Sunny's Texas Two-Step Turkey
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
- Total: 14 hr 20 min (includes chilling and resting times)
- Active: 1 hr 5 min
Ingredients
Compound Butter:
2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
8 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped
8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated on a rasp
Freshly ground black pepper
One 14- to 16-pound turkey, fresh or fully thawed
Four 12-ounce bottles beer (I like a pilsner here)
Glaze:
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Garnish (optional):
Lemon halves
Parsley sprigs
Rosemary sprigs
Directions
Special equipment:
kitchen twine- Make the compound butter. In a medium bowl, add the butter, paprika, sage, thyme, garlic and a few grinds of black pepper. Mix with a rubber spatula. Add to a resealable plastic bag and snip a corner off with scissors.
- Butter the turkey. Fit a sheet pan with a wire rack and set aside. Using your finger or the rounded handle end of a wooden spoon, separate the skin from the meat on the breast and the legs of the turkey. Use the bag to pipe the butter beneath the skin. Use your fingers over the skin to press and spread the butter beneath the skin. Pat the turkey down with paper towels until one pressed on it releases dry. Place on the sheet pan and refrigerate the turkey, UNCOVERED, for 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Roast the turkey. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and put it on the counter in a cool place. Allow it to come to room temperature for 2 hours. When ready to roast, transfer the turkey to a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Tie the ends of the drumsticks together with twine and tuck the wings underneath the body.
- While the turkey is coming to room temperature, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the turkey on the middle rack of the oven and pour enough beer into the pan to fill up to 1 to 2 inches. Roast, basting the turkey every 30 minutes with the beer in the pan, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey (avoiding bone) registers 135 to 140 degrees F, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- Make the glaze. In a medium bowl, add the brown sugar, mustard, vinegar and a few grinds black pepper. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add water to loosen if necessary. Set aside.
- Once the turkey registers 135 to 140 degrees F, brush the glaze on the turkey every 20 minutes. Continue to roast until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F and the juices run clear, 30 minutes to 1 hour more.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and place a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the top. Let rest for 10 to 20 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a platter and garnish the platter with lemon halves and sprigs of parsley and rosemary, if desired. Carve and serve.
Cook’s Note
Remember, if using a frozen turkey, start to thaw it in the refrigerator 2 to 3 days before preparing. Using a probe thermometer allows you to go about your business without having to check the internal temperature all the time.