PRO TIP
For the best flavor when
grilling, buy natural hardwood
lump charcoal, which is
made directly from hickory,
mesquite, and oak and
produces less ash than other
types. Common square
briquettes are compressed
blocks made from sawdust
and other wood by-products
along with binders, acceler-
ants, and artificial additives.
GRILLED SALT-AND-PEPPER
TURKEY WITH GIBLET GRAVY
Active Time: 45 min.
Total Time: 4 hr. 30 min.
Serves: 12
Elevate your grill game while
protecting your hands and forearms
with grilling gloves; we like Eko-
grips, available at amazon.com.
TURKEY
Kosher salt and freshly
ground pepper
1 whole turkey (16 to 18 pounds),
room temperature, patted
dry, giblets and neck reserved
for gravy
2 lemons, halved
3 oranges, halved
1 bunch thyme
2 heads garlic, halved crosswise
4 tablespoons unsalted butter,
room temperature
1 cup dry white wine, such as
Sauvignon Blanc
Small citruses, pecans,
and lemon or bay leaves,
for serving
GRAVY
1 carrot, peeled and cut into
2-inch pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into 2-inch
pieces
With Love
and Gratitude
PAGE 98
ORANGE-AND-LEMON
ICED TEA
Active Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 3 hr. 20 min.
Makes: 8 cups
This tea can be made up to five
days ahead and stored in an airtight
container in the refrigerator.
8 black-tea bags
12 sprigs mint, plus more for
serving
1 cup sugar
½cup fresh orange juice,
strained, plus thinly sliced
orange rounds for serving
½cup fresh lemon juice,
strained, plus thinly sliced
lemon rounds for serving
Whiskey or gin, for serving
(optional)
1.Combine tea and mint in a
large heatproof container. Pour
8 cups boiling water over; let
steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags
and mint; stir in sugar. Let cool
completely, then stir in orange
and lemon juices. Refrigerate
until chilled, at least 2 hours.
2.Fill glasses with ice. Stir tea
and pour into glasses. If desired,
stir a shot of whiskey or gin
into each. Garnish with citrus
rounds and mint sprigs; serve
immediately.
broth, and 2 cups water. Bring
to a boil, then reduce heat
to medium-low and simmer 30
minutes. Strain, reserving gib-
lets and neck. (You should have
3 cups turkey stock; if not, add
more chicken broth.) When cool
enough to handle, shred meat
from neck and coarsely chop
giblets; reserve, discarding bones.
5.Transfer grilled turkey to a
platter; let stand at least 20
minutes before carving. Mean-
while, carefully lift disposable
pan from grill. Strain drippings
through a sieve into a fat sep-
arator or measuring cup; let
stand until fat rises to surface.
Discard fat.
6.Combine pan drippings and
2 ½ cups turkey stock in a sauce-
pan. Bring to a simmer over
medium-high. Whisk together
remaining ½ cup turkey stock
and flour in a small bowl. Slowly
whisk flour mixture into sauce-
pan. Simmer, whisking fre-
quently, until gravy has reduced
and thickened slightly, about
5 minutes. Stir in reserved neck
meat and giblets; simmer 1
minute more. Remove from heat
and stir in butter.
7.Serve turkey, garnished with
citruses, pecans, and lemon
leaves, and with gravy alongside.
PRO TIP
Slow-roasting your turkey
over charcoal not only
yields juicy, tender meat and
a subtle, smok y flavor you
can only attain on the grill—
it also opens up valuable
oven space for all the dress-
ings, sides, and other
trimmings required for the
big gest meal of the year.
1 small onion, peeled and
quartered
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼cup unbleached all-purpose
flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1.Turkey: Stir together ¼ cup
salt and 2 teaspoons pepper.
Season inside turkey cavities
with half of mixture, then stuff
with lemons, 2½ oranges, all but
6 thyme sprigs, and 1½ heads
garlic. Tie legs with twine. Rub
butter evenly over skin of turkey,
then season with remaining
half of salt mixture. Let stand
at room temperature while pre-
paring grill.
2.Open grill vents. Place a
chimney starter on small lower
grill grate, fill starter with char-
coal (75 to 80 pieces), and ignite;
let burn until ash gray. Pour
charcoal evenly around perim-
eter of lower grate. Place a
9-by-13-inch disposable alumi-
num roasting pan on center
of grate inside charcoal. Place
remaining orange half, 6 thyme
sprigs, garlic half, and wine
in pan. Place upper grate in grill.
Cover grill with vents partially
open and preheat to 350°, about
10 minutes.
3.Place turkey on center of
grate, directly over pan. Cover
and cook, adding 16 to 20
pieces of charcoal around pan
every 45 minutes to maintain
temperature, until a thermome-
ter inserted into thickest part
of thigh (not touching bone)
registers 165°, 2½ to 3½ hours,
depending on size of bird.
4.Gravy: Meanwhile, in a sauce-
pan, combine turkey giblets
and neck, carrot, celery, onion,
For a Virginia family, Thanksgiving is a time to come together with their nearest and dearest
in a resurrected barn, sharing favorite southern dishes and counting each and every blessing.
104
THE HANDBOOK
127
Recipes, Sources, and How-tos From This Issue