Recipes

Doves From Hell

Online Editors — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:22:22 -0500

Ingredients

HabaÑero mustard sauce (at right)

1 lb. dove breasts (about 15 or so mourning doves)

1 lime, halved

2 Tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro

[1] Start a medium-hot fire in your grill. [2] Pour the sauce over the dove breasts in a bowl, making sure to evenly coat them. [3] Grill the breasts over the flame, turning occasionally, until well browned, about 4 minutes per side. To check for doneness, cut into one piece to see that the meat is medium-rare. Or use a meat thermometer'125 degrees is ideal. Let them cool for a few minutes after cooking. [4] Place the grilled breasts in a bowl, squeeze the lime halves over them, and toss them with the cilantro. Serve immediately.

HOT SAUCE

HabaÑero Mustard Sauce

HOW TO MAKE THE FIERY GLAZE

Ingredients

⅓ cup prepared yellow mustard

2 to 8 habaÑero peppers, seeded and chopped

2 Tbsp. minced ginger

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 scallions (both green and white sections), finely chopped

Pinch of allspice

1 Tbsp. curry powder

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. ground coriander

2 Tbsp. dried oregano

3 Tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper

2 Tbsp. kosher salt

What makes these doves so spicy are the habaÑero peppers. On the Scoville scale (the standard measure for how hot peppers are), habaÑero chiles score between 100,000 and 350,000. A jalapeÑo ranges between 2,500 and 8,000. You can adjust the heat of this sauce by adding more habaÑeros to it. Two peppers will make it spicy. Eight will make it flat-out scalding. Simply combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.

The Other Red Meat

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:20:00 -0500

Picture a 1,200-pound Hereford steer: a big, lumbering slab of thick fat and meat. Now imagine a 140-pound buck, fleet-footed and elegant in comparison, a whole other beast. Sure, they're ungulate cousins, but it's hard to see any similarities. And that, says Texas chef Tim Love, is precisely where we're going wrong.

"They're basically the same," says Love, whose acclaimed flagship Fort Worth restaurant, Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, may be the ultimate crossroads of beef and game cookery, a stockyards-steeped eatery where diners veer between Love's 20-plus-inch "Tomahawk Chop" (a massive, bone-in beef rib chop) and a venison chop served with truffled mac-and-cheese, fried artichokes, and a morel mushroom glacÂ¿Â¿. There are some important distinctions-venison is inherently leaner than beef and more boldly flavored. But, Love continues, "It's meat, period. And if you can cook one, you can cook the other."

This should come as welcome news to hunters who've exhausted their trove of venison recipes, since most of the million-plus beef recipes out there, according to Love, easily translate for use with venison so long as you follow a few rules (see sidebar on p. 61). "Generally speaking, your cuts are all the same-except smaller, which means they cook in less time," says Love, a self-taught chef whose beef savvy dates back to his childhood spent on a Tennessee cattle farm and who can often be found hunting deer and doves at his Oklahoma ranch. "And the cuts are also leaner.

Venison doesn't have the marbling that beef has, so it's less forgiving when you cook it too long. People sometimes complain that venison is dry because it's lean. No, it's dry because they overcooked it. Venison can't be cooked past medium, so if you're a well-done kind of guy, you should stick with beef."

The following recipes-involving a rib eye, short ribs, and tenderloin-illustrate Love's meat-is-meat approach. They're all equally suited to venison or beef. "I always tell folks," he says, "not to learn how to cook a beef fillet. Learn how to cook a fillet." [NEXT "Braised & Barbecued Ribs With Homemade Pickles"]

Braised & Barbecued Ribs With Homemade Pickles

For the Venison Ribs
1 rack of venison ribs, at least 8 bones on the rack, or, if unavailable, 8 rib chops
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1⁄2 celery stalk, roughly chopped
2 white onions, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 jalapeÂ¿Â¿o, split
2 Tbsp. chile powder
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1⁄2 tsp. dried thyme
1⁄2 tsp. dried sage
1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 cup barbecue sauce of your preference (Love recommends Stubb's)

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Put all the ingredients except the barbecue sauce in a large roasting pan and add enough water to cover the meat. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid or aluminum foil; or, even better, both foil and a lid.

