Well I did it. I out did myself on Sunday brunch. Since this is the only real time during the hectic weeks that I can meal plan and experiment it looks as though brunch has become more than second nature to my cooking.
Who doesn’t love brunch? Coffee, mimosas, good food and most importantly football.
Since I did Thanksgiving dinner for the second time this past week I decided to do a Thanksgiving leftover brunch. Now this recipe is just for the smoked turkey but the rest of this meal is really easy to put together. Just take whatever leftover stuffing, potatoes and veggies and place in a pan with a little butter and olive oil. Saute it together until it’s all crisp and hash like. Make some fried eggs and serve on top along side the turkey….boom! Thanksgiving Leftover Brunch, made simple.
Now back to the turkey. I brined the turkey overnight with maple syrup, dark beer, orange and spices. Leaves the turkey juicy and infused with yummy flavor. Trust me on this one, brining is always the way to go!
I bought a smoker box for the grill and maple wood chips all sold at Cost Plus World Market. Pretty awesome store for all your grilling needs and then some!
BBQ'd Maple Smoked Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 whole Orange, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon Whole Cloves
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Peppercorns
- 3 – 4 stems Thyme
- 3 – 4 stems Rosemary
- 1/2 cup Maple Syrup
- 1/2 cup Kosher Salt
- 12 ounce Beer {I used a dark ale.}
- 6 cups Water
- 4 pounds Turkey Legs and Thighs
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
- Maple Wood Chips
- Smoker Box
Directions
- Step 1 Make the brine the night before to allow 12 hours for the turkey to brine in the fridge.
- Step 2 Combine orange zest and juice, garlic cloves, peppercorns thyme stems, rosemary stems, maple syrup, kosher salt, beer and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil to dissolve salt.
- Step 3 In a large bowl fill with ice. Pour the hot brine mixture over the ice to cool down. When ice has melted and brine is cool. Add the raw turkey legs, thighs and wings. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to brine overnight, about 12 hours.
- Step 4 After the 12 hours, remove turkey legs, thighs and wings from the brine. Discard brine. Rinse and pat dry the turkey. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Step 5 Place a couple of handfuls of the wood chips in a bowl and cover with water, beer or wine to soak for 30 minutes. Drain the wood chips and place in a smoker box or in double thick foil and bunch up the edges to create a bowl. Place the wood chips in your grill between the grill burners.
- Step 6 {I made two smoker boxes
- Step 7 one with the soaked chips and one with dry chips just to experiment a little. I put the dry chips on top of the grate while the soaked chips were placed on top of the burners.}
- Step 8 Place a shallow baking pan with water or beer on top of the grates so that when the water steams and evaporates it will keep the moisture locked in the grill and keep your turkey nice and juicy. Just make sure you watch it and add additional water every now and again.
- Step 9 Preheat your grill to 400 degrees F.
- Step 10 Place the turkey over in-direct heat on the top rack of your grill. Cook for 1 hour or until an instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Remove and tent turkey with foil for 10 minutes before serving.
Make the brine the night before to allow 12 hours for the turkey to brine in the fridge.
Combine orange zest and juice, garlic cloves, peppercorns, thyme stems, rosemary stems, maple syrup, kosher salt, beer and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil to dissolve salt.
In a large bowl fill with ice. Pour the hot brine mixture over the ice to cool down. When ice has melted and brine is cool. Add the raw turkey legs, thighs and wings. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to brine overnight, about 12 hours.
After the 12 hours, remove turkey legs, thighs and wings from the brine. Discard brine. Rinse and pat dry the turkey. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Place a couple of handfuls of the wood chips in a bowl and cover with water, beer or wine to soak for 30 minutes. Drain the wood chips and place in a smoker box or in double thick foil and bunch up the edges to create a bowl. Place the wood chips in your grill between the grill burners.
{I made two smoker boxes; one with the soaked chips and one with dry chips just to experiment a little. I put the dry chips on top of the grate while the soaked chips were placed on top of the burners.}
Place a shallow baking pan with water or beer on top of the grates so that when the water steams and evaporates it will keep the moisture locked in the grill and keep your turkey nice and juicy. Just make sure you watch it and add additional water every now and again.
Preheat your grill to 400 degrees F.
Place the turkey over in-direct heat on the top rack of your grill.
Cook for 1 hour or until an instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees F.
Beautiful.
Remove and tent turkey with foil for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with your choice of sides whether that be leftover Thanksgiving hash or mashed potatoes. Either way it’s going to be the star of the meal.
Savor and Enjoy!
