SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) —  As we near Thanksgiving, it is a burning question that plagues households across America.

How do you prepare the holiday bird?

There are so many ways to cook a bird. Do you like your turkey baked, pan-roasted, smoked, or how about deep-fried?

So, we arranged for a turkey cook-off!

In this edition of Dine and Dish, Vicki Liviakis attempts to put it to the test.

Watch the above video to see who won the turkey cook-off.

Thanksgiving is on Thursday, Nov. 26 in 2015.

Full holiday coverage here —> http://kron4.com/category/holidays-2015/

Matthew Dolan’s Smoked Turkey

Serves 12

1 12-15 pound turkey – neck and giblets removed

(For the Brine)

2 gallons water

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup salt

1 12 ounce beer of choice

3 bay leaves

1 Tablespoon coriander seed

1 Tablespoon peppercorns

3 sprigs fresh thyme

(For the smoker)

Apple wood chips

Aluminum Foil

2 Large Disposable Aluminum Roasting Pans (if you do not have an outdoor grill or a proper smoker)

METHOD

1. Begin by combining all of the ingredients for the brine in a large pot. Simmer for 45 minutes, strain and reserve the brine

2. Remove giblets and neck from turkey and place in the cooled bringing liquid – if not fully submerged, top it off with cold water

3. Allow the turkey to remain in this liquid under refrigeration for 10 hours

4. Now get the smoker started – if you have a smoker, load it up with the chips to create a rolling smoke. If you do not have a smoker but an outdoor grill, you can use aluminum foil to create a smoker insert for the grill. Simply lay out 2 feet of foil and pile chips on one side. Fold the other side over and crimp the edges. Next poke holes on the top side and place in hot grill. You’ll be smoking very soon. If neither of the two apply, use large disposable roasting pans. One pan will act as the bottom part of the smoker, then the wood chips go in to cover the bottom. A few sheet of foil next to create a bed for the turkey allowing space around the edges to let the smoke escape. The brined turkey goes in next followed by the second pan to close it in. This can be placed on a medium heat burner to begin the smoking process, and the whole thing then goes into a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.

5. Whether you are in the smoker, on the grill, or using your make shift smoker, smoke for 30 minutes and then roast until ready in a 300 degree oven. This quick smoking then roasting method allows the flavor of the turkey to be complemented by smoke, not overwhelmed by it.