So the 9lb turkey is all defrosted and will be ready to smoke tomorrow.
I've just made 1/2 of the brine....
1 gallon water
2 cups kosher salt
1.5 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1 bunch sage
1 bunch rosemary
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch savory
I've never used these quantities of fresh herbs before....
Later today I'll add another gallon of water and put in the turkey(s). A friend is supposed to be bringing his over, as he says he keeps drooling down his T-shirt every time he reads my facebook posts, so I thought I'd help him out.
Here's the experimental part: when the brine time is over I plan to salvage the herbs and put them inside the turkey cavity during the smoke.
Any thoughts or ideas before this blows up in my face? (I have another turkey in reserve just in case!).
Regards, Rich
(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu28/rrchambers/IMGP2331.jpg)
I am not the expert here but I dont think you will have any problem. I would wash the herbs first before stuffing them into the turkey.
HR
If it was me, I would not re-use the herbs.
1. They were in the brine with the raw poultry. The salt should protect it but.....
2. The IT in the cavity (especially when smoking) may not get hot enough (in the herbs) to kill what the salt doesn't
Agreed, toss the herbs and either use fresh or try something like onion slices, orange slices, lemon slices & crushed garlic. I have done this before and the mild citrus taste is really good.
Quote from: FLBentRider on October 08, 2009, 08:12:08 AM
If it was me, I would not re-use the herbs.
1. They were in the brine with the raw poultry. The salt should protect it but.....
2. The IT in the cavity (especially when smoking) may not get hot enough (in the herbs) to kill what the salt doesn't
That's a good point. I think I'll just throw in fresh herbs instead of re-using. I think the IT would be ok --- I don't truss the turkey and so the cavity would be open mouthed, but as they say in food safety class "when in doubt, throw it out..."
Good call Smokeville. Tossing the used herbs would be my suggestion as well.
KyNola
Yeah, I'd toss the herbs too. Aside from food safety, the herbs would probably bring a lot of salt to the party, even after rinsing. And, salt in the cavity would tend to draw moisture out of the bird.
The bird is brined and ready to hit the smoke..... note the poor little guy is wingless but he never used them anyway!
(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu28/rrchambers/IMGP2332.jpg)
(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu28/rrchambers/IMGP2333.jpg)
They're easier to truss up without the wings. I've trussed up a chicken for our indoor rotisserie and the bird looked like it was trying to fly off - wings flappin' all over.
That looks food Smokeville. Be sure to post pics on how it came out, BEFORE every has eaten it.
Quote from: ArnieM on October 09, 2009, 02:05:30 PM
They're easier to truss up without the wings. I've trussed up a chicken for our indoor rotisserie and the bird looked like it was trying to fly off - wings flappin' all over.
That looks food Smokeville. Be sure to post pics on how it came out, BEFORE every has eaten it.
That's going to be difficult!
As a teaser, I also brined the turkey backs I had bought for making gravy. I didn't smoke them, I baked them and they just came out of the oven... and the little bit of meat on each is AMAZING. Now they go into a pot to make a stock. Tomorrow I'll add the carcass from the smoked turkey and we'll be in business!
So later tonight will be the test of will power.
Quote from: Smokeville on October 09, 2009, 03:21:42 PM
Quote from: ArnieM on October 09, 2009, 02:05:30 PM
They're easier to truss up without the wings. I've trussed up a chicken for our indoor rotisserie and the bird looked like it was trying to fly off - wings flappin' all over.
That looks food Smokeville. Be sure to post pics on how it came out, BEFORE every has eaten it.
That's going to be difficult!
As a teaser, I also brined the turkey backs I had bought for making gravy. I didn't smoke them, I baked them and they just came out of the oven... and the little bit of meat on each is AMAZING. Now they go into a pot to make a stock. Tomorrow I'll add the carcass from the smoked turkey and we'll be in business!
So later tonight will be the test of will power.
Ok, so my wife and I picked at the turkey backs.... the taste of the brine came right through, especially the subtle sweetness and taste of the maple syrup... Hey, I should be a food writer...
Anyway, if the smoked turkey itself is 1/2 as good I will be very happy.
My wife said "I won't need any meat with dinner...."
Quote from: Smokeville on October 09, 2009, 03:56:35 PM
Hey, I should be a food writer...
Naw. All they do is WRITE about it. They don't know how to COOK it. That's where we have the advantage. But, your description was nice. :D
Photos will follow, but smell-o-vision and taste-o-vision haven't been invented. As Alton Brown would say, "we're working on it..."
Best turkey yet. My wife says "best turkey ever."
Which, of course, is relative (very small joke) to what you have had before....
Rich
Who is Alton Brown. Just kidding, I love when he says bam.
Here we go....
Ready to carve
(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu28/rrchambers/IMGP2334.jpg)
(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu28/rrchambers/IMGP2335.jpg)
Ready to eat!
