| Civil War BBQ Sherry Butter Injected Turkey – Gowan Fenley |
The sherry imparts a distinct flavor but it is mild with no trace of alcohol in the finished product. In fact, my version punches up the flavor of the injection considerably with other seasonings; Dr. BBQ’s original recipe contains only butter and sherry. You might try that if you prefer a lightly flavored turkey. Another good injection is Creole Butter, which you can make yourself or buy in a jar. The secret to the butter injections is adding fat to the white meat to keep it moist. Using other people’s recipes as a starting point for your own creations is how cooking is done. Absolutely you can, and should play with the thing until you get it the way you like it! I’ve modified this one myself since I originally posted it to use garlic and onion juice instead of the granulated to reduce marking of the meat. Clogging hasn’t been a problem for me because I have a large bore injector. You can definitely vary the salt level to your personal preference. I always use unsalted butter because it gives me more control to set the salt point where I want it. Don’t worry about “breaking” barbecue recipes. Unlike baking where you need to follow the formula to make the chemistry work, the smoking of meats has a lot of wiggle room. Follow a few basic safety rules for internal temps and such and the rest is only limited by your imagination. Why not buy an extra frozen bird to cook later and try one each way?
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Turkey (Poundage will Vary Upon Serving Size)
- 4 sticks Unsalted Butter
- 2 Cup Golden Sherry
- 1 Tbsp Celery Salt
- 1 Tbsp granulated Onion
- 1 Tbsp granulated Garlic
- ¼ tsp ground White Pepper
- ¼ Cup Honey
- Juice of 1 lemon (reserve rind)
- 1 Apple (Quartered)
- 1 Onion (Quartered)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt 4 sticks of unsalted butter. To the melted butter, add: Celery Salt, Onion, Garlic, White Pepper, Honey, and the Lemon Juice.
- Once well combined, remove from heat and cool to room temperature before stirring in the sherry
- (Chef’s Note: Inexpensive brands like Taylor are fine, but DO NOT use anything labeled “cooking sherry”)
- Inject the turkey with half the mixture, going in at a different angle into the same hole several times to minimize the number of punctures in the skin. Refrigerate the turkey overnight, covered.
- When it is time to cook, set up your Grill Dome for indirect cooking and stabilize the temperature at 325 degrees. Use apple or alder for smoke wood sparingly. Season the bird all over with salt and a small amount of ground white pepper. Quarter an apple and onion and insert into the cavity along with the rind from the lemon you squeezed earlier. If using a temp probe, insert into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone. Put the turkey on the Grill Dome, being sure to check to make sure the built-in thermometer doesn’t hit the bird when you close the lid.
- Cook for an hour and a half and then remove the turkey to a platter. Inject the remaining sherry butter mixture and return the bird to the Grill Dome. Work quickly to keep the fire from spiking up or the bird cooling too much.
- Continue to cook until the internal temp in the thigh reaches 165-170. When the bird is done, remove carefully to a platter with insulated gloves. Discard aromatics from cavity. Let bird rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Notes
Recipe Submitted by: Gowan Fenley (CivilWarBBQ)
Inspired by: Ray Lampe’s book, “Dr. BBQ’s Big Time BBQ Cookbook”
Cooking time and Serving Size will vary upon the size of turkey you choose.