2. Place in the oven; cook until very tender (as long as 8 hours).

3. Remove the ribs from the roasting pan and cool in the refrigerator overnight. Discard the cooking liquid.

4. Light a medium-hot fire in your grill. Slice the cooled rack into individual ribs and grill for about 3 minutes per side, or until heated through. Brush on the barbecue sauce and continue to cook, turning frequently, until they're browned but not blackened. Serve with the homemade pickles. Serves 4.

Homemade Pickles
3 cucumbers, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cups red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves
4 serrano chiles

Pickling Liquid
2 cups red wine vinegar
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
2 jalapeÂ¿Â¿os, halved lengthwise
8 garlic cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1⁄2 tsp. mustard seed
1⁄2 tsp. coriander seed
1 bay leaf
3 whole cves
3 whole black peppercorns

1. Combine all the pickling liquid ingredients together in a medium saucepan and boil for 3 minutes.

2. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, and pour the hot liquid over them. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours. [NEXT "Garlic-Stuffed Tenderloin With Western Plaid Hash"]

Garlic-Stuffed Tenderloin With Western Plaid Hash
8 venison tenderloin fillets, about 4 oz. each
14 garlic cloves, unskinned
1 cup syrah wine
11⁄2 cups beef or game stock
2 cups peanut or vegetable oil
2 russet potatoes
1⁄2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced jalapeÂ¿Â¿o
1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Roast the garlic: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the cloves in a skillet or pan, sprinkle with olive oil, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly browned. The garlic should be creamy, sweet, and soft enough to squeeze out of the skins. Set aside to cool, and discard the skins. When the garlic is cool, make a small slit in the side of each fillet with a paring knife, and stuff one clove in each. This will leave six for use in the hash.

2. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Put 1/2 cup of the wine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow the wine to boil until reduced by half, then add the beef stock. Let this mixture boil until reduced by half as well. Keep warm or reheat when ready to serve.

3. Make the hash: In a medium saucepan or deep skillet, heat the peanut or vegetable oil to 325 degrees. While it's heating, cut the potatoes into thin, 1/2-inch strips and rinse in cold water to remove some of the starch. Blot them dry with paper towels. When the oil is hot (check by dropping a potato strip in; it should sizzle aggressively), add the potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain them on a paper towel, and season with salt and pepper. In another large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over high heat. Add the bell and jalapeÂ¿Â¿o peppers, onion, cabbage, and remaining roasted garlic. Cook, stirring, until the cabbage is wilted, then add the remaining wine.

4. Cook the venison: Make sure the oven is still at 350 degrees. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil over high heat in a large, ovenproof sautÂ¿Â¿ pan. Generously season the fillets with salt and pepper and sear them in the oil, for about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer the pan to the oven for about 4 minutes, or until the meat is medium-rare. To serve, place some potatoes at the center of the plate, top with a dollop of the cabbage mixture, and top that with two fillets. Spoon some of the warmed sauce over the meat and serve. Serves 4. [NEXT "Seared Bone-In Rib Eye With Fried Artichokes & Mac-And-Cheese"]

Seared Bone-In Rib Eye With Fried Artichokes & Mac-And-Cheese
4 venison rib chops, double-cut, about 6 oz. each
1⁄2 cup Lonesome Dove game rub (recipe below)
11⁄3 cups orzo pasta, cooked, drained, and tossed with 1 Tbsp. olive oil
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1⁄2 cup Manchego cheese, shredded
4 artichoke hearts, quartered and soaked in 1 cup buttermilk
1 1⁄2 cups polenta
Oil, for frying
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Lonesome Dove Game Rub
1⁄4 cup chile powder
1⁄4 cup kosher salt
1 1⁄2 Tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
1 Tbsp. thyme leaves
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1. Take the chops out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking. While they're coming to room temperature, make the mac-and-cheese: Simmer the cream and chicken stock together over medium heat. Add the orzo and cheese and stir for about 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

2. Make the artichokes: In a heavy pot, heat at least 2 inches of oil to 375 degrees. As it's heating, combine 1⁄4 cup of the game rub with the polenta. Remove the artichoke hearts from the buttermilk and dredge them in the polenta mixture. Fry the artichokes for 3 minutes, in batches if necessary, until golden brown, and drain on paper towels. Keep warm until ready to serve.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the chops with salt and pepper and 1⁄4 cup of game rub. Coat the bottom of an ovenproof sautÂ¿Â¿ pan with a thin sheen of oil and place over high heat until almost smoking. Add the meat and sear quickly on both sides, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer the pan to the oven for about 6 minutes, or until the chops are medium-rare. Serves 4. [NEXT "Venison T-Bone"]

Venison T-Bone

Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sherry
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 onion roughly chopped
juice of 1 lime

4 venison T-bone steaks
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Marinate the steaks overnight in the refridgerator, or for at least 6 hours.

