Grilling isn’t just for summer celebrations. Elevate your holiday table and wow family and friends by skipping the oven and grilling main dishes instead. To start, you need the right fuel.
“The best wood helps you capture those cozy, smoky notes you’re looking for during the holidays, whether you’re grilling turkey, lamb, pork, beef, or veggies,” says Levi Strayer of Bear Mountain BBQ.
Bear Mountain BBQ, along with the Grill Dads, are sharing two recipes destined to become your go-to holiday dishes, while delivering big, bold wood-fired flavor.
First up is a Smoked and Juicy Turkey that uses wet brining to lock in seasoning, and dry brining for that crispy skin everybody fights over. The real secret weapon here? All natural hardwood flavored pellets that offer a clean, balanced smokiness that never overpowers the meat — just enhances it.
Smoked and Juicy Turkey
Ingredients:
For the Brine (injectable):
2 cups water
2 cups turkey or chicken stock
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
For the Turkey:
1 whole 14-pound turkey
Kosher salt and black pepper (for surface seasoning)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (for injecting after cooking)
Directions:
1. Make the brine. In a small saucepan, combine water, stock, salt, brown sugar, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Heat over medium until salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat, strain out the solids, and cool completely.
2. Break down turkey into individual cuts — 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, and 2 wings. Season generously with salt and pepper. Inject each cut with the cooled brine, getting good distribution along the muscle fibers. Place on a sheet pan uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry-brine.
3. Fire up your smoker with Bear Mountain’s Holiday Turkey BBQ Blend pellets (or your choice). Smoke at 225 degrees F.
Target these internal temperatures:
Breasts: 160 degrees F
Thighs/Legs: 175 degrees F
Wings: 170 degrees F
4. Pull each piece as it hits its temperature.
5. Inject melted butter into each piece as soon as it comes off the smoker. Tent loosely with foil and rest for at least 20 minutes.
6. Crank your smoker or grill up to 400–450 degrees F. Return the turkey pieces skin-side up and cook until the skin is rendered, golden, and crispy.
7. Arrange and serve family-style.
Up next is Smoked Beef Tenderloin with Sherry Peppercorn Pan Sauce, fired up with Bear Mountain BBQ’s Gourmet BBQ Craft Blend, which brings clean heat, incredible flavor and that mahogany glow from the cherry hardwood, making every bite a celebration.
Smoked Beef Tenderloin with Sherry Peppercorn Pan Sauce
Ingredients:
1 whole beef tenderloin, tied to an even shape
SPG (salt, pepper, garlic) seasoning
2 tablespoons beef tallow (or high-heat fat)
3 tablespoons butter, plus 3 tablespoons ice-cold butter rolled in flour
2 shallots, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
1 teaspoon beef bouillon
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh parsley, chopped
Freshly cracked black pepper
Kosher salt and flaky finishing salt
Directions:
1. Let the tied tenderloin temper at room temperature for about an hour before cooking. Season generously with SPG. Set your smoker to 200 degrees F using hardwood pellets, and smoke the tenderloin low and slow until the internal temperature hits 120 degrees F. Remove from heat and let it rest for 20 minutes, while you crank your smoker and a cast-iron pan inside to 550 degrees F.
2. Add beef tallow to the hot cast-iron pan and sear the tenderloin on all sides until you’ve built a crust. Remove the beef and let it rest again while you make the sauce. Move the cast-iron pan to a medium burner and add the butter, shallots, and garlic, cooking just until they are softened. Stir in the water, beef bouillon, and sherry, then reduce the mixture by half. Lower the heat and whisk in cream, black pepper, parsley, and the ice-cold butter rolled in flour until the sauce is glossy and smooth. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
Slice the tenderloin, lay the pieces in the pan sauce and spoon it all together. Finish with flaky salt right before serving.
By spending the season grill-side, you can bring cozy, authentic wood-fired flavors tableside, turning all your holiday meals into cherished celebrations. For more wood-fired recipe inspiration, visit Bear Mountain BBQ.
Courtesy of StatePoint and Bear Mountain BBQ