Coke and jerk turkey

This recipe will make even an old tom delicious

With the resurgence of wild turkeys across the Carolinas, they have become one of the most sought-after of the big-game species.

Turkey hunting has a lot going for it, and I amazed it isn’t expanding faster than it is. The hunt is exhilarating, especially when you finally convince that wary boss gobbler to let down his guard and saunter within shooting range. It’s doubly exciting if you have fooled him to the point he is strutting when he makes his fatal mistake.

Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy the scouting and other aspects. I especially like roosting turkeys shortly after dark and then spending the evening figuring out how and where he’ll come in the next morning. I’m excited and don’t get much sleep, but it’s fun.

To me, figuring out where to be to intercept the turkey is a fun version of solving one of those complex word problems we used to get in high school math. Think about it this way….

A turkey is roosting in a tree at 30 feet above the forest floor at Point A, and a hunter slinks into the woods in the pre-dawn from the opposite direction at Point B. After dawn, the hunter uses a combination of putts, purrs and clucks to convince the reluctant turkey to move towards him at speeds that may vary from stopped to a run. How long does it take for the turkey to get into range and the hunter to fire the shotgun, and can the turkey react faster than the pellets reach him? The correct answer is it usually takes what seems like an eternity, but occasionally, one will rush right in.

You are the only one who cares how you solve this problem, but your buddies will listen to your explanation and then tell you how they solved it. The good news is that you get this word problem correct as long as the turkey comes within range and your shot is true.

I don’t know if the intensity is the same for everyone else, but turkey hunting is the pinnacle for me. Several times I have found myself gasping for breath right after pulling the trigger. I don’t know how long I have been holding my breath, but it must have been a while. Once I have the turkey on the ground, I am already thinking about how I’m going to cook it and how good it will be. This is a unique and interesting way to cook turkey, and it is especially good for older toms.

Coke and jerk turkey

I am surprised when I hear hunters complain that they have issues cooking their turkeys, that they can’t make them taste good or say that the meat is stringy and chewy. I don’t understand. I must have been real lucky, because I’ve tried a bunch of recipes, and the worst attempt tasted good. In most recipes, I would consider wild turkey to be more tasty than farm-raised turkey, and in others, it was just as good. I have no complaints with wild turkey, except that I don’t get to hunt them as much as I would like.

I’m not a proponent of simply breasting out turkeys and wasting the rest. When I prepare a recipe like this one that just uses the breast, be assured I save the rest for other uses. Maybe you’ll get one of those recipes in the future, but I’ve had a surprising number of folks request recipes that only use the breast.

Most turkeys are tender, but when you finally get “Ol Thunderboomer” with his 1 1/2-inch spurs and 12-inch beard, there is a pretty good chance he won’t be as tender as a second-year bird. I typically use something like orange juice as a marinade and tenderizer, but this recipe uses Coca-Cola. Use real Coke or Diet Coke, but not Coke Zero. You want one with all the carbonation; that’s what is going to penetrate and tenderize the turkey. My suggestion is, buy a bottle just for this and don’t open it until you are ready to pour it on. A bottle that has been open in your refrigerator for a week won’t work as well.

I don’t think I have to explain using bacon, but just in case, the primary intent of wrapping the strips in bacon is to prevent them from drying out while cooking. However, who doesn’t like the flavor of bacon? In this recipe, some of the jerk rub gets on the bacon, and that is a treat in itself.

Speaking of bacon, I’d like to tell you it is a great way to gauge when the turkey is ready, but that’s not always so. Sometimes the bacon cooks as quickly as the turkey, and sometimes it isn’t quite done when the turkey is ready. This varies from grill to grill, but on my grill at low-medium, when the bacon is done, the turkey is ready. If the bacon isn’t done when the turkey is, peel the bacon off and cook it a few minutes longer. You can eat it separate as a treat or wrap it back on the turkey strips.

The jerk seasoning I like to use is the hot and spice blend from Walkerswood Traditional Jamaican Jerk Seasoning (www.walkerswood.com). They also make mild if you don’t tolerate spices well. I was introduced to this by a friend, Dawn Brown, and I thank her every time I use it. Walkerswood is a Jamaican product and is the real deal. The spices are just right, and scotch bonnet peppers give it a little more bite than just an edge. You can control the heat and spice by not using as much, but the flavor is so good it’s easy to get carried away.

This is really a simple recipe and a different way to prepare wild turkey. If you like spicy foods, you’ll enjoy it as long as you don’t get carried away with the jerk seasoning.  My wife doesn’t care for spicy foods and really likes this. For those who don’t appreciate their spices as much, I’d suggest considering the mild jerk seasoning. I’ve never tried it, but have been told it is surprisingly true to the jerk flavor, without being overly spicy.

INGREDIENTS:

1 turkey breast,

1 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola

Walkerswood Traditional Jamaican Jerk Seasoning (Hot and Spicy)

Bacon slices

Non-stick cooking spray

Toothpicks

PREPARATION:

Cut turkey breast into strips approximately 3/4-inch wide. and put them into a Ziploc bag, cover with Coca-Cola and marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, then remove turkey strips and drain. Put turkey into a mixing bowl and mix with 2 to 4 heaping teaspoons of jerk seasoning — more will be spicier and less will be milder — and allow to sit for at least an hour.

Wrap each turkey strip in a slice of bacon and secure the bacon with toothpicks. Spray a vegetable or fish tray with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat grill to low-medium. Arrange the turkey strips on the vegetable or fish tray so they are not touching and grill for approximately 10 to 12 minutes, then turn and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes. Note that the cooking time will vary with the heat of the grill and thickness of the strips. The idea is to get the turkey done without drying it out. The bacon drippings help keep it moist while adding seasoning and carrying the jerk seasoning into the strips. The bacon may not always be done when the turkey is ready. If the bacon is not done, it can be removed and discarded or cooked alone on the tray until done. Do not eat bacon that isn’t fully cooked. Serve the strips before they cool.

I like to serve this with a festive Caribbean yellow rice dish with peas, onions and pimentos and begin with a green salad or lettuce wedge. If you would like to add another vegetable, corn on the cob can also be cooked on the grill.