Glad your recipe worked. The color of the finished product is strange. I don’t believe it is from the flavoring that was injected. I know other’s who have injected flavorizors, and their fried turkey came out golden brown. For what it is worth, this is what I learned when I took a “Smoke Roasting” class. Remember I am not a chemist, and don’t understand all the terms, just the basic process.
There are more than 300 different compounds produced from wood smoke. The most common components are phenols, organic acids, alcohol, carbonyl compounds, hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxygen, nitrogen, and nitrous oxide.
It is the carbonyl compounds that develop the color. These compounds combine with free amino groups in meat protein to form furfural compounds. Furfural compounds are dirty brown in color and are translucent. This is what gives the meat or poultry its color. The translucent color of the compounds combined with the color of the meat or poultry skin; gives the finished product its distinctive color. For example, when combined with the color of cooked cured meat, it will produce a reddish brown (or darker) color.
IMHO - It is possible that exposing the furfural compounds to a high temperature changed them from being translucent, to a solid dark color. In addition, during the smoking process organic acids cling to the meat and form an outside layer on the skin. So it could be these acids are either reacting to the heat, or maybe the oil. Just as a side note, these acids also prevent the growth of surface mold and bacteria. (Whew!! Glad I have my text book in front of me!!!)[^]
But my feeling is, “As long as it tastes good!”
