Question My husband just shot and brought home a wild turkey. He would like to smoke
it on a gas or charcoal grill. What is your expert advise on how to do this for
maximum enjoyment?
Answer Michelle:
I would first start by brining it. Follow the link:
After brining the meat should be more moist after smoking. Now you can either smoke it in a covered grill, like a webber and cook it at the same time or you can cold smoke it and then cook it in the oven.
If you hot smoke it on the grill, you will need to decide what wood you want to use. Fire up the grill and get the charcoal going, then move the charcoal into a ring around the outside of the grill and place a cake pan or other round pan, an aluminum pie plate will work, in the center and fill it with beer or water. This is the drip pan, it needs to have water in it at all times to prevent a flare up. Your wood chips need to be soaked before hand in water. Now place some around the circumference of the charcoal and put the grill on.
Now place the meat over the drip pan. You will need a instant read meat thermometer to guage the temp. You want it around 145 degrees to be done. Since it is wild don't worry about the warnings about domestic chicken needing to be cooked to such and such temp. That is because salmonella is introduced in the poultry plant due to the sanitary or unsanitary conditions. I know, I cut chicken in high school in such a plant.
The wood chips should be smoking now. Cover the grill. Now adjust the vent at the top so that you get a good constant stream of smoke.
The key is keeping the fire going, but not too hot, so you might need to adjust the vents on the bottom too, close them about half way.
Check on the progress occasionally. If it is cooking too fast or hot, close down the vent on top a bit more. You want it to take a few hours. Add more charcoal and chips as needed.
The alternative method is to use a hot plate inside a container and use wood shavings in a can. Adjust the heat on the hotplate till the wood begins to smoulder and smoke. Now you can smoke the meat on a grill without it actually cooking. Offset the grill holding the meat so if it drips it does not drip on the hot plate. You can do this even in a card board box. Place the hot plate in the bottom, stick some metal rods or dowels through the sides of the box to support a grill from your oven, and you are set to go. When the wood smoulders close up the box. Be sure to do this outside and keep an eye on the wood chips to make sure they don't flame, a bit of perforated foil over the can will help prevent this. After smoking you can cook it in the oven.
When cooking be sure to watch the internal temperature of the meat and cook to temperature, not by time.
