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Turkey Time - How you rollin'?!

Nate

Nate

My Friends Call Me Big Time
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Thanksgiving is about a week away and many birds will be smoked, roasted, brined, fried, rubbed, slow cooked, grilled and/or a combinated of all the above! I know others have been thinking about it already but this begs to be asked: How you rollin' this year with the big bird? I'll get it going:

Smo-Fry Turkey

Technique - Brined turkey into the Rec Tec smoker at 225 degrees. Using a mix of pecan and hickory pellets. Smoke usually a couple of hours till the breast reads 130ish. I injected last year but going with brining this year since I'm smoking it 80% of the way there. Fry it the rest of the way (usually 10-15 minutes) till we're home.

Big fan of Meat Church so thinking on using their Honey Hog and/or Holy Cow for the rub. Little sweet for the smoke then the Holy Cow combo for the salt/peper fry? We'll see.......

16 pounder from Market Street. I like to go smaller but have a few more guests this year and want enough for leftovers!

So what are the turkey masters out there thinking about doing this year? Share your techniques and process and Let's Go!
 
I am going to dry brine and smoke. I'm going to put salt and a little rub on the turkey the night before and wrap in plastic wrap. The next day I will clean that off, inject a honey/poultry injection, then melt some butter and mix that with my rub and put it all over the bird, making sure to get between the skin and the breast as well. Then I will stuff the cavity with apple, onion and some fresh herbs. I plan to smoke at 300-325 until about 150-155 degrees, and then bake in the over at 425 until it's done (the baking is to get crispy skin at the end).

I am just doing two bone-in turkey breasts, no one here eats the dark meat so no reason to cook a whole turkey.
 
Nate said:
Thanksgiving is about a week away and many birds will be smoked, roasted, brined, fried, rubbed, slow cooked, grilled and/or a combinated of all the above! I know others have been thinking about it already but this begs to be asked: How you rollin' this year with the big bird? I'll get it going:

Smo-Fry Turkey

Technique - Brined turkey into the Rec Tec smoker at 225 degrees. Using a mix of pecan and hickory pellets. Smoke usually a couple of hours till the breast reads 130ish. I injected last year but going with brining this year since I'm smoking it 80% of the way there. Fry it the rest of the way (usually 10-15 minutes) till we're home.

Big fan of Meat Church so thinking on using their Honey Hog and/or Holy Cow for the rub. Little sweet for the smoke then the Holy Cow combo for the salt/peper fry? We'll see.......

16 pounder from Market Street. I like to go smaller but have a few more guests this year and want enough for leftovers!

So what are the turkey masters out there thinking about doing this year? Share your techniques and process and Let's Go!
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Dang you got any extra seats at the table?
 
I'm bucking tradition this year. It's just me and the mrs, so I'm making beef wellington. no turkey.
 
Apple wood smoked, bacon wrapped chicken breast here. Not a Turkey fan.
 
This is the first year since 2005 that we aren't hosting...and it's kind of bumming me out.

It used to be an overnight brine (salt, sugar, citrus, herbs), herbed butter under the skin, stuffed with aromatics and herbs.

Not sure what's on the menu this year since I'm not making it.
 
My father-in-law just pops the bird in the oven and follows the cooking instructions... Brine the damned thing at least I always say!!! Argghhh

I'll just make my famous Broccoli-Cheese casserole and keep my mouth shut per usual.

Now if someone in TX wants to sneak me some deep fried turkey over, I'll be eternally grateful!
 
GolferGal said:
bake in the over at 425 until it's done (the baking is to get crispy skin at the end)
Click to expand...

Baking soda does a great job of crisping the skin smoked or baked chicken.
 
If you're going straight baked, an over bag works wonders to keep the bird moist. I'll do that to get the turkey fat to make the roux for the gravy. The juice from the bird goes into the smoked turkey stock I use for gravy and dressing.
 
