In a bowl, combine freshly ground black pepper, cinnamon, chili powder and kosher salt. Set aside. Makes ½ cup.

The Brine:

Pour the cold water into a large bucket. Pour the salt into the boiling water and stir to dissolve. Once the salt has dissolved, pour boiling salt water into the bucket of cold water.

Add the 2 cups of Jim Beam bourbon, black peppercorns, maple syrup, apple cider and fresh sage. Stir and set aside.

Remove the neck and giblets from the inside of the turkey (if necessary). Rinse the turkey, neck and giblets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, neck and giblets into a bucket of water, making sure that the turkey is completely submerged. You may need to weigh the turkey down to keep it submerged.

Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours or up to 36 hours for a much larger turkey. Remove the turkey, neck and giblets from the brine, discarding leftover brine. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Return to refrigerator and allow to air dry, unwrapped, for 2-3 hours.

Time to Smoke:

Set up your Bradley Smoker according to manufacturer’s instructions and set smoker temperature to 230ºF. Rub the turkey, inside and out, with the Amarillo Chili Cinnamon Rub.

Place turkey, neck and giblets onto the rack and place in smoker. Insert thermometer probe into the thickest part of the turkey thigh, making sure not to touch the bone, and set for an internal temperature of 180ºF.

Smoke turkey for approximately 5-6 hours. Once the turkey is in the smoker, take frozen butter and place it into a metal bowl or container. Place in the smoker, allowing to smoke and melt completely. Yes we’re smoking butter!

Tip: Use frozen butter so that it does not melt so rapidly and it allows the smoke to infuse into the butter, a layer at a time, giving you a sweet smoky butter.

Remove turkey and melted smoked butter from the smoker. Add ½ cup of Jim Beam Bourbon to the butter and return the butter mixture to the smoker, smoking for approximately 5-10 minutes

Remove butter from the smoker again and, using an injection syringe, suck up any of the juices that have accumulated in the turkey’s cavity and add it to the butter mixture. Stir well. Then using the injection syringe, inject the turkey with the butter mixture in a variety of spots. Return turkey to the smoker.

Note: I suggest 3-4 injections per breast and thigh. Continue to smoke turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 180ºF.

Remove turkey from the smoker and, using a basting brush, brush turkey with any juices that have accumulated in the cavity, along with the additional butter mixture. Allow turkey to rest for approximately 10-20 minutes, covered loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.

Carve and serve. Dig In!

Recipe by: Ted Reader