TALKIN' TURKEY!! (The official/unofficial turkey thread)

I've got my bird brine n for Thursday used PatioDaddio'$ "The Ultimate Thanksgiving Turkey Brine" it's a must try cause it will change your chity turkey into a really farkin good turkey, that's all. Using B&B oak lump with 1 split of pecan for fuel birds tend to take on smoke.

15# der
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The rest
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Cooked one Sunday in The Big Easy. You seriously can't get any easier. Pulled the fresh 14 lbs bird from the fridge. Opened the bag, pulled the neck and giblets, rinsed it, rubbed it, 2:45 later it was perfect.

Only problem was my rub. It was a 'chicken barbecue rub' my parents had given me. (I was out of Yardbird). It had a good aroma and flavor but it burned in the Big Easy. I even made sure it didn't have sugar, because TBE is a high heat cooker.

I'm gonna hit Bass Pro this afternoon to get some Yardbird, and tomorrows should be quick and easy.

Also, I always cut the bird for tenderness instead of appearance (remove the breast, then cut across the grain), and my wife always gives me grief about it.... oh well, she never complains about the taste, at least. :doh:
 
Good luck everyone. We only have three for Thanksgiving unlike usual so we're going out to dinner tomorrow. Saturday I will smoke a 14 # and do a mini-Thanksgiving.


Going to try a crazy brine with peppercorns, ginger, and oranges and some wacky glaze/gravy. Figured that since we have formal Thanksgiving covered, I can mess around and try some new stuff.
 
Has anyone ever wrapped their turkey in bacon? Last year I used a cheese cloth soaked in butter to drape over the turkey so the skin wouldn't get too dark, but I found the cheese cloth would start to actually burn up. Was thinking bacon would do the trick.

It's only a 14 lb bird, so my thought was either smoke the turkey at a low temp (250 or so) and leave the bacon weave on the whole time. OR, smoke with bacon on until the bacon gets crispy, and then remove and give the skin time to get more brown.

Any warnings/advice? Thanks
 
thoraudio said:
Also, I always cut the bird for tenderness instead of appearance (remove the breast, then cut across the grain), and my wife always gives me grief about it.... oh well, she never complains about the taste, at least. :doh:
Click to expand...

I'm with you on this one.
 
When do you rub the bird? If I am going to let it rest in the fridge overnight after taking it out of brine, should I apply the rub just before putting on the pit, or before going in the fridge tonight? I don't remember.
 
Scottie's Creole Butter

Haven't seen it posted lately.

Scottie's Creole Butter
- ½ can of beer
- ½ lb. Butter
- 1 tsp. Bonesmokers Big Time BBQ Rub (any mild BBQ rub will do)
- 2 tsp. Paprika
- 1 ½ tsp. White Pepper
- 1 ½ tsp. Sea Salt
- 1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 ½ tsp. Onion Powder
- 1 tsp. Coleman's Mustard
- 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
- ½ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
- ½ tsp. Tabasco
Warm mixture on stove until ingredients are fully dissolved. Let mixture cool a bit (but not too cold) and then inject. Or rub on or under the skin.
 
I will be doing my first turkey on my Green Mountain Grill. Smoking it on saturday and it weighs 18 lbs. Thinking a slow cook, any ideas or hints would be great
 
Ekim Neems said:
Has anyone ever wrapped their turkey in bacon? Last year I used a cheese cloth soaked in butter to drape over the turkey so the skin wouldn't get too dark, but I found the cheese cloth would start to actually burn up. Was thinking bacon would do the trick.

It's only a 14 lb bird, so my thought was either smoke the turkey at a low temp (250 or so) and leave the bacon weave on the whole time. OR, smoke with bacon on until the bacon gets crispy, and then remove and give the skin time to get more brown.

Any warnings/advice? Thanks
Click to expand...

I would use foil.. the skin will never crisp up with the bacon and will be inedible, unless you like rubbery skin
 
Hi Everyone!

First post to the site!

