NORTHWEST, Ark. (KFSM) — If you’re looking to cook that Thanksgiving bird differently this year but are too afraid of deep frying then you may want to consider smoking the turkey.
Smoking a turkey is the happy medium between the traditional method and deep-frying.
Jim Prestwood is in charge of local sales at 5NEWS, but today he’s in charge of the turkeys.
“The smoked turkey it just has that smoky flavor and some people like it, some people love it, and some people would prefer to not have it," Prestwood said.
Here's how it works, like with more dinner prep you have to make sure the turkey is thawed, then spice it up with your favorite seasoning (Jim used Tony Chachere's creole butter). He then injected the turkey at various points to get it nice and juicy.
Cooking turkey isn’t new for Jim, he's responsible for the main attraction not only at work but also at home.
“My wife put me in charge, but I enjoy it. It’s kind of a relaxing thing for me to cook at the house and we like to experiment with different flavors and stuff like that," Prestwood said.
Put the turkey on the grill at about 250 degrees.
"This is the Jack Wills outlaw smoker so, the pellets distribute from this bin right here down into the cooker, it ignites it, we can set the temperature it’s perfect, it stays at whatever temperature you have it," Prestwood said.
Smoke it for 30 minutes per pound.
Cooking it slowly until it’s golden brown and you’re ready to chow down.
Stick a thermometer inside to make sure it’s at 160 degrees and that’s how you know it’s done.