Need help with wife!

[TwistedSanity]

I am desperately seeking advice

How do I convinced the wife to let me take a crack at smoking the thanksgivings Turkey this year.  Her argument is simple NO!

I have 5 weeks left to convert her  :-\

Hope everyone is smoking something tasty this weekend.

[_Bear_]

Large amounts of wine!!!!!

[Gafala]

Do a hole chicken with her favorite smoke that might just do it.

It worked here.

[tskeeter]

Smoke a bone-in turkey breast for her to taste.

Note that poultry skin is rubbery and unappealing after smoking.  Many folks crisp the skin in the oven or on the grill before serving.  Can one of our resident poultry experts help me out with a time for crisping the skin?  I'm thinking about 15 minutes?

You will need to allow for the additional cooking that will take place during crisping.  I like the texture of turkey breast cooked to 165F and then rested.  So, I would pull the breast from the smoker at 155F and rely on the crisping to roast it the rest of the way.

For left over smoked turkey breast, we like pesto pasta with smoked turkey breast.  Pasta, jarred pesto sauce, bite sized chunks of smoked turkey breast, grated parmesan cheese, and a hand full of walnuts to add some crunch.  Serve warm or cold.

[Edward176]

I surprised my wife with a smoked boneless and skinless turkey breast and thigh/leg for her to sample, which she loved immensely . It turned out so well my wife asked if I could smoke a turkey for Thanks Giving. Works for me...

[TMB]

Do you own a Big Easy from Charbroil?   if not get one.  Smoke a turkey till almost doe then place it in the Big Easy and finish, skin will be crispy yet you have a smoked turkey!!

[Edward176]

Now when I smoke a whole split chicken or turkey in my Bradley I put in on my preheated grill to finish off, takes 10 minutes and the skin crisps up nicely.

[TwistedSanity]

Thanks for all the advice.

She have agreed to let me do a test run with a chicken this weekend.

Wish me luck

[Edward176]

A test run! Man you're half way there. Good Luck and let us know how it turns out (wife's opinion and chicken :)

[TwistedSanity]

Well the test run was a partial success.

as she stated " that was the most tender juiciest chicken I have ever eaten"
unfortunately the skin was not as crispy as she demands for a Turkey attempt.

I smoked at 250 until IT was 265.  I will be attempting a second one this weekend. I am thinking of rubbing skin with olive oil and cooking at 350 until IT 265.  Does anyone suggest something different?

Thanks for all the advice

[Gafala]

After you smoke it crisp the skin in the house oven. That's what I do.

[Salmonsmoker]

I think 250F is about all your going to get temp.wise with a turkey for a heatsink. The low and slow temp. is what helps keep that moisture in the bird. Like others have said, just do a high temp. finish in the kitchen oven, Big Easy or a gasser. I started smoking turkeys a drum smoker and now in a pellet smoker where I can bump up the temp. at the finish if I need to, although either of those will crisp the skin perfectly at my cook temp. of 275F. I think one more test and your wife is going to wonder why she ever doubted you!  ;D ;D

[TwistedSanity]

My Bradley has two elements in it.  I beleive it will hit 300 if I ask it nicely

My questions is when to I ramp the temp up.  Does doing it at 145 IT make sense?

Thanks for all the advice.

[Salmonsmoker]

Poultry min. temp is an  IT of 165F.  If you haven't bypassed the max. temp. sensor in your Bradley, it'll trip before 300F if I remember correctly.

[TwistedSanity]

Let me rephrase me questions.

If I am using a process of cooking at 225 and the ramping up temps or move to the over to finish at 165 , at what temp should I start ramping up the over temp or moving the bird to the over?

I run a PID. Am I correct in assuming that this would override any stock programing for oven temp?