Chinese 5 spice rubbed turkey

[squirtthecat]

Ok, Smokeville and HR have inspired me to try this rub on turkey...     So I'll start a new placeholder thread, as to not hijack theirs.

I picked up some 5 Spice today at Meijer.  This particular one contains:

"Cinnamon, star anise, fennel, ginger, cloves, white pepper and licorice root"

I tasted a bit of it...   The Cinnamon/fennel/cloves screams Thanksgiving.   It's like Thanksving side dish smells/tastes, all ground up into a fine powder.  The ginger/white pepper give it a subtle punch. 

Licorice root?  I don't know what it adds, perhaps the marshmallow topping on the sweet potatoes..
Star anise...   I've never tasted it alone, so I don't know what it is bringing to the party.  There is definitely something lurking there, though.


I've got two 3 pound turkey roasts.  One Butterball, one Honeysuckle White.  It'll be a turkey throwdown, of sorts, as one (B) cost exactly twice as much as the other (HW) - for no apparent reason.

They are netted, so I'm going to take a page from the sausage/salami/snack stick/canadian bacon smoking guys, and hang them vertical by the netting.  I'm hoping it helps the turkey breast keep it's current cylindrical shape, so it looks all nice and pretty when sliced.  My others came out like an old, deflated football.     Tasty, but oblong.

They are thawing in the sink now.  Then into the fridge for the night.   I'm thinking an Apple/Pecan smoke mix.  (more holiday smells)

So, it is Bisquettes at dawn..   (or... 9:30 or so, when I finish stumbling around w/ my Saturay AM coffee)

Stay tuned.

[Hopefull Romantic]

Holding my breath.

HR

[squirtthecat]

Holding my breath.

HR

Well, it will be a while...   Go ahead and breath, and get some sleep.   :D

I smoke tomorrow AM-into-afternoon, FTC, then maybe snitch a little sample.   We're going out to dinner with friends, so the Chinese Turkey Experiment will have to wait. Then it is vacpak until Monday night, when I get to borrow a big electric slicer from a coworker.

Then, we render final judgment..


The 5 Spice rub will be competing with John Henry Pecan rub from somewhere in East Texas. (the Mrs picked me up a bottle in Houston this summer)   It's been my 'go to' rub for a while, as it is pretty good, and in a convenient shaker bottle.

[KyNola]

Hey Squirt,
If that friend you're going out with happens to be from my neck of the woods, you will have a great time.  BTW by now you know the boy can make some red beans and rice but I say to you and Bubba that my wife has totally trumped his recipe.

Interested to hear from you about hanging those turkey breasts vertical in the netting.

KyNola

[classicrockgriller]

Wait, that's chinese 7 spice.....j/k
Did you mix anything with the 5 spice?

[squirtthecat]

BTW by now you know the boy can make some red beans and rice but I say to you and Bubba that my wife has totally trumped his recipe.

Oh yes, he always brings that (or his cajun bbq shrimp) to our 4th of July party every year.

:D  :D    We're going to dinner with a different bunch from my wife's school, but I'll be sure to email him that now..

I smell a 'throwdown' brewing.    We really need to get him signed up for this forum.

Interested to hear from you about hanging those turkey breasts vertical in the netting.

I'll be sure to get some pictures.   They turkeys are warming up in the kitchen now.   

I was fashioning some 's-hooks' last night from a old dog tie-out chain we had some baskets hanging from..
Crude, but effective.

[squirtthecat]

Wait, that's chinese 7 spice.....j/k

;D

Yes, this is the rub recipe from Smokeville's post:

Dry Rub Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Chinese Five Spice
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons course kosher salt
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

[squirtthecat]

And, without further ado..

The contenders:




Rubbed and hooked:




Cue the Mason Proffit:



Full frontal:




Now, we'll see how well those bags hold.  They are pretty flimsy, so I reinforced the bottoms w/ some butchers twine. (and put another rack down there to keep them out of the drip dry if there is an 'oops')

I've got my Ranco set at 220, and we have a 2-1 mix of Pecan to Apple smoke.  Roughly 2 hours.

[squirtthecat]

2 hour update...  Getting some nice color.   I might move the hooks a little farther down in the netting to keep the ends from getting scorched.

[classicrockgriller]

Squirt, that is awesome looking. Looks like the net is holding up so far. Probably after it drys up some (turkey breast) it will probably hold it's shape if it has to be removed from netting or just tie up with butcher twine.

[squirtthecat]

It's getting pretty brittle...   Moving the hooks was not very easy - as it didn't want to let go.

Next time, I'll cut them out of the cheap nets and put them in some heaving ham bags.  That way I can get some oil+rub under the skin of the turkey, right now it is just resting on top.

But, so far so good!   Like HR said about his chicken, the Chinese 5-7-whatever spice aroma is amazing..

[Hopefull Romantic]

Now that I am breathing again I look forward to see the end results and the slices on Monday.

HR

[squirtthecat]

They are at 141* now...  Won't be long until I pull them for some FTC time.

[classicrockgriller]

I like 5 spice, have used it on certain things for a while just never thought of incorporating into smoking.
Mine is called Chinese 5 star spice. (McCormicks gourmet blends): in order of apperances, Anise, Cinnamon,
Star anise, Cloves,and Ginger. Like Smokeville said,"must be a thousand 5 spice blends"

[squirtthecat]

This brand (Dynasty) is bottled in San Francisco.   Chinatown, I would assume.

I don't think I've ever used it before..   Looking forward to a taste test later this afternoon!