GolferGal said:
I am going to dry brine and smoke. I'm going to put salt and a little rub on the turkey the night before and wrap in plastic wrap. The next day I will clean that off, inject a honey/poultry injection, then melt some butter and mix that with my rub and put it all over the bird, making sure to get between the skin and the breast as well. Then I will stuff the cavity with apple, onion and some fresh herbs. I plan to smoke at 300-325 until about 150-155 degrees, and then bake in the over at 425 until it's done (the baking is to get crispy skin at the end).

I am just doing two bone-in turkey breasts, no one here eats the dark meat so no reason to cook a whole turkey.
Click to expand...
I did that a little bit last year, getting the rub onto the meat. Took a little doing so that I didn't mess up the skin!
 
Parrot said:
Baking soda does a great job of crisping the skin smoked or baked chicken.
Click to expand...

I have been reading this and was thinking about doing it, but then a few people said it gave a weird after taste. Any experience with the weird aftertaste?

Nate said:
I did that a little bit last year, getting the rub onto the meat. Took a little doing so that I didn't mess up the skin!
Click to expand...

It can get tricky not tearing the skin, but it's worth it for the added flavor.
 
I'm smokin' about 6 racks of ribs, smokin' mac n cheese as well ;)
 
GolferGal said:
I have been reading this and was thinking about doing it, but then a few people said it gave a weird after taste. Any experience with the weird aftertaste?
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I didn't notice one. The rub and smoke cover up any taste it might contribute.
 
Brine and smoke a breast for my in-laws, as I've been doing for a few years now.
 
Last year turned out well, so I am going to do a butter honey injection and rotisserie the bird in the grill! Neighbors are joining us this year, and he’s going to smoke one, so we will have turkey two ways !
 
I "cheat" & my wife loves it.
I buy a turkey breast from the Proper Pig here in town (CLE suburb)
They cook/smoke it with a Texas style rub, plus some extra spices.
All we have to do is re-heat it.
It feeds 6-8 people for like $40.
Enough for 3 days of food for the wife & I and a meal for mom.
 
Never made one. I'm lucky enough to show up at the parents (used to be grandparents) with some pickles and cheese and have the rest of an amazing dinner all ready to go waiting on me.
 
Space Bandito said:
I think I may skip the holiday altogether this year. Head out of town or something.
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I'd love to but my mom and in-laws aren't getting any younger. So, we'll have an afternoon of tiptoeing around one in-law's latest spiritual choices and recruitment, and others' politics. For some, "how's the food" turns into a political rant. Several in-laws can't have a conversation about anything that doesn't veer directly into politics. It's tiresome.
 
Parrot said:
I'd love to but my mom and in-laws aren't getting any younger. So, we'll have an afternoon of tiptoeing around one in-law's latest spiritual choices and recruitment, and others' politics. For some, "how's the food" turns into a political rant. Several in-laws can't have a conversation about anything that doesn't veer directly into politics. It's tiresome.
Click to expand...
yep. You have solidified my decision.
 
No just straight up friers of the turkey in here? Hard to believe.
 
Brining and baking the bird for me this year. I go through cycles each year and have done friers, smokers or combo cooks.
 
We've typically gone fairly basic with turkey. Brine and bake. We put more effort into interesting and new side dishes, and I like to make pies. This year we're heading down to Colorado. The pop is having surgery Tuesday, and we'll take my mom for Thanksgiving with my sister and her family. They like a traditional dinner.
 
No clue. Going to my oldest daughter's house. There will be a turkey prepared somehow but I am hoping there is an alternative meat as well. Not a fan of turkey and luckily for me her boyfriend is not either so I would think I may have options. Hoping for red meat. Any red meat!
 
Jealous of all you guys. We will be in Florida for Thanksgiving this year and in a hotel. My buddy invited us over for dinner, but it will be the first time in about 10 years that I haven’t been up before the sun rose to start cooking a ?!!!
 
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