Big Green Egg, medium, set up for indirect cooking
Meat thermometer (Chugod)
Quarter-sheet pan
Wire rack for quarter-sheet pan
Smoking chips, cherry or hickory
8-10 pound turkey breast
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
During all preparations, assume the raw turkey has bacteria that you do not want to transfer anywhere else in your kitchen. Therefore WASH YOUR HANDS after you touch the turkey BEFORE you touch anything else. Cooking the turkey will get rid of any bacteria that might be present.
The day before you plan to cook the turkey, pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Mix 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar and the salt in a bowl. Loosen skin from turkey and rub with sugar and salt mixture.
Put turkey in giant plastic zip-loc bag and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Unwrap turkey and pat dry again with paper towels. Mix remaining tablespoon of brown sugar and pepper in bowl. Rub mixture under and over turkey breast skin. Using skewer, pierce turkey skin all over.
Soak wood chips in bowl of water to cover for 15 minutes.
Set up Big Green Egg for indirect cooking and intersperse soaked wood chips throughout the fire box. Start fire and allow temperature to rise to about 400°F. Place turkey, skin side up, on rack in quarter-sheet pan on grill. Bring Big Green Egg temperature down to 325°F and cook until skin is well-browned and crisp. Thickest part of meat should register 160°F. Cooking time will be about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
If you prefer to cook the turkey more slowly at a lower temperature, do it. Just end up at 160°F by an hour before dinner to give the turkey time to rest and yourself time to carve.
Remove breast to cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Carve and serve.