Chinese 5 spice rubbed turkey

[Hopefull Romantic]

The one I used is made by a UK based company called Green Cuisine and it has; Anis, Fennel, Cloves, Cinnamon and Pepper. But in fine print they mention that it also contains sesame seeds, Mustard and celeray seeds.

HR

[squirtthecat]

Thanks!  So your '5 spice' has 8 spices, mine has 7, others are just 5.  And nobody can agree what is supposed to be in it. 

I wonder difference, if any, there is between 'anise' and 'star anise'?

[ArnieM]

Anise:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anise

Star anise:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_anise

Japanese Star Anise - don't eat this stuff:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_star_anise

[Hopefull Romantic]

The only difference I could gather that Anise grows in the Mediterranean basin while Star Anise grows in china and N. E. India. So I am a bit familiar with Anise than the latter.

One of the many uses for Anise (it has quite a liquorish taste) is that it goes into making a very potent legal local drink that in this part of the world. In Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq it is called Arak (same word is used to mean sweat in Arabic although in Iraq the main ingredient is dates while every where else it is grapes). In Turkey they call it Raky and in Greece it is called Ouzo. The French have several variations of the same and they call them; Pastis, Perno and Ricard. No where else I know produces the same.

Boiling Anise flowers makes an excelant cough medicine and on a lighter scale, liquorish candy. As for Star Anise. It does not smell quite the same and I was only introduced to it in cooking.

Hope that would shed some light on the subject.

HR

[Smokeville]

WOW!

This sounds great. I just did smoked turkeys 2 weeks back and they were great but this sounds like they would be outstanding!

Regards, Rich

[OU812]

That is some good looking breasts squirt. I by the netting in a roll in three different size's and use it all the time, you would be surprised how much weight and ruff handling the netting can handle.

[squirtthecat]

Ok, we just sliced them up on my new Nesco slicer. (N must stand for Nothin' Special - but hey, it worked)

C5S Honeysuckle White:



John Henry's Butterball:



The turkey's themselves are a bit different, as you can see from the slices.  I left it on the same setting the entire
time.  The HW tended to fall apart across the grain, while the BB held it's shape.


And the taste?

The C5S had tons of flavor throughout, very rich and aromatic.  The JH was good, just simple.

Winner of the Pepsi Taste Test:   MrsC picked the JH for her sammich.

She liked the other as well, but I think it was a little to too 'busy' for a simple turkey on whole wheat sammy w/ a piece of cheese & mustard.

So...   I'll probably be eating the C5S, and she'll eat the JH.  The cats all had a bit of each.   What we won't finish this week is divied up, vacpacked (and marked this time ) and in the freezer.

[classicrockgriller]

Looks good, man that BB is juicy. Thanks for the pics.   CRG

[squirtthecat]

Looks good, man that BB is juicy. Thanks for the pics.   CRG

Yeah, I left the skin on both of them, so it got 'sliced' as well and schmeared all over everything..

[HawkeyeSmokes]

They both look pretty darned good!

[squirtthecat]

Yeah, I'm pretty happy with them!    The Pecan smoke added a real nice flavor.  Not OT at all.

Side note, I need to get a better light for my range hood.  That CF bulb makes everything look funky yellow.

[ArnieM]

They both look real good squirt. 

Try adjusting the white balance on your camera.

[squirtthecat]

They both look real good squirt. 

Try adjusting the white balance on your camera.

I'll see if I can find a way to do that.  It's an old old old Sony DSC-P93..
I turned the flash off and went with the (un)natural light over the oven.

[OU812]

Nicely done squirt, they boath look great.

If the C5S is a little to busy you can send it my way;D or mix it 50/50 with the JH and have C5SJH sammy.

My daughter came to me last night and asked me to smoke some turkey breast, I told her its going to have to wait, I'll be out of town this weekend, but if you dig around in the freezer you might find some. About 20 min later she came up with a big smile, found some.

[Caribou]

Squirt,
The turkey looks fantastic all sliced up
I see wonderful sandwiches in your future 
Carolyn