Head Country Pepper Turkey |
Meet your family’s new Thanksgiving tradition!
The tangy blend of spices, marinade and vinegar work together to create a pepper cap over the turkey while gently marinating the meat during baking. This cap seals in moisture and makes for an incredible turkey dish! (For guests who are sensitive to spicy flavors, the cap of pepper seasoning can easily be eliminated by simply removing the skin.)
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Ingredients:
12 - 15 pound turkey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon dried parsley or Italian herbs
1/4 cup black pepper
2 tablespoons Head Country All-Purpose Championship Seasoning
2 tablespoons Head Country Premium Marinade
2 tablespoons Head Country Bar-B-Q Sauce
Remove giblet packet and neck piece from turkey. Set aside for other uses. Thoroughly rinse the inside of cavity and outside of bird with running water. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Return legs to tucked position. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in roasting pan.
In a small mixing bowl whisk together remaining seven ingredients. Pour some of the mixture into the neck cavity. Pour remaining marinade over entire turkey.
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Steps:
Conventional Oven-Roasting Method:
Position oven rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 325°. Cover roasting pan with lid set ajar or with a loose tent of aluminum foil.
Roast at 325° for the length of time recommended for the size of the bird (usually 15 minutes per pound).
Using a bulb-type baster or ladle, baste turkey every 30 minutes with pan drippings. (Even though frequent opening of the oven door will drop the oven's temperature and fractionally increase total cooking time, the repeated basting allows the seasonings to build into a flavorful cap over the top of the bird.)
Remove cover from pan for the remaining 30 minutes of roasting time. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the thigh (without touching bone). Note the temperature reading. Take another reading by inserting the meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the breast (without touching bone). Cooking is complete when an internal temperature at the thigh reads 170°. Juices should be clear and not pink.
Carefully remove turkey roaster from oven and replace lid. Let turkey rest in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes. This allows internal heat to distribute evenly and for meat to reabsorb moisture. Remove to platter, slice and serve with Head Country Bar-B-Q Sauce.
Smoking Method:
This recipe is delicious when smoked. Some minor adjustments are needed to produce a safe and delicious product:
• Follow recipe instructions up to and including placing bird in roasting pan.
• Follow manufacturer's directions for your cooker.
• Ignite charcoal or electric grill 30 minutes before cooking turkey.
• If using a charcoal grill, use only good quality hardwood charcoal. (Note, because of the long cooking time you will need to add additional charcoal about every hour. Do not use charcoal made with lighter fluid – it will contaminate the cooking process and ruin the meat.)
• Baste with pan drippings every hour. (Lifting the cooker's lid will add about 10 minutes additional cooking time.)
• Use a grill thermometer to keep a close eye on cooker's temperature. Your goal is to maintain a temperature range from 225° to 250° at the grill level.
• Use a meat thermometer to gauge bird's internal temperature. For safety, the turkey's internal temperature should reach 140° in four hours or less. Check after 3½ hours and finish in the oven if necessary.
• Total cooking times will vary according to the weather.
• Do not stuff the turkey.
• Do not use a string lifter.
• Cooking is complete when meat thermometer in deepest portion of thigh registers 170°. Remove from cooker, cover and let rest for 15 - 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
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