BUTTERFLIED TURKEY ON THE GRILL

"It doesn't have to be Thanksgiving or any other holiday for us to serve turkey for dinner," writes Brokaw. "A 10-pound bird will serve a large group; this is a recipe that we rely on throughout the year. It's really easy, and the conventional cooking time is cut by a third. If I can get my butcher to butterfly the turkey, I let him; I prefer his job to mine. He splits the backbone down the middle and bends the bones so that the bird lies flat. Butterflying exposes the whole bird to the heat of the grill and promotes faster cooking."

1 fresh or thawed turkey, 10 to 12 pounds, butterflied
Juice of 10 limes
3 tablespoons dried oregano
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper

Place the turkey, bone side down, in a large ceramic baking dish. Drench the bird with 1/2 cup of the lime juice. Sprinkle the oregano under the wings and a little over the rest of the turkey. Marinate 2 hours in the refrigerator.

TO COOK:
Prepare a grill for indirect high heat.

Whisk together the melted butter and remaining 1/2 cup of the lime juice; set aside. Season the turkey with salt and pepper to taste.

Grill the bird, skin side up, over indirect heat with the grill covered, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of each thigh registers 170 degrees F, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Baste occasionally with the butter mixture; turn once near the end to crisp the skin. Set aside 30 minutes before carving.

Yield: 10 servings
Source: Big Sky Cooking by Meredith Brokaw