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Barbecued Smoked Wild Turkey

Category: Wild Game

Author: SW

Date: 2/27/2002

Rating:

(3.0) by 49 users

Ingredients:

INGEDIENTS
Bird (wild, domestic or peafowl):
About 10 - 12 pounds, whole
(If it's a wild turkey, it might weigh 15-20 lbs. Just double the ingredients)

Liquid to be injected into the bird:
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup garlic-flavored oil
4 ounces of beer

Paste to be massaged into the bird:
3-4 garlic cloves
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon coarse pepper
Pinch of cayenne
1 Tablespoon garlic-flavored oil

Ingredients for basting:
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
8 ounces beer
1/4 cup oil; olive oil, canola or corn oil

Instructions:

The night before, combine the injection ingredients in a bowl, and suck up into a kitchen syringe. Inject the ingredients deeply into the turkey in numerous places, but mostly into the breast meat. This works especially well for wild birds because it adds internal moisture. It will not make the meat greasy.

To make your own garlic-flavored oil, mince one bulb of garlic, place it in a jar, add enough oil to cover it by a couple of inches. Put a lid on the jar, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before using.

Combine the paste ingredients until it becomes of a paste consistency. Add the oil after grinding the other ingredients with a mortar and pestle or by some other means. Mix well.

Rub the paste under the skin of the turkey carefully. Rub the paste also inside the cavity. Cover the bird in plastic and place in refrigerator.

The next morning, take the turkey out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for an hour to an hour and a half before barbecuing. Get the smoker ready. Bring the temperature up to 200 - 230 degrees F.

Wrap the bird in wet cheesecloth and secure the ends.

Place your turkey breast-side down in the smoker and cook for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours per pound. The internal temperature should reach 180 degrees F. Re-wet the cheesecloth periodically. It must stay wet.

After the bird cooks from six to ten hours, depending on its size and internal temperature, cut off the cheesecloth and discard.

After the cheesecloth is removed, you can baste the turkey while it finishes its cooking, if your smoking method allows you to baste while the bird remains in the smoker. Combine the basting ingredients and warm up the mixture on low heat, or in a microwave briefly. Baste every half hour if you can.

When your turkey, or other-type bird is done, remove it from the smoker, and let it sit for 15 minutes to a half hour before slicing.

Serve with your favorite store-bought or home-made barbecue sauce!