Each 4th of July party at our house is headlined by a smoked turkey. We usually pick an extra one (or three) up around Thanksgiving when they’re insanely cheap and keep it socked away in the freezer until a week before the 4th, when the defrosting process begins. This year’s bird was 19 lbs, and still required a stream of cold water to complete the defrosting before I could get the neck out of the cavity. I fill the smoker’s water pan with beer, and a sprinkle of rosemary and thyme. That’s it. Nothing on the turkey itself. The turkey was smoking by 8am.
Seven and a half hours later, it was done, and what a beauty! I had to do everything in my power to keep it from getting completely eaten while I was carving it. Luckily, there was plenty to go around. Another year, another successful smoked turkey!