2. Remove from marinade, and allow them to come to room temperature.

3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

4. Dry the steaks with paper towels. When the oil in the pan begins to smoke, and drop the steaks into the pan.

5. Cook for about 4 minutes before flipping. Then cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks. Feel for doneness and remove the steaks when they are rare to medium rare.

6. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes, covered with foil, before serving. [NEXT "The Rules"] The Rules
Don't be afraid to substitute venison in any beef recipe-as long as you follow these guidelines

1) When grilling or searing, shorten the cooking time. "A venison cut is going to be smaller than a beef cut," says Tim Love, "which means it's going to cook quicker. Reduce the cooking time so that you don't overdo it."

2) Remember the fat. Beef's fat marbling allows it to self-baste as it cooks. Venison lacks that feature. If you're roasting or braising venison, drape it with some bacon or pork fat to keep it moist, using a toothpick as needed to secure it.

3) Be a kinder, gentler cook. A hard boil will toughen beef but render venison almost inedible. "Be very careful about this," says Love. When roasting or braising, try to go lower and slower than you would with beef: a decreased roasting temperature, a lesover medium heat. Add the orzo and cheese and stir for about 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Venison T-Bone

4 venison T-bone steaks
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Marinate the steaks overnight in the refridgerator, or for at least 6 hours.

2. Remove from marinade, and allow them to come to room temperature.

3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

4. Dry the steaks with paper towels. When the oil in the pan begins to smoke, and drop the steaks into the pan.

5. Cook for about 4 minutes before flipping. Then cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks. Feel for doneness and remove the steaks when they are rare to medium rare.

6. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes, covered with foil, before serving. [NEXT "The Rules"] The Rules
Don't be afraid to substitute venison in any beef recipe-as long as you follow these guidelines

Wild for Walleye

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:20:00 -0500

As with any wild food, the closer you are to the source, the better it's going to taste. Lucia Watson, an angler and chef who owns Lucia's Restaurant in Minneapolis, picks the lakeshore as the best place for cooking and eating walleyes. For Watson, that shore rims an island on Rainy Lake, near the Canadian border, where her family has maintained a fishing cabin for seven decades.

"Freshly caught walleye, dusted in cornmeal and fried up in some butter or bacon fat," she says. "That is heaven." That bit of heaven creeps onto her restaurant menu as well. At Lucia's, which Watson has operated in one of Minneapolis' oldest neighborhoods since 1985, she pairs cornmeal-crusted walleye fillets with a caper mayonnaise-a citified take on the traditional shore lunch of fried fish and tartar sauce. For "the Opener," that second May weekend when Minnesota anglers storm the northern lakes, Watson roasts walleye fillets with asparagus spears, fiddlehead ferns, and chives, all of it tucked into foil pouches.

When the fiddlehead ferns are gone for the season, sugar-snap peas make an excellent substitute. Either way, the dish is "hobo pack" cookery at its most versatile. You can cook this dish at home, as the recipe instructs, with some fresh walleye fillets, store-bought vegetables, and an oven, but it's even better cooked in the ash-covered coals of a campfire. And if you're willing to forage, in the spring, for wild asparagus and fiddleheads (and even wild chives), it's downright exquisite.

Look for fiddleheads-the coiled leafy tops of ostrich ferns, they get their name from their resemblance to a violin scroll-in northern hardwood forests in April and May. About that same time, you'll see the tips of wild asparagus poking up in farm ditches and weedy roadsides. If cattails are easier to find, use them: Peel the shoots and substitute the 1- to 12-inch white inner stalks, called "Cossack asparagus," for the asparagus. Wrap all the wild edibles-walleye and green stuff-securely in foil and cook in the low-burning coals of a campfire for about 10 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland by Beth Dooley and Lucia Watson.

