Rodney Scott's Holiday Smoked Turkey
By Morgan BollingPublished on August 24, 2021
Time
4¾ hours, plus 30 minutes resting
Yield
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
Mop
2 cups distilled white vinegar 2 thin lemon slices¼ cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon pepper 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon red pepper flakesRub
2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon monosodium glutamate 1 tablespoon pepper 1 tablespoon paprika 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar 1½ teaspoons garlic powder 1½ teaspoons onion powder ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepperTurkey
1 (12- to 14-pound) turkey, neck and giblets discarded, spatchcocked4 (3-inch) wood chunks 1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum panBefore You Begin
This recipe is adapted from Rodney Scott's holiday turkey recipe in his cookbook, Rodney Scott's World of BBQ (2021). We developed this recipe using a 22-inch kettle charcoal grill. We recommend reading the entire recipe before starting. You can reserve the turkey neck and giblets for making gravy, if desired.
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Discard lemon slices. (Mop can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 months.)
- Combine all ingredients in bowl.
- Place turkey breast side down on cutting board with cavity facing counter edge. Using kitchen shears, cut through bones on either side of backbone, staying as close as possible to backbone. Discard backbone. Flip turkey and press down firmly on breast with heels of your hands to flatten breastbone.
- Sprinkle rub all over both sides of turkey. Open bottom vent of charcoal grill completely. To make charcoal snake, arrange 50 charcoal briquettes, 2 briquettes wide, around perimeter of grill, overlapping slightly so briquettes are touching and leaving 9-inch gap between ends of snake. Place second layer of 50 briquettes, also 2 briquettes wide, on top of first. (Completed arrangement should be 2 briquettes wide by 2 briquettes high.)
- Starting 2 inches from each end of charcoal snake, place wood chunks on top of charcoal about 2 inches apart. Slide disposable pan into charcoal gap, running lengthwise into arc of snake and touching grill wall on opposite side of snake. Pour 6 cups water into pan.
- Light chimney starter filled with 20 briquettes (pile briquettes on 1 side of chimney so they catch). When coals are partially covered with ash, use tongs to pile 10 coals on each end of charcoal snake, where briquettes meet water pan, so both ends of snake ignite.
- Set cooking grate in place, then clean and oil grate. Position turkey, skin side down, over water pan, with drumsticks pointing toward arc in charcoal snake. Cover grill, position lid vent over turkey, and open lid vent completely. Cook, undisturbed, for 2 hours.
- Using small barbecue mop or basting brush, baste turkey liberally with mop. Using oven mitts or grill mitts, flip turkey skin side up, again positioning it over water pan with drumsticks pointing toward arc in charcoal snake. Baste skin side liberally with more mop (you may not need all of it; discard any extra).
- Insert temperature probe into thickest part of breast. Cover grill and cook until breast registers 160 degrees (check temperature of both sides of breast) and thighs register 175 degrees, about 1 hour.
- Transfer turkey to rimmed baking sheet. Let rest for 30 to 40 minutes. Carve turkey and transfer to serving platter. Serve.
for the mop
for the rub
for the turkey
Time
4¾ hours, plus 30 minutes restingYield
Serves 10 to 12Ingredients
Mop
Rub
Turkey
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Mop
Rub
Turkey
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Mop
Rub
Turkey
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Smoking a turkey is a pro holiday move. When done well, barbecuing keeps the relatively lean meat moist and juicy, and smoke adds a lot of flavor. For this recipe, we consulted a true pro, James Beard Award–winning pit master Rodney Scott. Adapting a recipe from his book, Rodney Scott's World of BBQ (2021), we started with a spatchcocked turkey (meaning the backbone is removed and the bird is laid out flat, so it cooks more evenly). While Scott's recipe was designed for a ceramic smoker, we wanted to make our recipe work on a less controlled but more common kettle charcoal grill. We used the charcoal snake method, a grill setup where we arrange the coals in a C shape around the perimeter of the bottom of the grill. Lighting both sides of the snake allowed the coals to slowly ignite in succession for a nice low, long burn from two directions, helping the spatchcocked turkey cook evenly. Wood chunks added on top of the charcoal provided bursts of smoke throughout cooking. Using a probe thermometer helped us know when the breast hit 160 degrees, at which point we removed the turkey from the grill so that the meat wouldn't dry out and the skin stayed beautifully bronzed and not too dark.
Before You Begin
This recipe is adapted from Rodney Scott's holiday turkey recipe in his cookbook, Rodney Scott's World of BBQ (2021). We developed this recipe using a 22-inch kettle charcoal grill. We recommend reading the entire recipe before starting. You can reserve the turkey neck and giblets for making gravy, if desired.
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Discard lemon slices. (Mop can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 months.)
- Combine all ingredients in bowl.
- Place turkey breast side down on cutting board with cavity facing counter edge. Using kitchen shears, cut through bones on either side of backbone, staying as close as possible to backbone. Discard backbone. Flip turkey and press down firmly on breast with heels of your hands to flatten breastbone.
- Sprinkle rub all over both sides of turkey. Open bottom vent of charcoal grill completely. To make charcoal snake, arrange 50 charcoal briquettes, 2 briquettes wide, around perimeter of grill, overlapping slightly so briquettes are touching and leaving 9-inch gap between ends of snake. Place second layer of 50 briquettes, also 2 briquettes wide, on top of first. (Completed arrangement should be 2 briquettes wide by 2 briquettes high.)
- Starting 2 inches from each end of charcoal snake, place wood chunks on top of charcoal about 2 inches apart. Slide disposable pan into charcoal gap, running lengthwise into arc of snake and touching grill wall on opposite side of snake. Pour 6 cups water into pan.
- Light chimney starter filled with 20 briquettes (pile briquettes on 1 side of chimney so they catch). When coals are partially covered with ash, use tongs to pile 10 coals on each end of charcoal snake, where briquettes meet water pan, so both ends of snake ignite.
- Set cooking grate in place, then clean and oil grate. Position turkey, skin side down, over water pan, with drumsticks pointing toward arc in charcoal snake. Cover grill, position lid vent over turkey, and open lid vent completely. Cook, undisturbed, for 2 hours.
- Using small barbecue mop or basting brush, baste turkey liberally with mop. Using oven mitts or grill mitts, flip turkey skin side up, again positioning it over water pan with drumsticks pointing toward arc in charcoal snake. Baste skin side liberally with more mop (you may not need all of it; discard any extra).
- Insert temperature probe into thickest part of breast. Cover grill and cook until breast registers 160 degrees (check temperature of both sides of breast) and thighs register 175 degrees, about 1 hour.
- Transfer turkey to rimmed baking sheet. Let rest for 30 to 40 minutes. Carve turkey and transfer to serving platter. Serve.
for the mop
for the rub
for the turkey
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