A Dozen

[eyeguy 54]

Should last a couple days longer than 6. Smoked with mesquite and apple. thirdeyes brine. yowzer! These smaller hen legs are great. Only takes about 2 hours to smoke.

[hockeybc69]

what is thirdeyes brine?

Look awesome!!

[JP Z]

Those look really good. You must be turning part turkey for as many as those smoked legs that you eat.

[eyeguy 54]

Fresh turkey drumsticks

1 gallon water

2/3 to 3/4 cup of Morton's kosher salt

2 tablespoons Morton's TenderQuick

1/2 of an onion, sliced

several cloves of garlic, sliced

handfull of brown sugar

cracked pepper or pepper blend

peppercorns

Heat the water and and dissolve the salt, sugar and Tenderquick. Add onion, garlic and pepper. Allow to cool. You can hold back on some water and add ice to speed up cooling. Submerge and brine drumsticks in a non-reactive container for at least 12 hours and up to two or three days, refrigerated. The longer the time, the more pronounced the flavor and texture change from the curing agent. The longer cure will also result in a saltier finished product. Following brining, rinse and soak in cold water for 1 to 3 hours. Dry off and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, overnight is better.

Smoke at 225° to 250°. I do them until they are at least 175° to 180° internal.

Used this brine twice now. love it! and the meat turns redish like ham.

yes, I m part turkey... gobble gobble. I share some so I don't get them all.

[thirdeye]

Nice job, those look great. What brine time are you using?

[eyeguy 54]

yours looks like ham and tastes dandy!

[thirdeye]

Yeah I got that, but I list a range of 12 hours to 3 days for brining. Just curious what you were using for time.

[JP Z]

Awesome.....I really don't know what my excuse is for NOT doing these things I think I'll have to search for a box to do this weekend.

[eyeguy 54]

been doing it for 2 days in the brine. I read it too fast... these eyes skipped over the word time. lol

[Stick in Mud]

You are bringing some of these up to Upper Red, right?!?

[eyeguy 54]

these will be gone soon, probably will do another batch. If I do I'll strip the meat so you don't have to mess with those nasty tendons... lol

[alleyes]

Would this be an option for bone in Turkey breast? I use a similar variation of this brine, but not with cure. Anyone tried it? Any thoughts? These are "in solution"

[thirdeye]

Would this be an option for bone in Turkey breast? I use a similar variation of this brine, but not with cure. Anyone tried it? Any thoughts? These are "in solution"

It might be too hard of a cure, breast is a different muscle all together and a curing brine might tighten it up too much. You might try this method I got from Old Dave. It's an injectable brine and marinade method (both are done at the same time) and it only takes 12 - 14 hours. Then the breast is rubbed and goes to the smoker. Here is Dave's method:

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This is Shake's Injectable Honey Brine with my (Old Dave) slight changes and it is a great brine and I use it for all my poultry.

32 oz of water

1/4 cup pickling salt

2 tsp Tenderquick

1/3 cup honey (I will sometimes use agave nectar instead, thirdeye)

3 bay leaves

1/4 tsp gound cloves

1/2 tsp pickle spice

Heat this up on the stove to help it dissolve but do not boil or you will ruin it and have to start over. Just get it warmed up. Cool it down before injecting it into the turkey. You will be injecting 4 ounces into each side of the breast.

MARINADE: MARINADE....I use Wishbone Robusto Italian salad dressing in the 16oz bottle and you need one bottle for each breast.

You will be brining and marinading at the same time. Place the brine injected turkey breast into a food grade small plastic bag and then pour the Wishbone over the bird. Align the turkey so it is longways in the bag and on one side of the bag. Carefully start at the bottom of the bag using both hands and work all the marinade up around the meat getting most of the air out of the bag and then tie off the bag. Better to have some help with this step. Place the bag and turkey on a platter and put it into the fridge for about 12-14 hours. You might turn it a time or two when you get into the fridge for a beer.

RUB

1 TBl Salt

1 TBL Paprika

2 tsp Onion powder

2 tsp Garlic powder

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp White pepper

I smoke roast my breasts until the internal temp is nearing 165°, then remove and rest. I've used this same method in the oven and it works fine, there is just no smoke flavor.