truss the legs. This will help the thighs and drumsticks cook faster because they need to be cooked to a higher temperature than the breasts. Let the entire surface brown, even the armpits and crotch, because nobody wants to eat rubbery skin.
Cook it at the right temperature. Roast the bird as close to 325°F as your cooker will let you. This crisps the skin. Do not baste during cooking. Putting drippings on the skin just makes it soft.
Cover the tips of the wings and drumsticks with for for the first 30 minutes. This will keep them from burning.
Never put the turkey in a roasting pan. Roasting pans block airflow, and the underside of the bird doesn’t cook properly. Instead, place the turkey above a roasting pan so air can flow all around it, cooking and browning it properly on the underside. On a grill or smoker, putting the drip pan under the grate is perfect.
Place the bird above a drip pan and make your gravy there. Before seasoning the bird, pour all the juices from the bag into a large drip pan, 3 1/2-quart capacity, prefer- ably stainless steel, ceramic, or CorningWare. Put the back- bone in there too. Cut all the excess skin from the front and rear cavities and toss it in. Throw the neck, gizzard, and heart in too, but not the liver (save livers in the freezer for paté). Cut off the wing tips and throw them in too. Toss in an apple cut into quarters, an onion cut into quarters, a small stalk of celery leaves and all, a palmfull of green herbs (thyme, rosemary, tarragon, oregano, basil). Toss in two bay leaves. Add two medium carrots, chopped into 4 chunks. Add a quart of chicken stock or water, and a cup or two of dry white wine. The drippings will add to the flavors and you will have an awesome turkey stock for gravy. You can strain it and add flour later for a traditional gravy, but I just strain it, taste it , cook it down if necessary, add salt, and that’s the final gravy. It really soaks into the meat and amps it up to 11.
Add wood, but not too much. Turkey loves wood smoke, NOVEMBER 2020
but too much can ruin it. Put just a little wood on the heat source, perhaps 4 ounces.
Do not rest or tent with foil. To lift the hot turkey from the cooker, use Bear Paws, two spatulas, or wooden spoons—just stick the handle of each into the front and rear cavity and lift. Many recipes tell you to cover the bird with foil when you bring it in. Steam trapped under the foil softens the skin. Resting to redistribute juices is a myth. This just allows the residual heat in the meat overcook the bird. Take the bird off and start carving immediately.
Serve. Place the bird on a cutting board with channels that can hold the copious juices. Carve the bird (see the instruc- tions on AmazingRibs.com), and place the carved meat on a platter with a lip to contain the juices. Pour on some gravy. Take a bow and enjoy the applause.
Meathead is the barbecue whisperer who founded Amazin- gRibs.com, by far the world's most popular outdoor cooking website. He is the author of "Meathead, The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling," a New York Times Best Seller that was also named one of the "100 Best Cookbooks of All Time" by Southern Living magazine. This article was excerpted and modified from his book. For 3,000+ free pages of great barbe- cue and grilling info, visit AmazingRibs.com and take a free trial in the Pitmaster Club.
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