Step 5:  Roasting the Turkey

Place the main grill on the Kamado. Place the pizza pan containing the turkey in the center of the grill, ensuring that no part of the turkey is hanging over the heat deflector, where it might be exposed to open flames. Close the lid.

TIP:  If you're cooking a very large turkey, make sure that the probe of the dome thermometer isn't touching the turkey when the lid closes. If it is, you'll get erroneous readings.

NOTE:  The picture above shows the neckbone tucked into the foil-wrapped pizza pan. The liver, heart, and gizzard are also in the pan, on the other side. They make a delicious snack after an hour of cooking, and the neckbone is an excellent ingredient in turkey stock.

Roast the turkey at 475 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, close the top damper to create a 1/8-inch gap between the damper and the top of the lid. Close the lower damper to create a 1/4-inch gap between the damper cover and the body of the Kamado. These adjustments should quickly lower the temperature to 350 degrees. In this case, it took about 15 minutes for the temperature to come down. Your mileage may vary, depending on  the ambient temperature and the amount of charcoal in the firebox.

Roast the turkey at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 45 minutes or until the skin begins to turn golden brown. Mix 1/3 cup of melted butter with 1/3 cup of olive oil and generously baste the turkey with the mixture, using a spray bottle or a long-handled pastry brush.

TIP:  For a variation on the butter/olive oil baste, pour 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of orange juice or apple juice into a clean spray bottle, then spray the mixture over the turkey.

The pictures below show the 13-pound turkey after basting. It has been cooking at 475 degrees for 45 minutes, then at 350 degrees for an additional 45 minutes (1.5 hours accumulated cooking time when the pictures were taken).

At the same time you're basting the turkey, check the internal temperature by inserting the probe of the instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Take care not to touch the probe against a bone or a pocket of gristle, as it will read higher than it should. Check the temperature of the breast by inserting the probe into the thickest part of the breast, again taking care not to touch the probe against bone or gristle.

At this point in the process, the temperature in the thigh was 130 degrees Fahrenheit, while the temperature of the breast was 139 degrees.

Check your fire at this point. If you filled the fire box or Lump Saver Plus with lump charcoal, you shouldn't have to add any more lump. However, you may want to give the coals a stir or reposition any unburned lump. I stirred the coals and added a fist-sized chunk of pecan wood, the last wood I would use in cooking the turkey.

Check the turkey occasionally to ensure that the skin isn't becoming too dark. If it is, consider tenting the turkey in aluminum foil, as pictured below.

TIP:  If you're concerned that the breast meat will get done before the dark meat, fashion a "breast plate" out of doubled-over aluminum foil and cover only the breast, pressing the foil tightly against the turkey.

Continue roasting the turkey until the internal temperature in the breast reaches 161 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the internal temperature in the thigh; if you're lucky, it will be somewhere around 170 degrees. If not, continue cooking with the breast covered in foil. However, don't let the breast go beyond 170 degrees, or it will start to dry out.

TIP:  If the leg moves freely and the hip joint gives readily or breaks, the turkey is done. Also, the turkey is done if juices run clear after piercing the thickest part of the inner thigh.

This particular turkey took another hour and 45 minutes to reach the target temperature, for a total cooking time of 3 hours and 15 minutes. That's 15 minutes per pound, or 1/4 less time than the usual estimates for a turkey baked in a conventional oven. This reduced cooking time is partly a result of the Kamado's unique capabilities and partly a result of removing the turkey when the breast temperature reaches 161 degrees, rather than the 170 degrees recommended in the instructions accompanying most turkeys.

Trust me when I say to remove the turkey at 161 degrees internal breast temperature. Like the pop-up timers, the instructions accompanying most turkeys are designed to prevent food poisoning, not ensure juicy goodness. At 161 degrees, your turkey will not only be safe to eat, but also juicy, tender, and delicious.

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