Ceramic//// Turkey?

[CLAREGO]

hello all just reading up on all the posts. ive been smoking with a big chief smoker over the last couple years...(just got the bradley smoker for xmas)looking to smoke my first turkey with a brine.  i was looking at one post and the mentioned to put a ceramic dish on the first rack has anyone tried this does it keep hot ? and when grease gets on it does it burn.
[?]

[nsxbill]

What post?  Remember, your chamber is not getting that hot.  Any grease easy to clean off if you don't let it build up.

Bill

[Habanero Smoker]

I think you are referring to a post that referred to using a ceramic or pyrex dish to collect juices to make gravy out of. I tried this but was unsuccessful. Due to the long cooking time all the juices evaporated, and what was left was'nt worth trying to make gravy out of. If that is the case you may want to check out this post http://www.bradleysmoker.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=898

[CLAREGO]

original post by usff

 Hi Everyone,


Last weekend I made a turkey for a neighbor. Since there seems to be alot of interest in how it's done, I decided to post this recipe. It worked really well:

Brine a 10-13 lb. "raw" Turkey in basic salt solution for 24hrs. (Don't use a self basting turkey)

Take it out... wash it down... then pat dry. Make sure you get the salt off.

Baste the turkey with good Extra V olive oil... toss some pepper or your favorite spice on the outside and place on a rack. (10-13 lb. turkey will take up the entire rack so test the rack size prior to getting everything ready.)

Meat temps will affect the Bradley so try to get the turkey as close to room temp as possible. My turkey went in at 54F (Breast temp.) . Preheat your Bradley to 200F. and use hickory for the smoke. I stuck in 8 chips for the project.

Fill the water bowl 3/4 of the way with your favorite red cooking wine. Toss in a tablespoon each of sage, thyme, rosemary (Optional) and give it a stir.

Now here's where it gets a bit customized. My Bradley doesn't like to get too hot so 220F is about it on high. The day I cooked it, it was a windy 23F outside. So, on the bottom rack I placed a large rectangular ceramic dish and the turkey directly above it on the next rack.

I did this for 2 reasons, the ceramic will keep the heat very stable even after opening the door and turkeys' have a ton of juice which could flood the bottom of the smoker. (BTW) a rack of ceramic grill rocks can also be used to help heat recovery with non juicy meats).

The turkey went in at 11 am and remained at 195-200F till 5:00 pm at which point the thigh read 165F. We brought the turkey inside and poured the retained juices into the pan and continued to cook it for another 35 minutes at 350 in the oven. Final temp was 175 in the thigh and juices were clear. Cut filets of breast about 1/4 inch thick and serve hot.

What this recipe produces is a tender, scentful, very juicy filet of turkey that has a hint of sweetness and a very agreeable smoke flavour. It was so good that the carcass looked like a flock of buzzards had picked it clean... Everyone liked it.

Observations:

1. My smoker chips burn far longer than what they are supposed to. 7 of the 8 chips burned for 6 hours and the last one is still on the burner uncharred. This typical for me, even in the summer.

2. The ceramic dish was nearly dry for the first 3.5 hours. In total I had maybe a cup of juice in it. Most of the juice was pooled inside the turkey. Remember this when you pull it out as it will be hot and really full.

3. The air vent in the top was kept closed and only opened occassionaly to allow some moisture out. Once every 2 hours for 10 minutes should do it.

Gravy? Unfortunately my neighbor isn't too swift when it comes to sauces and he didn't make it. The meat was so moist you can get away without making it. I suspect if he had, that it would have had a nice wine/smoke spice flavour (Basically the flavour of the water bowl ingrediants plus the turkey juice). If anyone makes this recipe, let me know what the gravy tastes like.

I may post some of my other recipes in the future since alot of the Bradley recipes seem very "Canadian-ish" and I'm a Irish, German, Italian New Yorker with a mason-dixon childhood.

Good luck and enjoy.


now my question is has anyone tried this before and not will it work or will it damaged my bs also will the ceramic flame up ?

[JJC]

Hi Clarence,

Welcome to the Forum!  Your recipe was very similar to mine in general terms.  Instead of the wine/spice combo that you put in the ceramic bowl, I use a dilute apple juice/onion combo in a pan (I like the ceramic bowl idea because it will help in the heat retention).  The gravy is delicious, and the skin was pretty good even without finishing in the oven.  If both a very crisp skin and delicious gravy are important, I think spending the last hour in the oven would take care of the crispy skin part.

John
Newton MA

[MallardWacker]

CLAREGO


Very nice detailed post AND welcome to the forum....

Sounds like ther bird came out great.  Keep us informed with your expeiances.

One thing I would sugest is that you might think of keeping your vent open by about 1/4.  I'm just talking form my expeiance but I would think the moisture build up in the BS might become a problem.  The temp control is in a not~so~good place and excess moisture has a tendancy to maybe migrate there.  I know when I do chicken, the amount moisture compaire to other type meat is fairly high and it does produce a lot of moisture vapor when cooking.  Just my thoughts and again, WELCOME.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know.  But...

[CLAREGO]

i cant take credit for this one i didnt right this usff did

i was just wondering if this actually works ???????

[MallardWacker]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by CLAREGO</i>
<br />i cant take credit for this one i didnt right this usff did
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Sorry didn't read the fine print....

Anyway my concern is still the vent.  To me I don't think you want to ever close it all the way, specially with birds.  I know he says he opens it up every once in a while but the moisture needs to be vented.  Also in my dumb opinion that flavoring the water is not going to make a differance.  If you can tell go for it.  The bowl is really for extinguishing the pucks and catching grease.  This is not a condom cooker.  I really think anything you put in the bowl will be over written with the smoke or other seasoning you may of added to the bird itself.  To me concentrate on the brine(if you are going to use one), the smoke and cooking temps.  This would be more profitable.  You could probably have better result by adding something to the pucks, like Jack Dan or it has been discussed using whole all spice.  Like I said just a dumb idea on a rainy friday.  Man, DUCK HUNTING is in the works for the morning!!!!


SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know.  But...

[CLAREGO]

so i must keep the vent open thanks mallardwacker and that does make sense about the water bowl that doest concern me as much. that ceramic idea sounds good though ill have to try it! i purchase a brine from high mountain anybody ever try it ?