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Happy Thanksgiving! So, what's it gonna' be? Fried Turkey? Cajun Roasted Turkey? Brined Turkey? Smoked Turkey? The sky is the limit. Today were here to help you make the best of the family holidays with the perfect turkey. Where was the first Thanksgiving? Theory 1: The USA Today research department and Robyn Gioia, a Ponte Vedra, Fl., school teacher, after much investigation profess that a Spanish explorer named Pedro Menendez de Aviles landed at St. Augustine, Florida on Sept. 8, 1565, and celebrated a feast of thanksgiving with Timucua Indians. Unlike today, they dined on bean soup. Theory 2: Longstanding tradition has it that the "first Thanksgiving" meal occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation as a "Harvest Festival", in 1621 with Captain John Smith's 53 surviving Pilgrims and Massasoit and his followers, the Wampanoag. Massasoit is believed to have prevented the failure of Plymouth Colony and the certain starvation the Pilgrims faced. If you do the math, Aviles had his meal 56 years before the Pilgrims sat down and shared a meal with natives at Plymouth Rock. Enjoy, Charlie!
Ok, we're going to assume you know how to cook a turkey..... That having been said, please visit the links supplied below for more tips and techniques for cooking your upcoming Thanksgiving Turkey. What we will do in this issue of The Smoke 'n Fire Enquirer is to offer some tips, techniques and applications to help make the meat moist, flavorful and tender. Study hard and practice, practice, practice! Here we go! There may be many ways to add flavor and to keep the meat tender and moist that you might not have thought about. In the following discussion, and in no particular order - and not all inclusive, we offer suggestions and tidbits for improving the taste and moistness of your Thanksgiving turkey. Note that white breast meat is almost pure protein and thus not interlaced with fat as with many other forms of meat. Fat is what gives meats flavor and helps keep them tender and moist. Therefore, and in order to reach our goal, we need to introduce more fat into this region of the turkey. Think "basting" techniques. Here are a few methods.
Get out the spoon/baster: After the first 30 minutes, begin spooning the pan drippings over the breast every 20 to 30 minutes. This helps keep the breast moist with the fat drippings.
Spray it or mop it down: You might also consider taking a spray bottle full of chicken or turkey stock combined with butter and maybe some white wine and misting the bird every 20 to 30 minutes. This will ensure a nice, crisp skin and more flavor than you ever imagined. You can also use a basting mop to apply the basting sauce. Crispy Skin: Tie the legs together so your bird is nice and compact to help keep in the moisture. Keeping the turkey compact is also the key to even cooking. Roasting your bird on a rack will ensure a crispy top and bottom, i.e. don't have the bird swimming in its own juices. . Pre-heat the grill to 400 ° and roast your turkey at 400° for the first 15 minutes. After which, allow the temperature to drop to 350° for the remainder of your turkey's time. Cook your turkey until it reaches 165° in the deepest part of the turkey, near where the thigh and body meet. Check it with your instant read meat thermometer.
Basting Sauce: Many prefer to baste with melted butter or the drippings from the meat. Why not add fresh or dried herbs to your basting sauce? You might also want to try a little white wine or bourbon in the sauce. Be sure to keep some available for refreshments - - - turkey cooking is tiring work! Cheese Cloth: You might try using a cheesecloth, soaked with the basting sauce draped over the breast and thighs. When using cheesecloth, you do not need the foil tent. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes during roasting.
Turkey In-Side-Out: Just as you do with the outside of the turkey, so do to the inside. Rub the turkey cavity walls with 1/4 lb. butter and other favorite seasonings. Add desired salt and pepper. Flavorful Fats: While you have some time on your hands, say the day before your turkey is ready to hit the smoker, cook a whole pound of bacon. Strain the grease and place in a measuring cup. With a flavor injector syringe, suck up the bacon grease into the syringe and inject it all around the breast and thighs, concentrating on the breast since the white meat tends to get dry out faster than dark meat. You might use some diced onion, rosemary or even grated garlic to enhance the flavors. Set the bird in the fridge overnight and the next morning, start cooking. Be prepared for a mouth-watering, smoked flavor. Save the drippings for excellent gravy. Disposability: Consider using an aluminum disposable roasting pan under the turkey to catch the drippings. You should generously oil the pan first. Use a second pan to place over the top to help keep in moisture. Do allow it to soak up some of the smoke flavors prior to encasing in the pans. And if this is all too much work, get invited over to somebody's house! Preferably one who loves to cook! Who said Thanksgiving is a time to be on a diet??? Enjoy, Charlie Your Turkey Day Resources
Let's begin by combining the following ingredients:
 2 Tbs granulated cane sugar 1 Tbs seasoned salt 1 Tbs onion salt 1 Tbs celery salt 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp ground marjoram 1/2 tsp ground thyme 4 cups apple juice, as needed
Jim Beem Steak Sauce | Dry Rubs | Hardwood Charcoal |
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Getting under the skin: Place your hand under the skin so as to loosen the skin from the meat. Next, insert melted butter (wait until it cools before handling) and sprigs of rosemary between the skin and the meat. See, we are adding fats and flavor to the area which needs it most. 
Foil, did someone say foil? Since we are not wrapping the bird in foil from beginning to the end, and thus making "pot foul" of it, it is ok. As the turkey roasts, and it begins getting too dark, place some foil lightly over the top. Double layering is ok to prevent the skin from burning before the turkey is cooked. This aluminum "tent" should be removed during the last 45 minutes or so of cooking. 
Turkey Up-Side-Down: The fat of fowls (i.e. turkey, chicken, etc.) is located on the back of the animal. Gravity being what it is, the fat from the dark meat will run down and "auto baste" the breast meat making it moist and adding additional flavor. Cook breast down for most of the cooking time, then turn it right side up to brown the breast skin for about an hour and 30 minutes. You have to be the judge so it does not overcook or burn the skin. Use a 
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