Grilled or Smoked Brined Turkey

Moist and Flavorful Brined Turkey

If you want a really terrific turkey this year, try brining the bird. You do have to start a little earlier, but it's worth the extra effort.

Here's my basic Brined Turkey directions and basic recipe plus some ideas, so that you can doctor up your own turkey and have a unique flavor this year.

Once you brine your turkey, then you smoke it like you would other meats. But, don't add the water to the smoker. You want a higher temperature, similar to oven cooking. Aim for around 350 degrees F and about the same cooking time as in the oven.

The reason for the quicker cooking for a smoked turkey is that turkey meat dries out if cooked really low and slow. The texture is simply different from beef or pork. It still takes a while to cook a turkey on a smoker or on a grill with a lid and on the cool side of the grill (not directly over the flames or heat). The smoke flavor gets in there fine with the shorter cooking time.

If you don't want a whole turkey, you can do a bone in turkey breast. Just make less brine if doing a breast or breasts. Cooking time is less as well, since the size is not as large.

Also note that you want to go with the basic water brine recipe in the guide rather than the fruit juices, because the skin may get too dark with the extra sugar in the juice.

We plan to smoke a turkey breast and a spiral ham for Thanksgiving this week. I think we'll plan to do the smoking on Wednesday, so we're not trying to cook both indoors and outdoors on Thanksgiving day. Turkey is fine served cold but can also be heated up for the meal. The smoked flavor is actually more obvious the second day.

Barbecue Twelve Days of Christmas

Brrrr! Yes. It is cold outside, but that's half the fun (sort of).


You may not think of Christmas as barbecue season, but grills sell well around Christmas time. Why? Grills make great gifts as do the various accessories needed for super outdoor parties.

In the spirit of the season and for all those grilling fanatics out there, I've written a song highlighting those grilling gift wish lists. This song must, of course, be sung very loud and off key.

It is also most fun sung when cooking up some Beer Butt Chicken, but any grilled food will do. Just slap something on the grill, and belt out this new holiday classic.

Barbecue Twelve Days of Christmas
by Cyndi Allison

On the first day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
A smokerwith cherry wood chunks


On the second day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the third day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the fourth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the fifth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips

On the sixth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Six chimney starters,
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the seventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Seven bags of charcoal,
Six chimney starters,
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor glovess,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips

On the eighth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Eight outdoor cookbooks,
Seven bags of charcoal,
Six chimney starters,
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the ninth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Nine Weber gas grills,
Eight outdoor cookbooks,
Seven bags of charcoal,
Six chimney starters,
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the tenth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Ten Char-Broil caddies,
Nine Weber gas grills,
Eight outdoor cookbooks,
Seven bags of charcoal,
Six chimney starters,
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the eleventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Eleven grain fed beef steaks,
Ten Char-Broil caddies,
Nine Weber gas grills,
Eight outdoor cookbooks,
Seven bags of charcoal,
Six chimney starters,
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the twelfth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Twelve ice cold Bush beers,
Eleven grain fed beef steaks,
Ten Char-Broil caddies,
Nine Weber gas grills,
Eight outdoor cookbooks,
Seven bags of charcoal,
Six chimney starters,
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips!


Now, somebody's dad definately needs some more grill gear. I'm thinking perhaps a big drop cloth or perhaps one of those side fence things like they put around trampliines these days.

Worst Foods of Thanksgiving - Thanksgiving Food Fun

We Americans are funny. We will cook and serve foods we detest, because that's what you do on Thanksgiving. It doesn't matter what it tastes like. It's the spirt of the season. It's the rule.

In celebration of Thanksgiving icky foods, I've gathered a list of foods people love to hate at Thanksgiving. Ironically, these are some of my favorites. Or, that's what I tell the boys when I plop these on the table come turkey day.

Top Ten Worst Foods on the Thanksgiving Table

10. Sweet Potato Marshmallow Melt - The very worst is when the marshmallows are hidden. You take a big bite of sweet potato, and then . . . ick . . . there's that melty marshmallow.

9. Green Bean Casserole - I suspect people just say they hate green bean casserole with those dried, fried onion rings on top. The bowl is always empty, but still people talk junk about this one. Where does it go? Does it just evaporate? No. I think not.

8. Jell-o with Fruit - Jell-o is supposed to slide down like ice cream. When you add fruit (like especially fruit cocktail), then you have to chew Jell-o, and that's just WRONG. Even the dog won't eat this.

7. Cooked Carrots - I don't think carrots were meant to be cooked. That's why you put orange juice in there when you're boiling them. Then, you ruin your carrots and your orange juice.

6. Cranberry Sauce - You know that hunk of stuff in the can. You shake it out, and it still looks like the can complete with the can ridges. Oh yes. It's Thanksgiving when you have canned cranberry stuff.

5. Giblets - Boy, I was sure surprised the first time I found that bag of spare parts in the turkey - after I cooked it and put it on the table. These are supposed to be used to make your gravy and dressing. Just don't look in the pan when you're boiling the turkey neck. That's enough to scare anyone.

4. Dressing or Stuffing - This is a good way to get rid of the stale bread. Some of it is very good. Some of it is dreadful. Take a small portion first and proceed as indicated.

3. Fruitcake - You knew that one was coming. There are enough fruitcake jokes out there. I'll just let that one rest other than saying the birds won't eat it either. Toss some in the yard and see. Sad.

2. Pumpkin Pie - The idea is good. Sadly, most people don't get it right. The crust is white and soggy, and that't not a good thing.

1. Turkey - OK. I said it. Why do we need a giant bird that takes up the whole oven on the one day of the year we're trying to cook a ka-zillion other things? Then, it's turkey leftovers for days and days. No wonder no one wants another turkey for a whole year.


Mostly we smile and gobble up the Thanksgiving feast or pretend our plate is too full when the bowl gets passed with the worst of the holiday fare.

Kids, on the other hand, know what they know. This poor kid didn't think much of those carrots.



My oldest son still reacts like this to foods he hates. In fact, he threw up in his friend's hand in high school when the other boys put peas and mashed potatoes in the milk and shook it up. Just looking at that did him in. My son's buddy stuck his hand out for high five. My son tried to turn but threw up right in his hand. So, when he says pass on the Jell-o, I don't push it.

Now you have an excuse to break out the grill and make something everyone will love from Yes You Can Grill. But, then again, it's just not Thanksgiving without all the old classics.