Smokers (BBQ - not grilling)

[Bounce]

Got to use my new (custom made) rib rack that came in the mail. Woot!

Thanks Scott King!

Everyone really liked the results

 

[Knifemaker]

Looking pretty good there Bounce. Did you cook them straight through or did you flip them halfway?

Odd coincidence, asked the wife and granddaughter what they wanted for dinner ... and they both said "Ribs!" like they rehearsed it.

Two left in the freezer...so will be down to one after tonight.

Guess I'll be doing another batch soon ....

 

[BikerGeek99]

Tried my hand at smoking a turkey yesterday.

All in all, it went well and was very tasty.

Here's what I did:

Saturday night, I put together a brine and got 'er soaking.

Sunday morning, I pulled it outta the brine and pat it dry. I softened some butter and mixed in some chopped up 'poultry mix' herbs, then rubbed the herbed butter in under the skin, on the skin, and in the cavity. I stuffed the cavity with a mix of onion, carrot, celery, and apple.

It went in the smoker around 10:45. I got one of those dual-probe remote thermometers off of Amazon - one probe went into the meat and I hung the other one off a rack and placed it directly above the turkey. It was wintery-mixing outside on Sunday morning, so being able to monitor the temperatures from inside made my life a bit easier.

I had a helluva time maintaining a constant temperature - whenever I added wood chips to the pan, they'd ignite and shoot up the temperature in the smoker. I was aiming for the mystical 225 - 250 degree F range. In reality, the temperature ranged from 210 - 420 or so. So, I've got some learning to do in that area.

The temperature of the meat started around 40. Over the next 3 hours and 15 minutes, it slowly crept up. I pulled it out when the internal temperature of the meat showed 160. I wrapped it in foil and let it rest on the counter for aboot 45 minutes.

When I sliced it, it came out incredibly moist. Most of the flavoring really came from the brine and the herbed butter, but there was a light smoke there as well, which is what I was after.

All in all, it was a success. The meat was very moist and tasty. One thing I'll keep in mind for next time is the amount of time the meat spends in the brine. Considering the size of that turkey (it was only aboot 7 pounds - it was basically just a big-ass turkey breast), I over-brined it. The meat was just a touch on the salty side, but still really damn good.

After carving it up, I used the carcass to make some turkey stock, so we've got that in the fridge to use on Thursday when the family comes over.

Best of all - neither of us got food poisoning. Winning!

 

[Fred W]

Sounds like you did a great job, Andy.

Couple of ideas for next time: After you pull it from the brine (wet or dry), rinse it thoroughly before patting it dry and adding your seasoning. In your seasoning mixture do not add any more salt. The brine added all the salt you'll need. Also, when using butter in your seasoning mixture make sure to use unsalted butter. There is quite a bit of salt in regular butter.

Say... what, no bbq pR0n?

 

[BigOgre]

Perfectly timed post Geek! Only because of this thread I got myself an electric smoker and have done a turkey breast the last couple of years. After growing up with the dry, gravy-smothered turkeys of days past, everyone raved about the brined and smoked ones. It was almost like a different meat. What you did on your practice run was almost identical to what I've been doing.

Hiccup this year was that my old computer with the bookmarked recipes crapped out and I just got done spending some time looking around again for rubs, cooking times, etc. I think I got what I need but you guys added a little motivational push (again) as I head out with my list.

 

[BikerGeek99]

Good call on the rinse, Fred. The one kicker for me is that we have well water and, even with a softener & filter, our water absolutely sucks. The joys of country living. I don't drink it and I don't cook with it. So, I'll just have to plan ahead a bit and add a gallon or so of distilled / bottled water to the list 'O stuff for the next go-round.

No, I didn't add any salt at all. The brine brought plenty and, yes, I used unsalted butter. We pretty much only keep unsalted butter on hand anyway.

When I made the stock outta the carcass, I purposefully didn't add any salt - I figured the salt in the carcass from the brine would bring plenty and, after a quick taste before putting it in the fridge, I think I was right. As Emeril said, you can always add seasoning, but ya can't take it out.

I put food porn on FB, but need to figger out what I'm gonna do to put up pictures here since PhotoBucket went all psycho.

