Just did a segment for the gas co, grilling turkey. Part of the segment is in regards to saving energy. It would normally take two hours or more, depending on the size of the bird, to roast whole in the oven. If you take it apart like you would a whole chicken into its thighs, drumsticks, wings and breasts, cooking it on the grill would take you about thirty minutes. It saves you gas, energy, and time, so that you also can enjoy with friends and family instead of fretting over whether the turkey is cooked or not.
First of all, Thanksgiving is a yearly tradition, and whenever it rolls around, I have this vision of a nicely golden roasted whole turkey on the table waiting to be carved. I especially like traditions because a lot of times, you are teaching your kids what your parents and grandparents passed down and taught you, about your family traditions. But..............if you want to do something different, with the turkey, break it down.
The first understanding is that the legs, the drumsticks and thighs, take longer to cook than the breasts. I deboned the thighs, marinated it four different ways, just to show diversity, at home, I would just do one favorite type. I did a miso marinade, a hoisin one, a yogurt/spice/ and aji Amarillo marinade, and the last one a simple rosemary / olive oil and lemon one, all eventually grilled. The wings were butterflied open and marinated in a salt water brine, inspired by Leigh’s mom who makes "saltwater chicken" for her, at times. The drumsticks were cooked just like you would shoyu chicken, then taken out when cooked thru and grilled for that smoky char smell and flavor just like you would smell when people are doing hibachis at the beach. Lastly, we cryovaced and slow cooked some breast steaks and then popped them onto the grill very simply.
It takes turkey to a whole new place. Some of you will like the change, and some of you will still yearn for the traditional turkey, which is cool too, because whenever I think of Thanksgiving, that’s the first thing I visualize too.
Happy Turkey Day, give thanks for what we do have gang!