Cman & CO, I was planning on smokin a bird for sunday's football festivities..... Do you guys prefer to "brine" your turkeys? I always did a dry rub the day before, but am open to suggestions. when I smoke fish (blues & Macks), I always brine them the night before, then rinse and dry before going to the smoke. 12 lb bird...... If I put it on @ 10am, it should be ready by halftime of the 1st game...... maybe roast some oysters on the other grill in the meantime. Secrets? :beer:
Brine my good man! Brine and be worry free! Make sure that you give it 24hrs in the brine. I would stuff that bird with some chopped onion and garlic with a light coat of olive or vegetable oil on the outside skin just to make sure it gets crispy. You could hit it lightly with some season salt or dust it with sage as well. Notice I always say "lightly" as you want your Turkey to speak for itself and not be simply the end product of the seasonings. If you have an injector, mix up some of your dry rub in water and inject just below the skin on both the breast plates and thighs. What kind of wood are you planning to use? Apple? Hickory? Cherry gives the bird a nice, red tint. As always, keep a sharp eye on the internal temps of both the bird and the smoker. Check the Turkey's IT with a probe into the thigh meat as well as the breast. Keep me posted and bon appetite! BTW, thanks for the inspiration. I think I'm gonna do several chuck roasts on the smoker. Seems like my guests like shaved smoked chuck roast better than Brisket and they're a helluva lot cheaper too!
haha..... I've always done everything you've said, aside from the brining. either of those 2 woods, depending on what they have @ the store..... (usually use apple, but orange is the best for fish ) Do you make a strong brine with salt, brown sugar and all the seasonings in the cabinet ?(like I do :wink: ) but more importantly, do you rinse off the bird after the brine and pat dry? not sure I have a container big enough to hold the bird in the fridge I may do some ribs while I'm at it....... depending how many of my sissy friends can get a pass from the wife & kids :grin: just took the bird out of the freezer......
Howzit Stinky, this is my bird from this past Thanksgiving. 1) I started off by brining the 13 lb. bird using the "Patio Daddio" recipe. It's my first time using this particular brine and I thought it was great! The Chinese 5 spice really gives it a great aroma. Placed in a brine bag and in the cooler for 22 hours. After rinsing and pat drying, left it uncovered in the refer over night. In the meantime, mixed some garden fresh rosemary, sage, thyme, and parsley to make a compound butter. Cut up some lemon, Fuji Apples, onion, herbs and garlic to stuff inside the cavity. Carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and some other stuff to make gravy. Buttered and stuffed I don't really have a shot of my setup. But I used bricks on both sides of my 22.5" Weber Kettle with the pan of veggies to catch the drippings. Started with 25 lit coals per side, and Pecan wood for smoke. I don't have a grate thermometer, but I did add about 8 coals per side about every hour.
CONT.. Started her breast down for the first 45 Than turn After a little over 3 hours, all done! Hope this helps!
By far my best bird yet...... like primo BBQ joint stuff..... definitely brining from now on. Got creative with the brine seasonings too....and stuffed the cavity with herds, oranges and apples 6 hrs around 250º +/- with oak, apple, and a some tangerine woods..... friends tore it up like the Bumpous Hounds. Good games too...... too many beers and a LONG work week this week :drunk::beer:
So you smoke it right on a regular Weber kettle?!? Holy crap, I gotta try that. How do you get the coals in every hour--you have to lift the grate bird and all out? _
Here's my turkey brining for Thanksgiving. Kosher salt, brown sugar, apple juice, water and ice, and to this I add fresh thyme, fresh sage, cut up onions, smashed garlic, bay leaves, whole peppercorns (which are all in a pot simmering and once it cools down I dump into the brine) and I throw this bad boy out on the back patio with 4 massive pavers on top to deter animals from devouring it). _
Glad your bird came out good Stink. Remember you can brine for oven cooking as well as smoking. You can also brine chicken for the roaster too. Nice choice of woods BTW! :up:
sounds like mine. I also ad paprika Thanks. I had some apple chips. The Oak and tangerine are from trees in the yard
Lol I was going to say that! I have a great turkey pot pie recipe I make with pancetta. Outstanding. _
