Take your Turkey to the next level: Make it Spin

As we move along the month of November, I can’t help but think about Thanksgiving and the amazing dishes that come along with the celebration. The whole family gets together and talks about what they are thankful for, share a few jokes and have a few drinks, but most importantly they all gather to enjoy a delicious Turkey and will likely end up in a food coma! So for this episode I wanted to step it up a bit and do a Turkey in a way that is fun and challenging and a showstopper for my guests, but without compromising its tenderness and juiciness.

I’m usually not a big fan of Turkey, mostly because I didn’t have the best experiences cooking it and my attempts would usually end up too dry, but I have decided to grab the bull by the horns and try ways to add more moisture. My absolute must, when cooking a Turkey is to brine it for at least 24hrs. Brining is just simply letting the meat rest in salt water before cooking it, by doing so you let Turkey absorb the salt water for moisture and also for flavor. In this video I just brine the Turkey with Lane’s BBQ Signature Brine,  but you can definitely make your own whether it's just salted water or if you feel adventurous add some herbs or vegetables. 

As a side, I am making one of my ultimate favorites: bacon wrapped brussel sprouts! It is the perfect season to do them and the cool thing is that I have been able to find them in the stalk which makes them easier to cook, but also more fun to eat.  

So let’s get that turkey spinning and those sprouts nice and crispy!

Video Recipe

Directions

1. Season the turkey with the rub, make sure to put some under the skin and in the cavity. Do not be afraid to be liberal with the rub, Turkeys have a tendency to lack natural flavors. 
2. Use the twine and tie up the legs and wings, so they don’t flap around once the turkey is in the rotisserie - it’ll give it more stability. 
3. Secure the Turkey tightly on the rotisserie and let it spin at 350 °F for about two and a half hours. If you have a thermometer, check the temperature, it should be at around 165 °F.
4. In the meantime prepare the brussel sprouts. Take the stalks and wrap bacon in each sprout, when done with all of them coat them with grapeseed oil and sprinkle some salt.
5. Place the brussel sprouts on the 350°F heat for around 40 minutes. 
6. Once both are done, remove from heat and enjoy!! 

The juiciest Turkey I’ve ever tried… 

So while I was cooking I had a small challenge, and the rotisserie broke on me, luckily I had another one, but just make sure that your rotisserie can handle the weight of your Turkey before starting.

The brussel sprouts just look incredible, so of course I decide to try these first and they are just perfectly cooked,  the bacon is nice and crispy but the sprout is a bit crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, just the way I like it.  The great thing about putting them in the stalk is that it just creates wows around the table and its different, but also you can cook these directly on the grill as opposed as to when they are singled out. But let’s get into the main dish… the Turkey!

I start by removing the twine, and the Turkey has kept its perfect shape. As I start cutting and separating the leg I’m not using too much force and the meat and joints just pull off easily. I take a bite and the flavor is fantastic, but even better it's nice and moist thanks to the brine. 

Doing the turkey on a rotisserie is a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving. You can have your family members be part of the action by allowing them to see it spinning in the grill. I have to say it was quite fun to do!

Hope you can give this a try, and I also hope you have a great upcoming Thanksgiving with your close ones. One thing I am thankful for this year is the loyalty from our existing customers and the trust of our new ones! It’s been incredible, thank you! 

What are you thankful for this year? How do you cook your Turkey? Let me know in the comments.