Turkey On The Barbeque

With tomorrow being Thanksgiving in the United States I would like to wish all my family, friends and neighbors to the south of me a Very Happy and Safe Thanksgiving weekend.

Photograph by http://www.flickr.com/photos/barelyfitz/

For everyone that loves the taste of barbequed food why not for this Thanksgiving or Christmas barbeque your turkey. There are many advantages to doing this as well as it tastes out of this world. If you live in a hot climate like Florida and dread the heat in your kitchen that comes along with cooking a turkey for hours during the day this is a great solution. By using your barbeque to cook, you will be freeing up your oven all those other items that you need to cook.

Turkeys can be done on either gas or charcoal barbeques. The following method is for Gas Barbeques.

Start with your turkey either fresh or thawed. Remove the neck and giblets. Tie the legs and wings securely. Season your turkey with your choice of spices.

Your turkey should be cooked on low indirect heat with the breast facing upwards. Place a foil pan on the grill and then set your turkey on the pan. By using the foil pan there will be less mess. Cooking time will be 20 – 25 min. per pound. Using a meat thermometer is a great way to tell when the bird is done. Temperature should read 180 when inserted in the thigh. While your turkey is cooking you should baste with either olive oil, melted margarine or butter about one every hour. Always let the bird sit for ten minutes before carving.