Smoked Turkey

[Deitz Dittrich]

I didn't want to jump on the other post... so started a new one... I stuck my foot in my mouth and offered to cook a couple of turkeys for my dad. He is having a bit of a reunion party for a bunch of his old friends.. I'm going to fry one turkey(which I think Ihave down pat now...) and going to smoke one... which I have never done...

Do you need to cure it at all before smoking it, or just make sure you cook it to a safe internal temp?

[jerk bait]

Use the brine recipe I gave for the leg post. I would brine longer for a whole bird. I put the frozen birds in a cooler and brined them in the basement for about 4 days. I then smoked them with apple wood for about 8 hours at about 275 degrees until internal temp was 170. I went to the meat market and got some of the netting they have and hung the birds. I did 8 birds for a grad party. They turned out great.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Thanks jerk-bait...so the brine is very important?...

[jerk bait]

yes

[Deitz Dittrich]

Thanks again for your help.. I plan on doing a test bird this weekend.. LOL.. dads party isn't untill the following.... 4 days sitting in brine.. do you have to worry about the meat spoiling or is the pickling salt enough to not allow that... or do you keep adding ice to the cooler?.. Or can you use a big bowl and keep in the fridge? I plan on going with a 10 lb turkey.

[WCS]

Here is a favorite poultry brine that I use:

2 quarts apple juice

1 pound brown sugar (light or dark)

1 cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

3 quarts cold water

3 oranges, quartered

4 ounces fresh ginger, unpeeled and thinly sliced

15 whole cloves

6 bay leaves

6 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

I brine a whole thawed turkey for 24 hours, then wash it inside and out and let it air dry in the fridge over night. Brine times are a matter of taste. Longer gives it more of a salty taste. I definitely second apple wood, but I also use cherry with the turkey.

Important things to remember about poultry:

1. Keep the brine and bird at or below 40 degrees until cooking. Salt curing will help preserve the meat, brine does not.

2. Slow cooking uncured poultry can be unsafe. I try to shoot for 325 degrees with all poultry. Properly brining it will keep the turkey moist if not overcooked. If you have a water smoker, not filling the water pan will help get higher temps. I suggest lining the pan with foil, collect the drippings and use to make gravy.

3. Cook to 165 and remove from smoker. Cover in foil and place the bird in a cooler for 30 minutes. The meat will continue cooking to about 170 and the rest allows the moisture in the meat to evenly distribute.

Good luck.

[IndyEFI500]

Not sure how you are going to smoke it but I have done with and without brining and can't complain either way. I always inject the bird though and that could make a difference.

[efgh]

Maybe Muddog will chime in on this one, he smoked turkeys for two of Team Otters get togethers in the southern Mn. region. Pretty darn good too. Maybe you can get Hawkeyes kolocy receipe, they are excellent.

[PDOGG]

I've had wild turkeys and pheasants smoked at the meat market before. Do you think this is the way they do it or do they salt cure it and smoke it at a cooler temp. I want to try some pheasents on my own this year and I really like how they do it but there not to helpful with the recipes. Guess I can't blame em.

[LABS4ME]

They all brine their poultry before smoking it. I've started brining my poultry and then right before I smoke it, I inject some of the brine into the meat (little secret I learned from a meat shop!). I know in the end it is a safer way to smoke poultry... the salt is curing the meat, lessening the chance for any of the ol' food poisonings. To keep it simple I just use HiMountains Poultry brine. I've done the homemeade ones too and they were good, just easier to by a package of brine and get it going!

Here's a wild turkey breat after brining and smoking... tender and very moist!

Good Luck!

Ken

[PDOGG]

How hot for how long do you usually smoke it?

[LABS4ME]

Usually keep the smoker between 225 and 240. Breasts take 4-5 hours, whole birds 6-8 hours depending on size. I consider them done at 165-170 degrees in the thigh meat.

After brining them, pat dry with paper towel, rub them with a little Olive oil and a rub or some brown sugar. You can season the inside of the cavity too with whatever tickles your fancy. Let it come up to room temp, and dry for about an hour. Start it on the smoker heat only (no smoke) for the 1st hour, add smoke for the next 1-2 hours and finish with heat only until the meat is up to the proper temp. I use apple wood on my turkey and chickens. If you are adding liquid to a bowl in your smoker, buy a jug of apple juice... adds a little more flavor than plain water.

Good Luck!

Ken

[PDOGG]

Thanks for the help I probably would have ruined it or got sick trying to smoke it at a lower temp like I do fish.

[BLACKJACK]

You guys are making me hungry!!!

Last week they had turkey breasts on sale, I bought three of them, I plan on trying the brining thing on one of them. I've done the turkey breasts on the grill and they turn out good, we'll see how adding the brine to the equation works. Have to be careful not to get it too salty though, my wife won't like that.

It must be a lot hotter in my Weber grill, I usually plan for about 2-3 hours, not the 6 hours you guys talk about!!! And I'm cooking off to the side, I start the charcoals on one side and move the turkey/turkey breast/whole chicken by the edge of the heat, or farther away from the heat if necesary.

[Scott K]

I make my own brine. I start with a half frozen 12-14 lb bird, I take a clean 5 gallon pale, I put in 3 cups of kosher salt, 3 cups brown sugar, 8 oz of pure honey, I fill the bucket 1/2 full of water stir good put some ice in it, add bird, install the cover, put in cool basement area. Soak it in the brine for 12 hours, inject the bird with the brine, add ice if needed, continue to soak for 12 more hours, reinject brine into breasts, total of 24 hours. Pat them dry, rub oil or butter on the outside of them, I smoke them in applewood for 6-8, until done. They turn out great! Easy brine to make, and cheap!