Maple-Brined, Wood Smoked Grilled Turkey Recipe

I heard about this recipe on NPR one day, it was written by Fine Cooking - Issue No. 24. They seemed a bit possessive of their secrets (subscription only), so I found it here Maple-Brined, Wood Smoked Grilled Turkey Recipes at Cooking.com. I found this to be the most delicious Turkey ever, we had a banner year this Thanksgiving between the Turkey and the Stuffing (also posted, and raved about on my own blog).

You should allow a few days for brining and ~4 hours to cook.

Large non-reactive container for brining (no aluminum or copper). Many people use a cooler or 5 gallon bucket, I used a giant (I mean enormous) stainless steel mixing bowl and plastic wrap. Some of my turkey was hanging out. If yours hangs out of your brining container, turn it 2X per day. It's recommended to brine a thawed turkey. I didn't have that luxury, and my bird still turned out fine, I started brining Tuesday afternoon, but I wished I'd had 1-2 days longer.

Please note, a grilled turkey doesn't make drippings for gravy, so you'll need to make other arrangements. It'll be worth it.

2 C brown sugar

1 C maple syrup (use the good stuff, Mrs Butterworth won't do it)

3/4 C coarse salt (I used a mix of kosher and sea salt)

3 whole heads garlic, cloves separated (but not peeled), bruised

6 large bay leaves

1 1/2 C coarsely chopped unpeeled fresh ginger (I was out, and had to shake in some dry, I didn't use that much)

2 t dried chili flakes

1 1/2 C soy sauce

3 quarts water

Handful fresh thyme sprigs

12-14 pounds fresh turkey (I used a free range turkey. The regular freezer turkeys are injected with a brining solution, so they are not ideal for at home brining)

Olive oil to baste the bird

Combine all of the brine ingredients in an enamel or stainless-steel pot, Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and let cool completely. (I skipped the cooling step, warm water helped thaw the bird, but it may pose a food safety hazard)

Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey (impossibly to get out of a frozen bird, woulda-shoulda), rinse the bird well, and add it to the brine (or bring the brine to the bird if you're using a plastic brining vessel). Add water to cover the bird if necessary. Refrigerate for 2-4 days, turning twice a day.

To cook the turkey, remove the bird from the brine, pat it dry, and brush with olive oil. Light the grill with about 30 pieces of charcoal (hardwood lump charcoal preferred). We have a smokey Joe Weber smoker, which worked smashingly. Use a foil drip pan to catch the drippings. When the coals are hot, add a few pieces of soaked wood to smoke. Center the turkey on the upper rack of the grill, breast side up. Cover the grill and damp the vents, add coals as necessary. Try to maintain a temperature between 275 and 325F. The bird will cook for ~3.5 hours. Cook to a thigh temperature of 155F. Allow to rest 20 minutes before carving.