How to Smoke a Turkey

METHOD: Indirect grilling

Every Thanksgiving I embark on a challenging mission—my quest to cook the perfect turkey. A whole turkey possesses white meat requiring a gentle heat to cook it without leaving it dry and stringy; dark meat that needs prolonged cooking to soften the tendons in the drumsticks; and skin, which should be as salty as a potato chip and as crackling crisp as cellophane. And therein lies the challenge. The solution lies in indirect grilling. The smoky sealed cooking environment produces a bird that’s moist, tender, and perfumed with wood smoke. Moreover, cooking the bird outdoors leaves your oven free for the side dishes.