It’s nearly turkey time again! Christmas, Hanukkah, and even Kwanzaa too, but one thing is for sure when it comes to holidays like these, big meals. And what better way to prepare them than on the grill!? This succulent birdness is easy as apple pie.. well if you make apple pie and think that pastry is a snap…Okay easy as apple pie if you buy it from the grocery…ANYWAY… it can be done on the rotisserie or on the poultry stand. One of the biggest problems everyone has with turkey is overcooking it so have a care, after the first 2¾ hours you want to start checking the internal temperature when you baste. Dry birds are disappointing!

METHOD
Rub:

1. Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, Rib and Chicken BBQ
2. Seasoning and Rub, onion salt, celery salt, paprika, sage, and pepper, and mix well.

Turkey:

1. Remove the giblets and neck from turkey and rinse bird. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. Rub the inside of the turkey with half of the olive oil and season thoroughly with half of the rub. Rub the rest of the oil on the outside of the turkey and massage in the rest of the seasoning, remembering to rub some right under the skin into the meat. Place the apples, onions, and garlic cloves in the cavity.
3. Fold or tie the turkey wings back behind the bird and place the turkey, cavity down, over the Napoleon® Poultry Stand so that the stand protrudes far enough into the cavity to stand the bird upright and hold it firmly in place. Use the apple-onion mixture in the cavity to help stabilize the stand. (This is slightly awkward but well worth the effort.) Take care so the bird won’t fall over once it’s in the grill.
4. Preheat the grill to medium 350ºF, using the rear burner.
5. Place the apple juice and some water in a drip pan deep enough to collect all the drippings from the turkey and place the whole bird over the pan. Place the smoker tube at the back of the grill, against the rear burner (If you choose to replenish the chips during the cooking time, be very careful) and close the lid. Baste from the dripping pan every 30 minutes.

Glaze:

1. In a saucepan, heat the crabapple jelly, wine, pineapple juice, corn syrup, and lemon juice just to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the South Carolina Yellow Mustard Barbecue Sauce and remove from the heat. Set aside until needed.
2. Expect a 12-lb. turkey to take between 3 and 3½ hours to reach 165ºF between the thigh and the breast. Be careful when checking not to contact bone with the thermometer.
3. Baste the turkey every 15 minutes with the glaze for the last hour of the cooking time.
4. When the turkey is done, use great care, gloves, and tongs when removing it from the grill. It should be allowed to rest, covered, for 20 minutes before carving.
5. There will be some delicious juices in the drip pan. Use this liquid to make gravy!

My favouritest thing ever was when Mom would make a roasted bird. Much like the Macaroni and Cheese I now make for my family, I am so happy to be able to make my version of the roasted bird and gravy for them now too!

Happy Grilling!