Too often, people wait until Thanksgiving to roast a whole turkey, but this lean meat can be a part of any meal at any time. In fact, because this turkey cooks on a grill, you may want to make it during the summer when the weather allows for outdoor cooking.
With the help of a grill and brine, the turkey finishes in three hours. If you find standard brines too bland and want to have a flavorful centerpiece for your next large gathering, make this coffee-glazed turkey. Feel free to use a charcoal or gas grill. However, for safety sake, always cook outside on the grill.
The coffee glaze contributes one note to the symphony of flavors in the turkey. Cooking the turkey over hickory chips gives it a smoky taste you cannot achieve from baking in the oven. Coffee also appears as a star in the brine the turkey soaks in before cooking. Brines are heavily flavored liquids used to deliver moisture and taste to the meat in them. This recipe uses a cider vinegar-based brine with salt, pepper, coffee, thyme, onions and sugar.
With so many flavors in the brine, expect this turkey to have a complex flavor profile. The thyme gives the bird a familiar herbal scent. Pepper contributes spice, coffee delivers bitterness and the sugar and cider vinegar make the finished turkey slightly sweet without becoming cloying.