cajun smoked turkey
if you've never smoked a turkey, this spicy, buttery, ultra moist bird will have you wanting to make it for weekend dinners as well as holidays . you can space everything out over a few days so it will be manageable, even if this is your first time smoking a turkey . a few days ahead of time, gather your equipment . in addition to a smoker or grill, you'll need a meat injector just as the spitjack magnum https //www.amazon.com/spitjack magnum meat injector needles/dp/b003wqiar4/ tag yummly articles 20, a brining bag https //www.amazon.com/liquid solution turkey brining bags/dp/b00fw6ca6e/ tag yummly articles 20 or large pot, a pair of sturdy poultry shears https //www.amazon.com/w c3 bcsthof tr5509 wusthof poultry shears/dp/b01m35e6ac/ tag yummly articles 20 to spatchcock the turkey or ask a butcher to do it for you, a sheet pan, and a few chunks of cherry wood https //www.amazon.com/western premium products cherry cooking/dp/b00al25flg/ tag yummly articles 20 or apple wood or about 3 cups wood chips if using a gas grill . and you'll need a meat thermometer such as the yummly smart thermometer https //www.yummly.com/thermometer . most of the ingredients in the recipe are straightforward, but cooks with soul like to use their the boot cajun seasoning https //cookswithsoul.com/shop/ . finally, be sure to allow about 3 days if needed to thaw your turkey in the refrigerator, and 16 to 24 hours to brine it . in terms of doneness, marrekus wilkes of cooks with soul likes the juiciness of a spatchcocked turkey cooked to 145deg 150deg in the thickest part of the breast . he gets an extra 10deg 15deg during the resting period as the heat carries over and continues cooking . and it's safe to eat . according to the usda https //www.canr.msu.edu/smprv/uploads/files/rte poultry tables1.pdf, if you cook a turkey to 150deg and let it rest only 3.8 minutes for 145deg, 10.5 minutes, any salmonella is killed . but you may prefer your turkey more done, and with a good meat thermometer, you have the choice . the recipe is a yummly original created by cooks with soul https //www.yummly.com/dish/author/cooks with soul .
cold water, apple cider, kosher salt, turbinado sugar, fresh rosemary, garlic cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaves, fresh thyme, red onion, orange zest, turkey, unsalted butter, cajun seasoning mix, granulated garlic, granulated onion powder
- 2.0 gallon cold water
 - 3.0 cup apple cider
 - 1.0 cup kosher salt
 - 2.0 cup turbinado sugar
 - 4.0 tablespoon fresh rosemary
 - 5.0 garlic cloves
 - 3.0 tablespoon black peppercorns
 - 5.0 bay leaves
 - 4.0 sprig fresh thyme
 - 1.0 red onion
 - orange zest
 - 1.0 turkey
 - 0.5 pound unsalted butter
 - 7.0 tablespoon cajun seasoning mix
 - 2.0 tablespoon granulated garlic
 - 2.0 tablespoon granulated onion powder

- make brine in a 12 to 16 quart pot, combine water, apple cider, salt, sugar, rosemary, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, red onion, and orange zest.
 - bring brine to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve, then remove pot from heat it will be heavy and set in a sink of ice water to cool completely.
 - spatchcock the turkey on a work surface, turn the turkey breast down.
 - with sturdy kitchen shears, cut down each side of the backbone to remove it save for stock if you like.
 - working from the inside of the turkey and starting at the neck end, use a sharp knife to cut through the membrane and split the triangular keel bone that joins the two sides of the breast.
 - if you can't cut through it, skip this part the turkey will still be reasonably flat.
 - flip turkey over and press down firmly until bones crack and the turkey is flattened.
 - pour or ladle cooled brine into a large brining bag or pot.
 - place turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours about 1 1/2 hours per pound of turkey.
 - remove turkey from brine.
 - submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside.
 - remove turkey from water, place on a large cutting board, and pat dry with paper towels.
 - melt butter to a medium saucepan over medium low heat, stirring often.
 - remove from heat and stir in 4 tablespoons cajun seasoning, the granulated garlic, and granulated onion until thoroughly mixed.
 - set aside about 1/4 cup of mixture.
 - transfer the rest to a tall, heatproof glass measuring cup.
 - using a meat injector with the single hole needle, place the needle in the measuring cup and pull the plunger to fill the syringe with butter.
 - inject the turkey at approximately 1/2 inch intervals in the breasts, thighs, and legs, paying extra attention to the breast area and remelting the butter if needed.
 - following the instructions for your smoker or grill, preheat to 350deg, setting up grill for indirect heat grilling.
 - add in a few chunks of cherry or apple wood for smoke.
 - or, for a gas grill, use wood chips, soak in water for about 30 minutes, and then add about a third at a time to the grill's smoke box now, after 30 minutes of grilling, and then 30 more minutes of grilling.
 - line a sheet pan about 12 by 18 inches with foil.
 - brush turkey all over with reserved butter mixture re melt it first, if needed and season all over with remaining 3 tablespoons cajun seasoning.
 - set turkey breast side up on foil lined pan with tips of drumsticks pointing out turkey should not extend over sides of pan.
 - when wood chunks start smoking, set turkey on pan in smoker or over indirect heat on grill.
 - cook, with smoker or grill covered, basting every 30 45 minutes with juices that gather in pan, until turkey reaches 145deg to 165deg in thickest part of breast not touching the bone, 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours.
 - cooks with soul likes to cook their turkey to 145deg but some people prefer it more done.
 - baste one final time, then remove from the grill.
 - let turkey rest 20 30 minutes before carving.
 - .

