I'm not a turkey fan, and never have been. Since picking up a ceramic grill a couple years ago however, I've been trying different things and ran across a phenomenal way to do a turkey. I've fixed it twice this way (once on a ceramic grill, and once on a Traeger pellet grill) and both times the results were enough to turn us into year-round turkey fans. Can be prepared in an oven or bbq -- if you use the latter, you'll need to be able to control your grill temps but you'll also get a little smoky flavor which makes the effort worth it. (If you choose to add specific types of wood for smoke, go with something mild like fruit woods and don't overdo it -- the turkey will soak up the smoke flavor pretty readily.)
For prep, pull the automatic temperature pop-up out of the turkey as well as the thingamabob that holds the legs together, and throw them away. Reach into the turkey and pull out the gizzard, heart, and liver package and throw them into a 9x13 cake pan. Lay the turkey out on its breast, and cut the backbone completely out -- you'll need a good set of heavy kitchen shears, and will make a cut down both sides of the backbone (going thru meat, skin, bone, etc...) Throw the backbone away. When done, you'll have a "spatchcocked" turkey that you can lay flat on the grill (which will allow it to heat and cook evenly and faster, so it doesn't dry out). Then take about 1/4 cup of your favorite bird rub (I like one where sage is the dominant spice) and mix enough of your favorite vegetable oil in with it to make a wet paste. Lay the bird out on your counter breast side up, slide your hand between the skin and the meat, and work a coating of the wet rub/paste between skin and meat. Get the wet rub into as much of the accessible areas between skin and meat as you can, accessing from the head end and tail end. Set your grill (or oven) up to cook at about 325 degrees, with a spot to put the cake pan below the turkey so it will catch the drippings and act as a heat shield from the coals/heating element. When the grill is warm, set the cake pan with the turkey parts and a couple inches of water in it in place, set the turkey above the pan (all spread/butterflied out and breast side up) elevating it a couple inches above the pan on another rack. (Don't set it in the pan -- you want heat and smoke to be able to get all around the turkey, evenly). Leave it alone and let it cook for an hour or so, checking it only enough to refill water in the pan. (Don't let the water completely boil off, always keeping water in the pan.) Once the skin starts to get golden brown on the legs and wings (1+ hrs) wrap the exposed ends of the wings and legs with 8"x8" pieces of foil so they don't overcook while the white meat finishes, and stick a digital thermometer into the coolest part of the breast to start checking meat temp. Check the temp of the breasts periodically, and pull the bird out when the coolest part of the breast you can find hits 160F. Set the bird on the counter, cover with foil, and retrieve the 9x13 pan, discarding all the turkey parts but using the drippings and broth as a base for your favorite gravy. For reference, an 11# turkey took 2 hrs of grill time and a 14# turkey took about 3 hrs. When the gravy is ready, carve the turkey and eat. You'll have a golden brown turkey with an awesome, crispy skin, and extremely moist flavorful meat (white and dark).
For prep, pull the automatic temperature pop-up out of the turkey as well as the thingamabob that holds the legs together, and throw them away. Reach into the turkey and pull out the gizzard, heart, and liver package and throw them into a 9x13 cake pan. Lay the turkey out on its breast, and cut the backbone completely out -- you'll need a good set of heavy kitchen shears, and will make a cut down both sides of the backbone (going thru meat, skin, bone, etc...) Throw the backbone away. When done, you'll have a "spatchcocked" turkey that you can lay flat on the grill (which will allow it to heat and cook evenly and faster, so it doesn't dry out). Then take about 1/4 cup of your favorite bird rub (I like one where sage is the dominant spice) and mix enough of your favorite vegetable oil in with it to make a wet paste. Lay the bird out on your counter breast side up, slide your hand between the skin and the meat, and work a coating of the wet rub/paste between skin and meat. Get the wet rub into as much of the accessible areas between skin and meat as you can, accessing from the head end and tail end. Set your grill (or oven) up to cook at about 325 degrees, with a spot to put the cake pan below the turkey so it will catch the drippings and act as a heat shield from the coals/heating element. When the grill is warm, set the cake pan with the turkey parts and a couple inches of water in it in place, set the turkey above the pan (all spread/butterflied out and breast side up) elevating it a couple inches above the pan on another rack. (Don't set it in the pan -- you want heat and smoke to be able to get all around the turkey, evenly). Leave it alone and let it cook for an hour or so, checking it only enough to refill water in the pan. (Don't let the water completely boil off, always keeping water in the pan.) Once the skin starts to get golden brown on the legs and wings (1+ hrs) wrap the exposed ends of the wings and legs with 8"x8" pieces of foil so they don't overcook while the white meat finishes, and stick a digital thermometer into the coolest part of the breast to start checking meat temp. Check the temp of the breasts periodically, and pull the bird out when the coolest part of the breast you can find hits 160F. Set the bird on the counter, cover with foil, and retrieve the 9x13 pan, discarding all the turkey parts but using the drippings and broth as a base for your favorite gravy. For reference, an 11# turkey took 2 hrs of grill time and a 14# turkey took about 3 hrs. When the gravy is ready, carve the turkey and eat. You'll have a golden brown turkey with an awesome, crispy skin, and extremely moist flavorful meat (white and dark).
