The legendary explorer and worldwide traveler, Marco Polo, was responsible for contributing to my following recipe. History tells us that in the 1300’s during his travels to China, he was introduced to many wonderful culinary ingredients. He brought these wonderful ingredients back to his home in Italy, and introduced them into recipes, thus the Asian/Mediterranean fusion. You will find that these flavors, when combined, offer a wonderful, robust taste.
“Marco Polo” BBQ Turkey
- 1ea 16 lb. Turkey (Any size will do but I prefer this size. They seem to remain moister)
Marinade: (Add all ingredients in a large bowl)
- 1 1/3 cup of soy sauce
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup of orange juice
- 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup cooking sherry
- ¼ cup fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thin or grated
- 3 Tbsp cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp coarse cracked pepper
- 2 Tbsp paprika
Mix all ingredients with wire whip. Remove giblets and neck from turkey. Remove excess fat from near the tail. Place turkey in large, thick, plastic trash bag. Pour marinade into bag and rotate bag, making sure to cover entire surface of turkey. Close open end of bag and secure. Place into roaster or baking dish in case the bag leaks (using two liners will help prevent this). Place into refrigerator and agitate or rotate bag every 2 or 3 hours until you are ready to place it on BBQ. ***Total marinade time should not exceed 12 hours***
Cooking: You can use a gas or charcoal BBQ providing they have lids. In either case you want to use indirect heat when cooking/smoking the turkey. This requires heating one area of your BBQ and placing the turkey on the opposite side. When the lid of the BBQ is closed there will be sufficient heat to cook without burning the turkey. When the heat source has achieved a temperature of approximately 330 degrees, place the turkey on a type of rack with the breast facing upward, then place in the BBQ. Total cooking time will depend on actual heat source, temperature, and size of the turkey but a good gauge for a 16 lb. turkey is about 2.5 to 3 hours. Keep an eye on the turkey and if it starts to be getting brown on top, place a tent of foil loosely on top to prevent over browning. Always use a meat thermometer and insert it into the drumstick/thigh joint and thickest part of the breast. When you achieve a temperature of 165 degrees, remove the turkey from BBQ. Form a tent with foil and place over the turkey. Let turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving.
Happy Holidays,
Darren Hill-Center of Your Plate