Maple Turkey Jerky

[FLBentRider]

Off to find the liquor store for the bourbon  ;)  Not being a bourbon drinker - what brand would I want to buy?  Thinking for possible human consumption also? 

Lots of choices there. [opinion mode on] Bourbon - when I consume - mostly the higher-end stuff. Knob creek, Blantons, Makers Mark, Wild Turkey, Jim Beam (might go well with those bisquettes)

Not bourbon, but "Tennesee whiskey" (Bourbon is only produced in Kentucky, bourbon county if I recall correctly)

Jack Daniels
George Dickel

[opinion mode off]

[Caneyscud]

Bourbon, is named after Bourbon County, KY, but can be distilled anywhere.  Among some other rules for being called bourbon,
it must be all natural, 51% corn, aged a minimum of 2 years, and must aged in a charred oak barrel.

Tennessee Sippin' Whiskey, is essentially the same as bourbon (most of the same rules), but has the distinction of being filtered through large vats of hard maple charcoal.  Supposedly filters out some of the impurities and gives it better drinkability and enjoyability - at least according to the Tennessee Distillers!  If you haven't been to 'The Jack" which happens just down the street from the Jack Daniels Distillery, you're missing out.  The Jack is if not the Super Bowl of barbecue contests, it is at least the semi-final.  It is an invitational and mainly the winners of big qualifying competitions get invited.  Its not too far from my fly fishing waters.  This year, I had thought the date was a week later than it was.  I was out in the river, when I started noticing that faint, but unmistakable delicious aroma of smoking meat. 

[Smoking Duck]

OK, Nepas........I'm doing this for a pre-game snack on Super Bowl Sunday!  I figure the Bourbon oughta help take the edge off just a little  ;)

[NePaSmoKer]

OK, Nepas........I'm doing this for a pre-game snack on Super Bowl Sunday!  I figure the Bourbon oughta help take the edge off just a little  ;)

Remember Marc thats

one shot for the jerky
and 1-2 for the maker of the jerky  :D

nepas

[Smoking Duck]

OK......i got it in my handy-dandy super top-secret recipe book:

1 shot for the jerky
2 shots for the jerk


I know you wanted to say it, so I figured I'd say it for you  ;) ;D

My brother is coming into town for the game, so I figured I'd make a bunch of smoked food for him.  He's a weightlifter, so I want something semi-healthy for him  ;D

[NePaSmoKer]

OK......i got it in my handy-dandy super top-secret recipe book:

1 shot for the jerky
2 shots for the jerk


I know you wanted to say it, so I figured I'd say it for you  ;) ;D

My brother is coming into town for the game, so I figured I'd make a bunch of smoked food for him.  He's a weightlifter, so I want something semi-healthy for him  ;D

:D  :D

you silly  ;D

Well, Mother Gue never raised such a foolish child!

nepas

[iceman]

Good looking recipe Nepa. I'm adding that to the book for sure. Thanks for sharing.

[Kummok]

ThanX for the great sounding recipe Nepas! This is the kinda thing that's gonna get me outta my "salmon only" smoking mode!  (Also still itching to try the 'Not your Momma's Meatloaf, now that I've got some lean, no fat added, mooseburger!)

[pensrock]

MMmmmmmmm MMMMoose burger. Drool.  ;D

Actually I have never had the pleasure to try it, but from what others have told me, it is really good.  :)

[Kummok]

Great stuff and healthier than beef/pork/etc, especially without any of the normal suet added....Homey don't do dat!  Using it tonight in Swedish Meatballs. Works great for "normal" meat loaf, but I'm anxious to see how it holds up to the Ain't Yo Momma's meatloaf recipe though!

[Smoking Duck]

Gotta second what Kummok says.......it is probably my top "wild game" meat.  It's so good, I've considered shooting Bullwinkle a time or two  ;D

Anyways, to the original topic, since my buddy Nepas was unable to take his usual pics, I figured I'd take some abd try and turn the drool table on him  ;D

I currently have the Maple Bourbon Brine cooling to room temp as I write this.  While it was simmering for 30 minutes (I followed the recipe to a "T" with the exception that I didn't have fresh rosemary and substituted with 1/2T of ground rosemary.  I will caution that this is an expensive brine.  1 1/2 cups of maple syrup cost me $8.50 and I used one cup of Wild Turkey but if this is half as good as Nepas says, it'll be worth it.  Another word of caution:  when heating this up, don't put your face over the brine to try and get a whiff of it......the bourbon fumes are strong and it burned my eyes pretty good (but, on the plus side, it was a good buzz  ;)).  I also went 1 cup for the brine and 2 cups for the chef  ;D

The first thing you want to do while the brine is heating and then cooling to room temp is to cut up your turkey breast.  I basically took the turkey and cut it up to the thickness of what I would do if I were making scallopini.  Here's what some of the turkey looked like:



About 3 pounds of turkey breast cut up and waiting for brine to cool so as to bathe overnight.  Will post more pics as they occur.

SD

[Gizmo]

Unreal Duck,
I am doing the same thing tonight except I had substituted Tequila (Italian Cadillac Margaritas to be exact) for the cook and kept the burbon in the pot.   ;D  ;D

[Smoking Duck]

Great minds think alike, Giz!  (Although you want to be very careful being lumped in with me  ;D).  Just getting ready to make the Maple Bourbon glaze portion now.......got the Bradley heating up as we speak for the 2 hours of maple wood......gonna be great!

[Smoking Duck]

OK, the maple bourbon glaze is cooling down.  The turkey has been sitting in the brine overnight:


Getting it loaded for the 2 hour smoke at 145F with maple wood. (The color looks weird in this pic; must have something to do with the flash.  I assure you there is no orange anywhere on the turkey).


And into the smoker:


During the last 1/2 hour, I will mop the jerky with the maple bourbon glaze.

SD

[sodak]

Watching you closely from a distance!  I've grabbed the Rebel Yell off the shelf and will be starting my brining activities tonight.