Smoked turkey question - How to make it taste like ham?

mheath · February 03, 2009, 08:15:33 AM

Hello,

My wife wants a smoked turkey that tastes like the meat market used to make in our hometown.

It has a kind of rubbery texture and if you don't look at it you would swear it was ham.

I have been experimenting with brines etc and I all I have been able to get is "slightly salty smokey BAKED turkey" - The turkey and chickens that we have done are good but not what we are looking for.

Do i simply need to brine longer? or what?

Thanks for the help.

Mr Walleye · February 03, 2009, 08:55:12 AM

Mheath

It sounds to me like the turkey was cured. I don't have any experience with it but I've read a number of recipes for brine cured turkey legs. Apparently these are like the ones they sell at Disney Land. Here is an older post with some information.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=7514.0

Mike

mheath · February 03, 2009, 09:08:50 AM

I have used tenderquick on venison and it definitely "Hams" it up.

If I would use,

1 cup TQ
1/2 brown sugar
1 gallon water

How long would I let it sit in the brine?

deb415611 · February 03, 2009, 10:02:29 AM

Mheath,

Charcuterie has a really good herb-brined smoked turkey breast recipe in it. If you want I can post it later. It is a brine with cure in it & herbs. I think it cures for a couple of days.

I have done it a couple of times & we really like it.

Deb

pensrock · February 03, 2009, 12:25:09 PM

A friend of mine make turkey legs all the time, I do not know the amounts but he uses TQ, Brown Sugar and water. I know when he does whole turkeys they are in the brine for two to three days. I suspect the legs are only in for a day.

mheath · February 03, 2009, 01:28:04 PM

Quote from: deb415611 on February 03, 2009, 10:02:29 AM
Mheath,

Charcuterie has a really good herb-brined smoked turkey breast recipe in it. If you want I can post it later. It is a brine with cure in it & herbs. I think it cures for a couple of days.

I have done it a couple of times & we really like it.

Deb

I don't think we are looking for herby - just hammy. The smoked turkeys we bought from the meat market didn't have any herb taste. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Smokin Soon · February 03, 2009, 08:18:03 PM

I have never done a whole bird in cure, just the legs. I think if I were to do a whole bird I would use the same brine of MTQ and Brown Sugar, and use some injections on the bird to get it uniform. I do an overnight for the legs, but with a couple of carefully placed injections in the breast area I would think that overnight would do a whole bird also. The legs are really good when finished in the Big Easy. If you do the whole thing in the Bradley, the skin will be somewhat rubbery but the meat will be delish. Could also fire off the skin in the oven. Please do report on your results if you try it!

FLBentRider · February 04, 2009, 03:54:56 AM

I put MTQ or basic cure mix in my brine for turkey legs. I have not cured a turkey breast or whole bird.

canadiansmoker · February 04, 2009, 06:48:59 AM

I have brined a few birds, both chicken and turkeys. If you want the turkey to taste more like a ham then I would brine it for about a week or so. Usually the longer the brine it the more it'll taste like ham, but you'll need to use a good brining agent, possibly Morton's. I got a brine mix from my local butcher, not sure what is in it, but I suspect it is close Morton's in contents.

Stephen

FLBentRider · February 04, 2009, 11:37:04 AM

That is a long time to brine. I brined some turkey legs too long once, they were very salty. That was 24 hours, I believe.

seemore · February 04, 2009, 05:29:59 PM

mheath.try this web site good info done a couple these very good
seemore
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1998/03/25/FD107260.DTL

tues6694 · February 06, 2009, 07:51:02 AM

Hello,Sounds like some of you want a cured smoked turkey recipe.I have 1 that is very very simple and every time i make a turkey it is all gone.If any one wants to know how let me know and i will post it later.....Tues6694

Hello, i did try to post how i do the turkeys but they said the instructions are too long.So if any one wants it i will email it too then , thanks, ,tues6694

mheath · February 07, 2009, 12:05:33 PM

Yes cured, please let us know how.

Roadking · February 17, 2009, 09:12:13 AM

This turkey was smoked cured. I used the recipe from "Great Sausage Reciped and Meat Curing". Followed the recipe to the tee, also used a "Stockinette" to hold legs and wings tight to body. Very moist ham like meat in the thigh and legs.

canadiansmoker · February 17, 2009, 09:56:59 AM

I find that when you cure poultry (chicken and turkey) that the dark meat will taste much more like ham then the white meat on the birds. The white meat just seems to get much more moist and tender, but not much of a ham taste.

Stephen