FOIL-ROASTED WALLEYE WITH ASPARAGUS AND SUGAR-SNAP PEAS

(Serves four)

4 tablespoons butter, softened
4 walleye fillets (about 4 to 6 ounces each)
8 asparagus spears
12 sugar-snap peas
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
1 lemon, quartered
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

[BRACKET "1"] Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut four 1-foot-square sheets of aluminum foil. Liberally butter each sheet. On each sheet, place one walleye fillet, two asparagus spears cut into 1-inch pieces, and three sugar-snap peas.

[BRACKET "2"] Sprinkle the snipped fresh chives equally over each portion, squeeze the juice of a lemon quarter over each fillet, and then salt and pepper to taste.

[BRACKET "3"] Fold the aluminum foil to cover the fish and bake in the oven for about 12 minutes. Serve with buttered and parslied new potatoes, if desired.

The Other Red Meat

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:20:00 -0500

Braised & Barbecued Ribs With Homemade Pickles

2. Place in the oven; cook until very tender (as long as 8 hours).

3. Remove the ribs from the roasting pan and cool in the refrigerator overnight. Discard the cooking liquid.

Homemade Pickles
3 cucumbers, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cups red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves
4 serrano chiles

1. Combine all the pickling liquid ingredients together in a medium saucepan and boil for 3 minutes.

2. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, and pour the hot liquid over them. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours. [NEXT "Garlic-Stuffed Tenderloin With Western Plaid Hash"]

Venison T-Bone

4 venison T-bone steaks
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Marinate the steaks overnight in the refridgerator, or for at least 6 hours.

2. Remove from marinade, and allow them to come to room temperature.

3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

4. Dry the steaks with paper towels. When the oil in the pan begins to smoke, and drop the steaks into the pan.

5. Cook for about 4 minutes before flipping. Then cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks. Feel for doneness and remove the steaks when they are rare to medium rare.

6. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes, covered with foil, before serving. [NEXT "The Rules"] The Rules
Don't be afraid to substitute venison in any beef recipe-as long as you follow these guidelines

Venison T-Bone

4 venison T-bone steaks
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Marinate the steaks overnight in the refridgerator, or for at least 6 hours.

2. Remove from marinade, and allow them to come to room temperature.

3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

4. Dry the steaks with paper towels. When the oil in the pan begins to smoke, and drop the steaks into the pan.

5. Cook for about 4 minutes before flipping. Then cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks. Feel for doneness and remove the steaks when they are rare to medium rare.

6. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes, covered with foil, before serving. [NEXT "The Rules"] The Rules
Don't be afraid to substitute venison in any beef recipe-as long as you follow these guidelines

Wild for Walleye

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:20:00 -0500

Jerry's Tips

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 19:00:00 -0500

KEEP THE FLAVOR IN FROZEN GAME
Vacuum-seal bags are a great way to store frozen game and fish, but only if you know how to thaw the contents. You must poke a few small holes in the packaging first. This breaks the vacuum and permits normal defrosting to occur. If you do not release the seal, the juices will be sucked out of the food, leaving your fish or meat dry.

HOOK THE ONE YOU MISSED
When a fish rises to a fly or lure but is not hooked, cast to the same place only a few times more. If you don't get a strike, move on to your next spot for a while. After half an hour, return to where the fish rose and try again. Once the fish settles, it will resume its favored feeding lie and be waiting for your next cast.

BRIGHTEN UP YOUR SIGHTS
If your rifle's open sights are getting dull, use an emery cloth to remove bluing from the top of the front sight. Then paint the bare metal with fluorescent-pink nail polish or fly-tying lacquer. The bright color will help you align the front sight deep in the notch of the rear before you shoot, which will keep your shot from going high.

CALL DURING PEAK HOURS
Having problems calling in a gobbler early in the morning? It's hard to pry toms away from hens during breeding hours. You'll have better luck around midmorning when hens start nesting and gobblers are lonely. Around 9 A.M., start moving through cover, pausing to call at least every 200 yards. When a gobbler answers, pocket your call and try to close the distance to under 100 yards. Then use soft hen calls to draw him your way.

READER TIP

NEVER FORGET GEAR

-STEVE CANNON, Sacramento, Calif.

After a big hunting or fishing trip, I make a list of everything I brought, stuff I could've left behind, and what I wished I had taken with me. I also write a brief trip summary, including weather conditions. When all my gear is unpacked, cleaned, and ready to be put away, I tuck my list in the box, too. That way the next time I'm ready to take a similar trip, I know just what to pack, even if it's a year later.

