Turkey Breast For Lunchmeat - with pics

[OTB]

Thought I would share my makings from this last weekend.

BACKGROUND:  For the last few years, at Thanksgiving/Christmas time, when the stores put turkeys on sale for silly prices ($8/each any weight) I will pick up a 20+lb bird, defrost it, butcher it, and freeze the meat.  I end up with two boneless turkey breasts, 2 boneless thighs, 2 drumsticks, and about 2 gallons of turkey stock from the carcase and wings.

TO THE COOKING:  Well now that I have my new smoker, and my new 610 slicer, I thought I would defrost one of those turkey breasts and make some sandwich meat.

Here is what I did.....


Brine (based upon Maple Flavored Turkey Brine, by PAsmoker)

   * 6 cups water
   * 2 cups Ginger Ale
   * 3/4 cups kosher salt
   * 1/2 cup brown Sugar
   * 1/4 cup pure maple sugar
   * 2T ground black pepper
   * 1 1/2 Tbs. garlic powder
   * 1/2 Tbs. onion powder
   * 5 whole allspice berries
   * 1/4 ounce maple extract flavoring
   * 1 bay leave
   * 3 whole cloves

I brined the turkey breast for 8 hours, then rolled and tied it.  Then I rubbed the outside with a small bit of maple syrup and honey, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and left in the fridge overnight.

The next morning I smoked it at 230F for 40minutes with maple, then brought it inside and placed in 235F oven until it reached an IT of 165F (about 4 hours).

Let it rest for 1 hour and then wrapped in plastic wrap and left in the fridge overnight to cool before slicing.

After brine, tie, wrap, and snooze in fridge...all ready for the smoker


Done cooking...ready to cool down


A few slices.  The breast was a normal flat breast before I rolled and tied it


Good Eats...(the wife like cucumbers on her sandwich)

[squirtthecat]

Very nice...

Beats the heck out of that plastic deli stuff, eh?

[OTB]

the wife and kid said it was better than the expensive stuff I used to buy at the deli.  Might have to butcher more turkeys this holiday season.

[Slamdunk]

Looks delicious !!

[seemore]

OTB..looks good
seemore

[OU812]

Nice job OTB the sliced breast looks mighty tasty.

[KyNola]

Looks great.  Would love to try this method.  Help me to understand your rolling technique.  Did you take one of the boneless turkey breasts and start at one end of it and roll to the other and tie it?  If not, tell me what you did.  They look great and very easy to do.

Thanks for passing this on.

[OTB]

Looks great.  Would love to try this method.  Help me to understand your rolling technique.  Did you take one on the bonless turkey breasts and start at one end of it and roll to the other and tie it?  If not, tell me what you did.  They look great and very easy to do.

Thanks for passing this on.

Yes this is exactly correct.  After the breast is removed from the bone, there is one side that will be jagged (where it was connected to the bone) and one side that is nice and slick.  I just started at one end and rolled it up, had a helper hold it in place, and tied it.  it takes patience since it doesn't want to stay in a nice roll while you are trying to tie it.  The side where the skin used to be, will be on the outside.  Hope this makes sense.

[3rensho]

Wow, that looks delicious.  Great idea with cukes on the sandwich too.

[KyNola]

Makes perfect sense OTB.  Thanks for the clarification.

[Smoke some]

Looks scrumptious, Guess im going to have to give it a go, thanks for the info

[OU812]

Did you sprinkle any gelatin on the meat to hold every thing together?

[OTB]

Did you sprinkle any gelatin on the meat to hold every thing together?

Nope...I think because I brined it while it was NOT rolled up, then rinsed it, then tied it, and cooked it low and slow, it just kept it's shape by itself. 

[OU812]

Good deal.

[SnellySmokesEm]

It looks like your turkey faired better than my turkey that I did last weekend.