FEATURE/The Big Bird is Big All Year-Round: Smoking It on a Big Green Egg Makes Thanksgiving Even Better.

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ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 10, 2003

Think about a Thanksgiving turkey smoked to juicy, flavorful perfection on a Big Green Egg cooker in the back yard. Think about freeing up your oven for all the other side dishes and desserts. There are endless ways to cook your turkey outdoors, from rotissing it to deep frying it, but one of the easiest, most delectable ways to cook it is in a Big Green Egg kamado cooker. The Egg is the most versatile outdoor cooker you can own and the best possible choice for this year's Thanksgiving turkey. It will turn out the juiciest, most flavorful bird you're ever served.

A Word About the Bird

The National Turkey Federation informs that only about 25 percent of the turkey consumed annually is prepared for the Thanksgiving holiday. Clearly the large bird is a favorite throughout the year, thus the old dinner table question, "Why don't we have turkey more often?" has become somewhat moot. Per capita turkey consumption in the U.S. has more than doubled over the past 25 years, and as people continue to be more concerned about "eating healthy" that amount is expected to increase. And grilling or barbecuing is a favorite way to cook turkey anytime.

First Comes The Egg

Efficiently fueled with just a handful of natural lump charcoal The Big Green Egg is ready to cook on as quickly as most gas grills (within 10 minutes). It allows you to grill, barbecue, smoke or bake at exact temperatures, maintaining accuracy to within two degrees. The temperature gauge gives precise readings from up to 750 degrees F. The Egg's precise construction enables a wide range of smoking, with succulent results in dishes from turkey, ham and lamb to chicken and ribs or a flavorful brunch of egg, cheese and sausage dishes.

It's Come a Long, Long Way From Clay

Developed from an ancient clay cooker called a kamado, the modern Big Green Egg is made of space-age ceramics, comes with a lifetime warranty against damage from use and provides cooking performance that leaves other outdoor cookers literally green with envy. Its ceramic exterior surface doesn't get as hot as a metal appliance and the charcoal fire is enclosed in a small area, so the Egg is very safe to use. It also requires very little cleanup.

Evolution of Turkey Cooking Methods

Turkey has traditionally been put on a rack, stuffed or unstuffed, and roasted in the oven, basting it occasionally with melted butter. Today turkey preparation has evolved to where there is no limit to the ways in which it is customized to please every and any palate. Many chefs choose to soak it overnight in a brine bath, which not only adds flavor but ensures the meat will be unbelievably moist and juicy.

Others employ a kitchen syringe to inject the bird with a tasty "sauce" that can range from a tropical fruit juice mixture to a tangy, Cajun-spiced concoction. Then there is the whole world of dry rubs to explore. These sugar- or salt-based mixtures, combining any number of favorite spices or herbs, are patted onto the turkey skin or inserted gently between the skin and the meat, helping to crisp up the skin and bronze its surface while adding succulent flavor.

You can be infinitely creative in combining the ingredients your family favors for injecting or rubbing, or take the easy route and use one of the excellent commercial products found on the grocer's shelves or at your local barbecue specialty shop.

Whether you simply cook the turkey over charcoal or add some soaked wood chips to introduce another flavor (for example, apple for a mild flavor, pecan or hickory for a stronger taste) the Big Green Egg will enable you to easily prepare the best turkey dinner ever!

Take This with a Grain of Salt

People who brine a turkey or large roasting chicken swear by the process and how it enhances both flavor and moistness. Try this recipe for Smoked Brined Turkey on November 27:

Ingredients

-- 10 cups of water

-- 1/2 cup of pickling salt

-- 1/4 cup of lime juice

-- 1/2 cup of pickling spices

-- 1/4 cup of ground black pepper 

-- 4 bay leaves

-- 1 teaspoon thyme 

-- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 

-- 3 carrots, cut into small pieces

-- 2 medium onions, cut into small pieces

-- 1 young turkey (14 to 16 pounds)

Mix all ingredients except the turkey in a large bowl. Wash the turkey under cold running water and let drain for 15 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels. Pour the brine into a plastic "tub" or bucket lined with a large plastic bag and then place the turkey in it, making sure some brine is in the cavity. Place in refrigerator or ice-filled cooler for 48 hours.

Cooking Directions

-- Place bird on vertical turkey roaster*

-- Set in roasting pan to catch drippings and eliminate any

flare-ups

-- Baste with melted butter or oil to crisp the skin

-- Sprinkle with dry seasoning (optional)

-- Place pan inside Egg; smoke at 300 degrees F

-- Use a meat thermometer in the breast of the turkey to check

doneness - when it reads 180 degrees F it's done; let cool for

30 minutes before carving. Approximate cooking time: 5 to 6

hours

* If you don't have a vertical turkey roaster, place turkey on a roasting rack in pan.

Here's another recipe -- for Super Smoked Turkey - sent to the Big Green Egg company via its popular online User Forum.

Ingredients

-- One turkey (fresh or completely thawed)

-- One unpeeled orange

-- One apple

-- Two onions cut into chunks

-- 1/4 pound of bacon

-- 1/4 cup of sherry or red wine

Herbs & Spices (equal amounts of each; one heaping tablespoon is suggested)

-- Sage

-- Basil

-- Chopped garlic

-- Thyme

-- Black pepper

Cooking Directions:

-- Remove giblets and rinse the turkey thoroughly, inside and out

-- Combine herbs, spices, onions and bacon in a food processor or

blender until it is of a paste texture

-- Loosen the skin by working your fingers up between the skin

and flesh from breast to leg (starting at neck cavity). Be

careful not to tear the skin

-- Rub the paste evenly under the skin directly on the meat

-- Cut orange and apple into halves and place into cavity

-- Place the turkey on a rack inside a drip pan

-- Bring The Egg temperature to 250 degrees F

-- Add your favorite wood chips or chunks (pecan is great) to the

coals (Note: chips should be soaked for 60 minutes before

adding to coals)

-- Place turkey on the cooking grid in The Egg and pour sherry or

red wine over it

-- Allow approximately 25 minutes per pound at 250 degrees F

-- Cooking time for a 14-pound turkey should be about 6 hours at

that temperature. Check for an internal temperature of

175 degrees F to 180 degrees F

Now enjoy! We know you won't wait another 365 days to barbecue turkey this way again.

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