After learning of our family’s plans to smoke a turkey for this Thanksgiving, literally thousands of you demanded that we show you how. So here’s how the Benders do it step-by-step. (Drama is already building. Can you feel it?

Step 1.  Day Before Thanksgiving. Kill turkey. Remove all extraneous appendages. Obviously, this turkey was a gobbler.

Step 2. Place dead turkey in 5-gallon bucket. I styled this shot myself. Red is a festive color.

Step 3. Completely immerse turkey in brine solution consisting of cool water, kosher salt, brown sugar, fresh rosemary, sage, thyme, and peppercorns. Place bucket in refrigerator for 24 hours.

Step 4. Thanksgiving Day. Pour off brine solution and thoroughly rinse turkey. Place turkey seasoning, butter, and Granny Smith apple slices under turkey skin.

Step 5. That was exhausting! Relax and drink beer.

Step 6. Start grill. Smoke turkey using apple wood and sugar maple chips until internal temperature reaches 65 degrees. This is extremely important!

Step 7. Watch football and drink beer. That Suh guy on the Lions is a nut job.

Step 8. It’s halftime! Time to stretch our legs. I exercise every Thanksgiving. You should too.

Step 9. Second half. Turkey still smoking. Wow, what a play!

Step 10. At last, Thanksgiving dinner is served! Let’s dig in!

Step 11. Oh wait! Did I say 65 degrees? I meant to say cook the turkey until its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. My bad! Sorry, son.

Step 12. Escape to Man Cave to watch rest of game. Ravens rule, 16-6! What a great Thanksgiving!