Bourbon Sorghum Brined Smoked Wild Turkey with Alabama White Sauce

Over the years, I have cooked on just about every type of outdoor grill/smoker available. From charcoal to gas grills, wood-fired smokers, drum smokers, you name it, I have cooked on it at some point. But I had never tried a pellet grill. That is why I was excited to hear that the folks at Traeger Grills were teaming up with Realtree to launch a new line of game seasonings and pellets for their grills.

I have to admit, since receiving the Traeger, my other grills and smokers have gone largely unused. From slow smoking large cuts like pork butts, beef briskets or large game roasts, to putting a world-class sear on a backstrap medallion, there is nothing this grill won't do. On top of the versatility, it is simple to use and doesn't require constant babysitting on long cooks.

For this recipe, we smoked a wild turkey breast. But we didn't just toss it on and go. First, we brined the breast overnight in a mixture of bourbon, KY sorghum (I am sure good sorghum is made in other states as well, I may be just a bit biased), salt, raw cane sugar, water and a pinch of Instacure number 1 to help with the finished texture. The brine helps to add both moisture and flavor to the turkey breast.

To top the turkey, I mixed up a batch of Alabama White Sauce. Made famous by Big Bob Gibson at his Decatur, Alabama restaurant, white bbq sauce shines on poultry. Even if you don't normally like mayonnaise (the base ingredient for the sauce), give this one a shot. The vinegar and other seasonings completely change the flavor of the mayo. Dip the turkey slices or ladle it on, your choice.

For this recipe, I used two boned-out breast halves. Since turkey breasts are a lot thicker on one end than the other, the small end can dry out pretty quickly while the thicker end comes up to temperature. To prevent this from happening, I like to stack the two halves with one reversed over the other so that the thick and thin ends are paired up. Use butcher's twine to truss or tie the two halves together into a roll with a uniform thickness from end to end.

Don't worry if your trussing technique leaves a little to be desired. I am certain there are butchers from all over wincing at my trussing attempt. As long as it holds the breast in a tight loaf shape, you are good to go.

I seasoned the turkey with Traeger's new Big Game Rub, specifically designed to complement wild game. I used the new Big Game Blend pellets, a mix of red oak, white oak and hickory, with a bit of rosemary. I have used this blend on everything from pork, to game of all sorts, to beef to poultry. The flavor it produces is top-notch.