You've never had a turkey taste this good!

I think it's safe to say you've had a dry, bland turkey once or twice in your lifetime, right?

Well, I certainly have. Looking back, my mom cooked very well when I was young but I don't recall enjoying her turkey at all.

When I moved in with my father he actually cooked me my very own Cornish hen for many years because of my lack of turkey love - hey, I was an only child. LOL.

It took me a few years to realize turkey was actually amazing if cooked right!

My step-mom's Thanksgiving turkey is outstanding BUT my father's smoked turkey recipe was/is by far the BEST I've ever had.

Throughout the winter and sometimes even summer, he would purchase Turkey legs or a Turkey breast - just big enough to enjoy for dinner and a few leftover sandwiches during the week and smoke it on the grill.

We had a dog, Beulah, she was a Blue-tick hound who would sit next to the grill the entire time the turkey was cooking. She didn't do this with any other meat, just the smoked Turkey.

Richard has used my fathers recipe for our own Turkeys and every bite is a welcomed memory of my father.

In honor of my father and our turkeys… please enjoy this fabulous smoked turkey recipe!

Gene’s Wild Turkey Surprise (I have no idea why he called it ‘wild’):

Ingredients:

1 Grill-able turkey (you decide… whole, breast, legs)

Paprika

Garlic powder/salt

Onions*

Carrots*

Celery*

Onion powder

Lemon powder

Dry Tarragon

2 bottle Killian’s Irish Red (or dark beer of your choice)

Your favorite smoke chips

Drip pan (foil pan will work)

Trussing string

*1-2 carrots, onion, and celery to place in your turkey cavity, otherwise you can exclude or place under/around your turkey parts.

Directions:

Mix all the dry ingredients together (amount will depend on the size of your turkey) and rub the turkey inside and out with them.

Use an indirect grilling method - start your fire with 12-15 briquettes on one side of the grill. Place a drip pan on the side of the grill when the briquettes become white ash color and fill the drip pan with beer.

Place the carrot, onion and celery inside the turkey and truss it up.

Make a smoke packet using tin-foil (wrap the smoke chips in the foil - poke a few holes and throw the packet on the white ask briquettes.

Place the turkey over the drip pan.

Add coals as needed

Cook for approximately 12 minutes per pound.