Brine
Brining is a valuable technique. Just don’t overdo it. The meat is soaked in a very strong brine of water (or sometimes other liquids, such as juice, wine, or beer), salt, and aromatics (herbs, spices, and the like). When the meat is removed from the brine, the salty water stays in the cells, adding moisture and flavor to the meat. The brine must be ice-cold (40°F) before meat is added to it.
Inject
For a tender and succulent bird, get under the skin with a marinade or compound butter using a kitchen injector before roasting. This helps keep the turkey moist and juicy as it cooks while imparting complex layers of flavor. It works especially well for helping to keep the white meat moist and can eliminate the necessity of basting.
Dry Rubs
Dry rubs are just that—a mixture of dry spices that are literally rubbed into foods before grilling. Dry rubs can be made ahead of time and stored for several months (away from heat and light) in covered containers or resealable plastic bags. Apply it several hours or even a day ahead. It cures as well as seasons the meat.
Smoke
If cooking your turkey on the grill, there is nothing like the aromatic flavor of wood smoke to take grilled or barbecued food from the ordinary to the sublime. The source of the smoke can be wood chips, chunks, pellets, branches, trimmings, or logs. The most popular smoking woods in America are (in ascending order of flavor) cherry, apple, oak, hickory, and the strongest of all, mesquite.
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