Ingredients:
1 Whole 15 pound Turkey, thawed.
Brine of choice
4 Cabbage Leaves
1/2 Onion
1 Celery Stalk
1/2 Stick Butter (chopped in cubes)
Olive Oil
1 Cup of Melted Butter
Salt
Pepper
Sage
Turkey Rub of choice
Wood Chunks: Applewood
Instructions:
- Thaw the frozen turkey in the refrigerator. This may take 4 – 5 days.
- Unwrap the turkey, remove any leg ties and any innards from the inner breast cavity and the rear. You may place them in the trash, unless you need them for another dish. And pat the turkey dry with clean paper towels.
- Brine the Turkey for 24 hours, in a zip sealing brining bag, that is in a roasting pan, that you leave in the refrigerator while brining.
If you don’t have a zip sealing bag, you may have to put the brining bag in to a bucket and put that into the refrigerator. - The next day, chop onion and celery into large chunks.
- Put 2 cabbage leaves under one another like a bowl.
- Place onion chunks, celery chunks and butter into the cabbage bowl.
- Add salt, pepper and sage to the cabbage bowl, to taste.
- Place 2 cabbage leaves on top of the cabbage bowl, so it is a ball shape.
- Take the turkey from the brine and pat the exterior dry with clean paper towels.
- Insert the cabbage ball into the open breast cavity of the turkey.
- Tie the legs around the body, so all limbs are tied in.
- Cover in Oil
- Sprinkle on rub
- Smoke breast side down (legs down) in a roasting rack at 325 degrees F, for 2 hours.
- Flip the turkey to breast side up (legs up) directly on the grill grates.
- Insert temp probes such as iGrill 3 meat probes. One into the fattest part of the breast and a 2nd probe into the thigh.
- Let cook another 2 hours.
- Brush on melted Butter after the skin turns brown. Since the skin is already crispy by then, it will enhance the flavor. After the 2 hours breast side up may be a good time.
- Continue to cook breast side up till 165° F temp at fattest part of the breast, 180° F in the thigh.
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Set the turkey in a pan, to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Note: Food safety guidelines mention, turkey meat should be removed from the bones within 2 hours after cooking your turkey. Legs and wings can be kept whole.