(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu28/rrchambers/IMGP2336.jpg)
(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu28/rrchambers/IMGP2337.jpg)
The experiment with the brine (without herbs added to the cavity during the smoke) was a success!
Regards, Rich
Rich that turkey looks scrumptious. Beautiful color enjoy.
HR
Bravo, Rich!
Looks amazing, nice and moist. mmmmm :)
What were your final smoking/cooking times?
OMG that looks awesome, darn you Smokeville know I'm drooling on myself.
That looks really good Smokeville. What did the turkey weigh before brining? I'm trying to figure out how large a turkey I can fit in the OBS.
I brined my turkey breast (about 9 pounds) last weekend with a mix similar to yours but with powdered/ground spices and no maple syrup. It came out really well.
Well Done Smokeville Well Done!!
Quote from: squirtthecat on October 10, 2009, 07:53:51 AM
What were your final smoking/cooking times?
Almost exactly 4 hours with apple/maple smoke the whole time.... without the giblets and wing it weighed about 9lbs before brine. I used an instant read thermometer as my remote one died 20 minutes into the smoke. It read 165F on the thigh and 150F on the breast.
Then I let it rest while covered in foil for a few hours before carving. The breast was perfectly done and there was no "red" around the bones of the thigh.
Juice everywhere!
Quote from: ArnieM on October 10, 2009, 08:46:36 AM
That looks really good Smokeville. What did the turkey weigh before brining? I'm trying to figure out how large a turkey I can fit in the OBS.
I brined my turkey breast (about 9 pounds) last weekend with a mix similar to yours but with powdered/ground spices and no maple syrup. It came out really well.
I've read that it's best to smoke turkeys under 10lb. Previously I did two of them at the same time. I think you could fit a 12-14lb bird on a rack, maybe?
I really liked the overdose of fresh herbs. The 4 bunches cost about $5 in total which is 1/2 the cost of the turkey ($9.29!). And the cup of maple syrup isn't cheap either...
Quote from: Smokeville on October 10, 2009, 10:27:35 AM
I really liked the overdose of fresh herbs. The 4 bunches cost about $5 in total which is 1/2 the cost of the turkey ($9.29!). And the cup of maple syrup isn't cheap either...
So, between the herbs, salt and brown sugar, maple syrup and 12 bisquettes, you had a pretty expensive turkey ;) But, it looked like it turned out really nice. You just can't go out and buy one like that. ;D
Great job!! I have yet to cook a whole turkey, hope it turns out that good. Thanksgiving is coming, but the wife and are skipping to Mexico this year :)
Our cafeteria lady has access to food service/restaurant products, so I scored a couple cases of these guys:
http://www.perduefoodservice.com/Products/product_details.asp?productId=35002
I can make a TON of turkey sammy's from a 10 pound hunk o' turkey!
I thought about trying your brine on one, but they are already pumped with salt/sugar/stuff..
Mak Daddy - whereabouts in Mexico are you going? We were down in Mazatlan last Easter.
Quote from: squirtthecat on October 11, 2009, 05:04:33 AM
Our cafeteria lady has access to food service/restaurant products, so I scored a couple cases of these guys:
http://www.perduefoodservice.com/Products/product_details.asp?productId=35002
I can make a TON of turkey sammy's from a 10 pound hunk o' turkey!
I thought about trying your brine on one, but they are already pumped with salt/sugar/stuff..
Mak Daddy - whereabouts in Mexico are you going? We were down in Mazatlan last Easter.
Squirt that 10lb turkey breast is actually only a 7lb breast injected with 32% water/broth salt and sugar. I see a lot of shrinkage when you take that out of the bag and smoke it. If you got a good deal on it who cares. If you would weigh it before and after the smoke just for 0z and giggles.
MMM I haven't seen one of those since I was a teenager. My dad got a good deal on some and we were snackin' large while they lasted. They don't seem to have those up here or I am looking in the wrong places.
I substitute low salt vegetable broth for the water & don't use maple syrup (kids don't like it). I quite often roast after brining & the gravy has exceptional flavor.
Quote from: Tenpoint5 on October 11, 2009, 08:11:30 AM
Squirt that 10lb turkey breast is actually only a 7lb breast injected with 32% water/broth salt and sugar. I see a lot of shrinkage when you take that out of the bag and smoke it. If you got a good deal on it who cares. If you would weigh it before and after the smoke just for 0z and giggles.
Thanks! I will. I used to get them all the time and cook on the grill (top rack) for the 4th of July, but then I couldn't find them anywhere..
The little 3 lb butterballs are nice, but small. I can't find a whole boneless breast anywhere.
Quote from: ArnieM on October 10, 2009, 01:40:10 PM
Quote from: Smokeville on October 10, 2009, 10:27:35 AM
I really liked the overdose of fresh herbs. The 4 bunches cost about $5 in total which is 1/2 the cost of the turkey ($9.29!). And the cup of maple syrup isn't cheap either...
