Most guests love the flavor of turkey off the grill. That is, as long as the meat is tender and juicy.

Like my everyday pork chops and chicken parts, I’ll give the turkey a 24-hour swim in a potful of sweet and salty brine spiked with plenty of garlic and bay leaves. I can’t emphasize enough the positive benefits of this cumbersome step. I say cumbersome because carving out refrigerator space during the holidays proves a challenge even for an experienced fridge organizer.

A 10- to 12-pound turkey fits nicely with the brine in my deepest soup pot. I rearrange the refrigerator shelves to accommodate the pot. After brining, pat the turkey dry and sprinkle some brown sugar rub into the bird’s cavities. Fill the cavities with aromatics (here, apples, oranges, onion and herbs). Then set the turkey in a shallow pan and rub it all over with the brown sugar rub. You can leave the rubbed turkey on the counter up to an hour while you heat the grill. Or refrigerate it for up to a day.

I seek out fresh, all-natural turkey without added liquid or injected solutions.

When frozen turkey is the only option, you’ll need to allow a couple of extra days for it to thaw in the refrigerator.

The brown sugar rub can be made in advance. Be aware that the turkey skin will look like dark mahogany when it comes off the grill. If you prefer a more golden color, simply use less rub (and/or omit the coffee powder from the rub).

Turkey gravy proves a challenge when grilling the holiday bird. No worries. Make a light broth from the neck and giblets tucked inside the bird’s cavity. Then season the broth with some browned shallots, red wine and plenty of pepper. I thicken the broth with dissolved flour. If the drip pan under the turkey yields a few spoonfuls of drippings, they can be added to the gravy — but know that they will impart an untraditional but delicious smokiness.

Showcase the bronzed bird whole while it sits on the carving board for up to 20 minutes. Just before serving, use a large spoon to scoop out and discard the aromatics from the interior cavities. Then carve off the legs, then the wings, then finally the breast halves. Cut the legs at the thigh and drumstick joint. Slice the breast crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces.