Contributed by Chef Karen Putman

What would Thanksgiving be without a delicious turkey dinner? How about Smoked Turkey With Bacon and Cranberries or Grilled Soy Herbed Turkey Tenderloins? The two recipes available here are the contributions of acclaimed BBQ chef Karen Putman, author of Championship BBQ Secrets for Real Smoked Food and maker of Flower of the Flames BBQ products.

Thanks, Karen, for putting these two gourmet turkey recipes at our fingertips! Want more from Chef Putman? Get your copy of Championship BBQ Secrets for Real Smoked Food at Backyard Bash!

Recipe #1: Smoked Turkey with Bacon & Cranberries
Turkey steaks
12 slices smoked bacon
12 ounces fresh cranberries, washed
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup orange juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt to taste
Zest of 1 lemon
Mix cranberries, maple syrup, orange juice, garlic, salt and zest together in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil, and then cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes.
Remove foam from the surface.
Refrigerate to cool.

Prepare grill with coals.
Using a mallet, pound turkey steak to about ½ thick.
Spread the cooled cranberry sauce to cover 1 side of meat.
Roll turkey steaks up, keeping the cranberry sauce inside.
Wrap the smoked bacon around turkey steaks, hold with toothpicks.
Place in cooker away from heat.
Add cherry wood or your favorite wood.
Smoke for 45 minutes at 235 degrees or until desired doneness.
Serve.

Recipe #2: Grilled Soy Herbed Turkey Tenderloins
1 pound turkey tenderloins
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon
Dijon mustard
1 teaspoons savory
salt and pepper to taste

Place tenderloins in a sealable plastic bag.
In a small bowl combine remainder of ingredients.
Pour over turkey and seal bag, shake to coat.
Marinate in refrigerator for 1 to 5 hours.

Shake.

Prepare grill.

Remove turkey from the marinade and place on grill.
Optional: Add a little wood.
Grill, turning for about 15 to 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through and the juices run clear.

Serve with an apricot chutney.

About Chef Karen Putman and Flower of the Flames:

Flower of the Flames was founded by Karen Putman in 1988 as the pioneer of the fruit based sauces. In the last few years, she has been established as the undisputed “First Lady” of barbeque, with her initial exposure to charcoal flames at the 1984 American Royal Barbeque contest. Karen has amassed more than 400 state, local, National and International cooking awards. Among the awards are 1st place at the 1989 American Royal Barbecue in Kansas City, MO., the 1989 and 1991 Jack Daniels Invitational World Championship Barbeque Contest, Lynchburg, Tennesse, where Team Kansas City, of which Chef Putman was a prime member, took the Grand Championship Award; and the World Championship 1989 and 1990 in Lisdonvarna, Ireland.

The Flower of the Flames is a title bestowed upon Karen by Remus Powers, founder of the “Diddy-wa-Diddy Sauce Contest. In a sport usually commanded by boisterous back yard barons, Remus saw Karen as a sweet Flower among the Flames. The title stuck and has proven a winner as the logo for a successful line of gourmet barbeque products. The Flower of the Flames has had the honor of winning the Chairman’s Choice Award, People’s Choice, and Chairman’sChoice in Packaging among many other awards.

“Gourmet” is a much misused term to imply connotative of quality or epicurean prestige. In the case of Karen Putman, “Flower of the Flames” has proven true gourmet expertise at many levels and employs these skills to make barbeque much more renowned, having cooked for the Michael Jackson Tour as well as the NCAA Final Four and several Presidents.