Field & Stream Recipe: Trout with Guiness

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 19:00:00 -0500

IRISH ANGLER'S PIE

SERVES 4

TIME 1 hour

DIFFICULTY Moderate

TOPPING

1½ pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

¾ cup milk

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

FILLING

1 pound lake trout fillets (or fillets from any mild, flaky fish)

2 bay leaves

1 cup milk

1 cup Guinness

4 tablespoons butter

3 large leeks, white parts only, washed and roughly chopped

1 cup chopped mushrooms

2 tablespoons flour

1½ teaspoons Colman's mustard powder

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

3 ounces grated cheddar

DIRECTIONS
[1] Make the topping: In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until done. Drain, then return them to the pan and cook for another minute to steam off any excess moisture. Add the milk and butter, and mash. When the mixture is creamy and smooth, add the chives. Salt and pepper it to taste. Set aside.

[2] Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the trout fillets and bay leaves in a shallow pan; cover with 1 cup of milk and the Guinness. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the trout begins to flake.

[3] While the trout is baking, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the leeks until just tender, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 4 minutes. Stir in the flour and keep stirring for another minute, then take the pan off the heat.

[4] When the fish is done, remove the fillets from the baking dish, setting them aside. Discard the bay leaves. Return the leek mixture to the stove over medium-low heat, and pour in the baking liquid. Stir frequently until it thickens, about 10 minutes, then add the mustard, parsley, lemon juice, eggs, and salt and pepper. Flake the fish and add it to the pan.

[5] Spoon the trout mixture into an ovenproof dish. Top with the reserved mashed potatoes, using a fork to create an uneven, craggy surface (the more bumps, the more browning you'll get). Sprinkle the grated cheese over the potatoes. Bake in the oven (still at 400 degrees) for about 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the topping is browned and crusty.

Wild Boar Chili Beans

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 05:30:00 -0400

This recipe is sure to spice up your picnic or BBQ this summer. Everyone is familiar with a good chili bean recipe, but when you throw a little wild boar into the mix, you'll have your guests talking about it for days.

WILD BOAR CHILI BEANS

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 lbs. ground wild boar sausage
3 bell peppers, chopped
3 cups crushed tomatoes
3 cups kidney beans, cooked
1/2 cup tomato paste
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and sautÂ¿Â¿ until caramelized. Add garlic and sautÂ¿Â¿ about 1 minute. Remove from pan into bowl and set aside. Return pan to heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. SautÂ¿Â¿ bell peppers until tender. Remove from pan and add to bowl of onions. Return pan to heat and add boar sausage, sautÂ¿Â¿ until brown. Add onion mixture, and remaining ingredients. Lower heat to simmer.

You may need to add water to fully submerge the mixture in liquid. Let simmer for about 1 hour on low. Serve with a homemade skillet corn bread and you've got a meal to remember.

Wild Boar Chili Beans

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 05:30:00 -0400

How to Smoke-Roast a Wild Turkey with Maple-Pepper Glaze

fieldandstream-editor — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 20:00:00 -0400

BRINE

2 gallons water

1 cup salt

1 cup black pepper

1 cup brown sugar

TURKEY

1 wild turkey

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

½ cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)

1. Brine the turkey: Mix the water, salt, pepper, and brown sugar together in a large pot. Place the turkey in the brine mixture and weigh it down to keep it submerged (an inverted dinner plate topped with a rock does the trick). Refrigerate overnight.

2. Prepare your grill: An hour before cooking, soak five big handfuls of hickory chips in water. Make two piles of charcoal at the sides of the grill, leaving enough open space so the bird won't be directly over the coals. Put a disposable aluminum pan in the center to catch any drips. Light the charcoal. When it's covered with ash, add the soaked wood chips.

3. Drain the turkey and pat it dry. Place it over the drip pan, breast-side up, and cover the grill. Keep the lid vents about halfway open.

4. Cook until the thigh meat registers 180 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 12 to 14 minutes per pound. After the first hour, baste it with half of the melted butter. Repeat an hour later, and also toss a handful more of charcoal on each pile. Once it's lit, add another handful of wood chips.

5. With roughly a half hour left to cook, make a maple glaze by combining the maple syrup, pepper, and bourbon. Brush it onto the turkey. (If the glaze starts to burn, loosely cover the bird with foil.) After you remove the turkey from the grill, let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.