So, between the herbs, salt and brown sugar, maple syrup and 12 bisquettes, you had a pretty expensive turkey ;) But, it looked like it turned out really nice. You just can't go out and buy one like that. ;D
Hi ArnieM;
Yeah, not cheap, except for the turkey. It was .97c/lb which here in Canada is a really good price. It was a utility bird. A typical grade-A bird here can cost $1.99/lb or even more.
As American thanksgiving approaches the food chains in New York State will have turkeys for .39c/lb if you have a loyalty card. So we usually take a day trip and buy a few.
We learned last year there are Canada customs restrictions on how many turkeys you can bring back, We had bought 4 hotel style birds which were breast and wing only. Each was about 13lb so we get a lot of white meat. When we said to the customs guy we had 4 turkeys he said "you know you can only bring one turkey each...." So I said "but these are just half birds!" and he rolled his eyes and let us pass.
The production of turkey in Canada is controlled by a marketing board in each province which sets quota for eggs, chicks and final product. Although it is meant to protect quality, internally it works more like a commodities market where producers buy and sell their quota. So prices stay high.
Mak Daddy - whereabouts in Mexico are you going? We were down in Mazatlan last Easter.
We are taking a cruise to Acapulco, Ixtapa and one other stop. We took the Mazatlan/Cabo cruise last year, had a great time w/ the kids. This year it's just me and the wife ;D
That's interesting Smokeville. What a difference a few miles can make. :-\
Down here, a "hotel style" is usually a breast only. No wings or innards. My last breast was .99/lb but came with wings and whatever they could stuff in the cavity. We usually get a couple when we can get hotel style for .99. I'm not sure where "hotel style" came from.
What's a 'utility' bird? Do they pull little carts or something? ;D ;D ??? ???
Quote from: ArnieM on October 12, 2009, 09:46:35 AM
Down here, a "hotel style" is usually a breast only. No wings or innards. My last breast was .99/lb but came with wings and whatever they could stuff in the cavity. We usually get a couple when we can get hotel style for .99. I'm not sure where "hotel style" came from.
What's a 'utility' bird? Do they pull little carts or something? ;D ;D ??? ???
The wings are a big help because they give some stability so that the bird can sit upright on them. So what you get is a bird missing it's bottom half -- everything from the legs and thighs down and forward.
And, a utility bird is missing a body part - usually a wing -- or has broken or blemished skin. Or, I guess, is lopsided somehow. Probably one step up from road-kill but, hey, if the price is right...... :D
Quote from: Smokeville on October 12, 2009, 12:49:43 PM
And, a utility bird is missing a body part - usually a wing -- or has broken or blemished skin. Or, I guess, is lopsided somehow. Probably one step up from road-kill but, hey, if the price is right...... :D
Thanks for the explanation SV. Then, I think I've had a 'utility bird' before. The poor thing looked like it was beat to death with a stick. Then stabbed. Then shot. It must have been a frisky little critter. ;D
Hi Smokeville Are you cooking this brine? or just dunk the turkey straight in? Also what temp are you smoking and how long? Thanks
Quote from: Ilovefishing1966 on October 13, 2009, 06:27:59 AM
Hi Smokeville Are you cooking this brine? or just dunk the turkey straight in? Also what temp are you smoking and how long? Thanks
Hi Ilovefishing1966, and welcome to the board.
With the brine, I put in 2 quarts of cold water, then all the salt, sugar, maple syrup and herbs. Then I brought it to a near boil while stirring so that the sugar and salt would dissolve and the herbs would soften and release their flavour. After a few minutes of that, I added 6 more quarts of cold water to make up 2 gallons of brine.
Once the brine is cool enough, the turkey goes in breast down and I refrigerate overnight. As Alton Brown said, "not too hot because you don't want to poach the bird."
For the smoke, 4 hours at 200-225F as the turkey was about 9lbs.
Hi Ilovefishing1966 and welcome. Adding to Smokeville's post ...
The brine should be cool or cold before you stuff in the bird. I usually cool the brine and then add a combo of water and ice. I use pickling/canning salt because it's very fine and will dissolve readily in cold water. Make sure the bird is totally submersed. You might want to invert a plate on top of the bird and add a brick on top to "keep it down there". Somehow, us smokin' people tend to use a lot of bricks. :)
Thats a good looking turkey SV
I really like the color both inside and out
Thank you so much for all your help SV and Arnie Will be putting the bird in the brine very soon Is there any special chips to use or is alder ok Thanks again
I think alder would be OK. I typically use apple, pecan or alder on poultry because they're a lighter and/or sweeter taste.
Of course the Texans would probably suggest mesquite ;) , which is pretty strong. I like to taste the meat with a flavor of smoke, not the other way around.
Take pictures and post them back here. We'll be looking forward to the results.