### Human: Generate cooking recipes. Include ingredients:
- 2.0 gallon cold water
- 3.0 cup apple cider
- 1.0 cup kosher salt
- 2.0 cup turbinado sugar
- 4.0 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 5.0 garlic cloves
- 3.0 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 5.0 bay leaves
- 4.0 sprig fresh thyme
- 1.0 red onion
- orange zest
- 1.0 turkey
- 0.5 pound unsalted butter
- 7.0 tablespoon cajun seasoning mix
- 2.0 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 2.0 tablespoon granulated onion powder

 ### Assistant: The ingredients you'll need are:
- 2.0 gallon cold water
- 3.0 cup apple cider
- 1.0 cup kosher salt
- 2.0 cup turbinado sugar
- 4.0 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 5.0 garlic cloves
- 3.0 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 5.0 bay leaves
- 4.0 sprig fresh thyme
- 1.0 red onion
- orange zest
- 1.0 turkey
- 0.5 pound unsalted butter
- 7.0 tablespoon cajun seasoning mix
- 2.0 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 2.0 tablespoon granulated onion powder


You can follows these steps to make the recipe:
- make brine in a 12 to 16 quart pot, combine water, apple cider, salt, sugar, rosemary, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, red onion, and orange zest.
- bring brine to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve, then remove pot from heat it will be heavy and set in a sink of ice water to cool completely.
- spatchcock the turkey on a work surface, turn the turkey breast down.
- with sturdy kitchen shears, cut down each side of the backbone to remove it save for stock if you like.
- working from the inside of the turkey and starting at the neck end, use a sharp knife to cut through the membrane and split the triangular keel bone that joins the two sides of the breast.
- if you can't cut through it, skip this part the turkey will still be reasonably flat.
- flip turkey over and press down firmly until bones crack and the turkey is flattened.
- pour or ladle cooled brine into a large brining bag or pot.
- place turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours about 1 1/2 hours per pound of turkey.
- remove turkey from brine.
- submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside.
- remove turkey from water, place on a large cutting board, and pat dry with paper towels.
- melt butter to a medium saucepan over medium low heat, stirring often.
- remove from heat and stir in 4 tablespoons cajun seasoning, the granulated garlic, and granulated onion until thoroughly mixed.
- set aside about 1/4 cup of mixture.
- transfer the rest to a tall, heatproof glass measuring cup.
- using a meat injector with the single hole needle, place the needle in the measuring cup and pull the plunger to fill the syringe with butter.
- inject the turkey at approximately 1/2 inch intervals in the breasts, thighs, and legs, paying extra attention to the breast area and remelting the butter if needed.
- following the instructions for your smoker or grill, preheat to 350deg, setting up grill for indirect heat grilling.
- add in a few chunks of cherry or apple wood for smoke.
- or, for a gas grill, use wood chips, soak in water for about 30 minutes, and then add about a third at a time to the grill's smoke box now, after 30 minutes of grilling, and then 30 more minutes of grilling.
- line a sheet pan about 12 by 18 inches with foil.
- brush turkey all over with reserved butter mixture re melt it first, if needed and season all over with remaining 3 tablespoons cajun seasoning.
- set turkey breast side up on foil lined pan with tips of drumsticks pointing out turkey should not extend over sides of pan.
- when wood chunks start smoking, set turkey on pan in smoker or over indirect heat on grill.
- cook, with smoker or grill covered, basting every 30 45 minutes with juices that gather in pan, until turkey reaches 145deg to 165deg in thickest part of breast not touching the bone, 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours.
- cooks with soul likes to cook their turkey to 145deg but some people prefer it more done.
- baste one final time, then remove from the grill.
- let turkey rest 20 30 minutes before carving.
- .

