Smoke Your Way to the Best Turkey

1. Rinse turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Combine savory, sage, salt, and black pepper in a bowl; rub 2 tablespoons herb mixture inside the turkey cavity and inside the neck cavity. Loosen turkey skin over breast and legs; rub remaining 2 tablespoons herb mixture underneath loosened skin. Rub olive oil over entire turkey.

2. Light 20 charcoal briquettes and place 10 on each side on the lower grate of a kettle charcoal grill. Place a drip pan or disposable aluminum baking pan in the middle of the lower grate and pour in water. When the coals are gray with ash, place a 2-inch square piece of hickory or other hardwood onto each bank of coals.

3. Place turkey on the cooking grate and cover the grill. Monitor the heat with a grill thermometer to maintain a temperature between 150 and 250 degrees F (65 to 120 degrees C); add 3 to 5 coals to each side, about every 90 minutes. If pieces of hardwood burn away, add more to keep a steady stream of smoke rising from the wood. If open flames erupt when you open the lid, douse them with a drizzle of water or beer.

4. Smoke turkey for 20 minutes per pound, about 4 hours; let the heat increase to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) during the last hour of smoking. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching a bone, should reach at least 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).

Tips

You can also brine the turkey with 1 cup salt per gallon of water for 12 hours in the refrigerator (this helps thaw it faster, too).