I've been brining and than injecting mine for years with stellar results. I was at first worried about salt overload or flavor from injection not coming through but haven't ran into this. Have my bird brining right now and doing the cajun injector tonight after I get home from work.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Jim
 
Skin

Any poultry I do the skin sucks, just plain sucks. I've tried just about everything and get nothing but tough old rubbery skin. Any thoughts as to how I can break this trend? Unrelated - I always just smoke open on the grill, should I try bird in a pan, I see a lot of pics that way. Thanks!
 
carpboy said:
Any poultry I do the skin sucks, just plain sucks. I've tried just about everything and get nothing but tough old rubbery skin. Any thoughts as to how I can break this trend? Unrelated - I always just smoke open on the grill, should I try bird in a pan, I see a lot of pics that way. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Hot and fast is the key to non-rubbery skin. Also be careful when resting it after it is done before serving. Cover loosely with foil and I wouldn't let it sit longer than 20-30 minutes. If you really want to get crazy I suppose you could do a quick reverse sear of the bird when you get within a few degrees of your desired temps. You'd almost have to hold it in place on each side while over the coals I would think due to it's shape, unless you have it butterflied or spatchcocked. I don't think a pan is going to do much for crispy skin. Good luck.
 
jbenien said:
I will be doing my first turkey on my Green Mountain Grill. Smoking it on saturday and it weighs 18 lbs. Thinking a slow cook, any ideas or hints would be great
Click to expand...

I would follow the recipe and method in the first post in this thread. It's damn thorough and it will be hard to screw up your bird if you follow it closely.
 
Baboontyme said:
Hot and fast is the key to non-rubbery skin. ....
Click to expand...

Any thoughts to the opposite - that soft buttery chicken skin? I ran into a shack in S Georgia a couple years ago and spent an hour talking with the owner. He said his secret to the chicken skin was very low temp, all night long, something like 180. He would put the birds in the night before and when he came back in the next day they were perfect. I wonder if that would translate to a turkey?
 
Time restraints!!! Anyone ever use Tony Chachere's Creole butter marinade?

Or constraints? Whichever is the correct word to use.
 
Last edited:
Baboontyme said:
When do you rub the bird? If I am going to let it rest in the fridge overnight after taking it out of brine, should I apply the rub just before putting on the pit, or before going in the fridge tonight? I don't remember.
Click to expand...

buuuuuuuuuuump. Curious about the same thing.
 
TravelingJ said:
buuuuuuuuuuump. Curious about the same thing.
Click to expand...

TJ, I've done some more research. I knew that I knew this answer, I just have killed too many brain cells since I smoked my last bird. :doh:

Rub it when you pull it out of the fridge in the morning, about 30 min - 1 hr before you put it on the heat.

God speed my friend.
 
carpboy said:
Any thoughts to the opposite - that soft buttery chicken skin? I ran into a shack in S Georgia a couple years ago and spent an hour talking with the owner. He said his secret to the chicken skin was very low temp, all night long, something like 180. He would put the birds in the night before and when he came back in the next day they were perfect. I wonder if that would translate to a turkey?
Click to expand...

No clue from me, dude. Never tried that. Doesn't smoking chicken at 180 seem like it might be dangerous? Don't know. Give it a run. Just feed it to some friends you don't really like and see if they get sick before you try any.
 
Brined my 13# Butterball in the Williams Sanoma brine for 24 hours, rinsed it off and it is now nestled in the fridge. I'm gonna stuff with apples, rosemary and thyme. I'm off to the Depot for some apple wood! Good thread folks!
 
Here's my two birds. Dry brined, one with Trader Joe's 21 Spice Salute and salt, the other with Bragg's Organic Sprinkle and salt.

The one with Bragg's got cut into pieces for a braised turkey recipe, the other was left whole for smoking.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1353613892.750240.jpg

Pulled them out of the bags after 30-ish hours, and into the fridge overnight to dry the skin.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1353613940.082472.jpg

The whole bird 2 hours in, WSM purring along at 280-290. Burning briquettes with pecan chunks.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1353614097.033029.jpg

No pics of the braised bird yet, just put it on the gasser for a 2 hour sauna.
 
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