Whole turkey or turkey breast dry-rubbed with KC seasoning, smoked over hickory and oak for 6 to 8 hours until the skin lacquers mahogany and the meat stays juicy. The 'third meat' on a KC mixed BBQ plate.

Smoked turkey emerged as a Kansas City BBQ specialty in the 1980s when joints diversified beyond pork and beef to capture the Thanksgiving, Easter and party-platter markets. KC's wood blend (hickory and oak) gives turkey a deeper bark than the lighter pecan-and-applewood mix typical of Memphis or Texas smoke. Arthur Bryant's, Joe's Kansas City, Q39 and Char Bar all run defensible versions; the Thanksgiving pre-orders book out weeks ahead at most counters.

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