21lb Turkey for Graduation

[aawa]

My gf's best friend has a son that just graduated today. She asked us if we could cook 2 pork butts and a turkey for the graduation party, and of course we said yes.

I didn't bother with pictures of the pork butt, but I did take pictures of the 21lb monster that I had to cook up.

I made a compound butter of salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary. Took the bird out and patted the skin nice and dry and let it sit for 20 minutes. I then slathered the compound butter under the skin everywhere, and then over the skin so it got everywhere on the bird. Put it on the UDS at 350 degrees with some pecan wood.

This was the bird at 2 hours.

I ended up having to wrap the bird for the last hour of cooking because the skin was getting too dark. This is the bird when the breasts reached 165 and the thighs were 178.

Sadly no sliced shots because we had to rush over to the graduation party location because we were running a little late.

 

[kathicooks]

Beautiful color! Tell me it was as juicy as I am hoping. Drooling just a little. :thumb:

 

[RAZORBACK JIM]

That's a very nice bird and looks great!!!!

 

[ShadowDriver]

Nice bird!

I'm sure that nobody minded you folks being a tad late with grub that looks like that!

 

[aawa]

Beautiful color! Tell me it was as juicy as I am hoping. Drooling just a little. :thumb:

It was very juicy. Probably the best bird I have done.

That's a very nice bird and looks great!!!!

Thanks.

Nice bird!

I'm sure that nobody minded you folks being a tad late with grub that looks like that!

We were there before most everybody arrived. Party started at 2pm we got there at 205pm which to me was 20 mins too late since we were bringing the pulled pork, Mac and cheese and the turkey.

Everybody loved the turkey and the BBQ.

 

[Fwismoker]

That's my size of a bird! ....even though I feel like I need to renounce anything with wings. :shock:

 

[al_pastor]

That is worth going to school for.

 

[Titch]

I have never seen a Bird that big being cooked in person.
That looks great, what did you wrap it in"

 

[Bigr314]

The color looks spot on. Nice looking bird cook.

 

[KORND4WG X]

Fantastic!

 

[aawa]

I have never seen a Bird that big being cooked in person.
That looks great, what did you wrap it in"

Last night when it was dropped off, I thought it was a 12lb bird. This morning at 530am, I fired up the drum and then pulled out the butts and bird. I picked up the bird and was like no way in hell that is 12lbs......sure enough it was 21lbs.

I wrapped in butcher paper so the skin wouldn't get chewy since the paper breathes. It worked out well.

 

[Jason TQ]

The color on that turkey looks awful..........ly amazing!!

 

[bluetang]

That is totally fine!

 

[BillN]

Well done, that is truly one beautiful bird. Almost too pretty to slice, happy to hear it tasted as good as it looked.

 

[Doog]

Nice smoke!!
I've cook a few birds on my UDS and they always turned out good.
Most of mine was usually around 16lb.
Thanks for sharing!!

 

[aawa]

The color on that turkey looks awful..........ly amazing!!

I told my gf that it was an Awasome turkey.

Well done, that is truly one beautiful bird. Almost too pretty to slice, happy to hear it tasted as good as it looked.

Thanks. I opened up the smoker and took the temp. When I pulled it off and opened up the butcher paper, I knew I had to take a picture it was that pretty.

 

[Stingerhook]

That is one fine looking gobbler.

 

[Big George's BBQ]

That was very nice of you That is a fine looking bird