This year for our holiday dinner we decided to wrap our turkey in bacon. Why? Because its BACON, need we say more? All jokes aside, the bacon layer serves a dual purpose. Not only does the bacon help season your bird it also automatically baste your turkey keeping it juicy.
- 3 tablespoons of Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons of fresh Rosemary chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic
- Cracked peppercorn blend (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
Wash and dry your turkey before the brining process. Mix all the ingredients well in a small bowl and apply directly to your thawed turkey.
A dry brine will add flavor and moisture back into the turkey. Basically, a dry brine is rubbing salt and herbs into the skin of your turkey and letting it sit in the refrigerator for three days. The Kosher salt herb mixture draws natural juices from the turkey while adding flavor at the same time.
- 1/2 pound of unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 4 small cloves of Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon of fresh Rosemary chopped finely
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon of cracked peppercorn blend
Blend all ingredients well and refrigerate until needed. You may need to expand the recipe depending on the size of your bird. Bring the herbed butter to room temperature before applying it to your turkey. You can make the herbed butter in advance.
- 4 celery stalks (cut in half)
- 4 carrots (cut in half)
- 1 cup of low sodium chicken stock
- 6 Fresh rosemary sprigs
- 4 Fresh Sage leaves
- 1 small onion quartered
Begin by liberally apply the herbed butter mixture inside and out of your turkey making sure its well covered. The herbed butter will help keep the bacon in place while cooking. Divide the ingredients above in half and insert your herbs and veggies in the cavity of your bird. The aromatic herbs will infuse your turkey with flavor. Place your turkey breast- side up in a shallow roasting pan. Pour the chicken stock in the bottom of your pan and add celery, carrots, onion and herbs. Set your pan over to the side so we can work on our bacon.
1 lb thick sliced bacon. This may vary depending on the size of your turkey.
The trick here is to create your basketweave on a flat surface. Take a sheet of parchment paper and start weaving bacon in a basketweave pattern. Once you’ve enough to cover your turkey, carefully flip the bacon basketweave over the breast your bird. Take extra strips of bacon and wrap the legs and wings.
Set your cooker up for smoking using the divider plate for indirect heat. Preheat your cooker to 325 degrees. Smoke your turkey uncovered until the internal temperature in the thigh is 180 degrees – making sure that the tip of your thermometer is not up against the thigh bone.
Carefully remove your turkey and let it sit for 15 minutes before carving. Enjoy the best holiday turkey you’ve ever had.
Got turkey leftovers? No problem, check out our Smoked Turkey Salad with Pecans and Herbed Aioli.