BigOgre - I just did some Google-fu to find what I needed for time and temperature. Sooze found a brining 'kit' at Kroger (do you have Wegman's out there?) - it was by the meat section. Came with the mix, instructions, and big-ass brining bag (basically a heavy-duty, size XXXL ZipLock bag. I just heated up some water, added sugar and the brining mix until it was dissolved, and let it come down to room temperature. Once down to room temperature, the solution and the turkey went into the bag and I also added some apple cider vinegar and ice to the party. Pretty simply, really.

For Thursday, Sooze has a turkey and a turkey breast thawing in the fridge. She'll do the traditional roast on the turkey and I may smoke the breast. We'll see...

 

[TomInPA]

I'm planning on doing a 15 lb fresh turkey from a local farm this year, so the comments above are welcomed. Anyone have a favorite brine recipe? I have a new electric smoker so I can set the temperature and forget it, and give the Komodo a rest. Have not used electric before, so hopefully it all works out. I will be seasoning the new unit tomorrow, and might put in some ribs to see how it does.

 

[Fred W]

You just reminded me of my first smoked turkey breast effort. Like yours, it turned out pretty darned nice and we really enjoyed it, which is a good thing as it keeps you coming back, trying more and different things.

After I carved off most of the meat Josie tried making some soup from the carcass. It was disgusting! So much smoke from the inside of the cavity that the soup was terrible, and went down the drain. I think you may have dodged that one by having stuffed some stuff inside the bird. Good move there. Plus mine was a charcoal and wood smoke, so probably quite a bit heavier on the smoke flavor.

Meanwhile, I've got about a dozen young gobblers strutting thru our backyard as I type.
Don't they know how close they are to Turkey Day? :lol:

 

[BigOgre]

First time brine was a whole cooked-up potpourri I read about. Brewed something in a big pot and let it cool down in the fridge. I remember having sprigs and leafs and branches of things sticking all over the bird. What a PITA trying to rinse that all off before rubbing it. Think I was still crunching down on peppercorns days later with the leftovers.

Last year I went with plain water and salt and brown sugar. All went into a large Ziploc placed in a mid-sized cooler. It was cold enough that I left it outside on the porch overnight but I'm guessing this year I'll be packing it with ice. I remember trying but couldn't tell/remember any difference from the more elaborate brine. It was still very juicy and the rub and smoke is what everyone commented on. Planning on doing the same thing this year although maybe using some apple juice or cider.

 

[Fred W]

From what Ive read, even the brown sugar is wasted. The only thing that actually penetrates the meat and has much effect on the final result is the salt ( in the right proportion obviously). The rest is wasted effort. Save the other stuff for putting on the bird and under the skin just before cooking.

Good turkeys to one and all!

 

[HotRodZilla]

Tried my hand at smoking a turkey yesterday.
All in all, it went well and was very tasty.

Here's what I did:

Saturday night, I put together a brine and got 'er soaking.

Sunday morning, I pulled it outta the brine and pat it dry. I softened some butter and mixed in some chopped up 'poultry mix' herbs, then rubbed the herbed butter in under the skin, on the skin, and in the cavity. I stuffed the cavity with a mix of onion, carrot, celery, and apple.

Best of all - neither of us got food poisoning. Winning!

What did you do with the fruits and veggies you stuffed the bird with? That sounds deicious!!

 

[Blind Squirrel]

From what Ive read, even the brown sugar is wasted. The only thing that actually penetrates the meat and has much effect on the final result is the salt ( in the right proportion obviously). The rest is wasted effort. Save the other stuff for putting on the bird and under the skin just before cooking. Good turkeys to one and all!

 

[Bounce]

Looking pretty good there Bounce. Did you cook them straight through or did you flip them halfway?

3 hours in the smoke. 2 hours in foil. 250ºF.

 

[BikerGeek99]

HRZ said:
What did you do with the fruits and veggies you stuffed the bird with? That sounds deicious!!

I just pitched 'em. Dunno if they had any flavor left to offer anyway. I thought aboot keeping 'em and adding 'em to the pot for the stock, but I didn't.

And, yes, it was tasty. I'll be having leftovers for lunch today.

 

[Knifemaker]

Well, I got a 20 pound bird for thanksgiving. The crew here wanted a "traditional" baked turkey, not a smoked one this year. So, easy peasy for me. Wife will be making her OMG mashed potatoes (hand mashed, butter and cream cheese, then whipped)

But do have plans on doing up a pork butt over the weekend on the smoker.

 

[Bounce]

To start out on topic: Yesterday I cleaned the smoker and other stuff from last weekend.

To end only tenuously on-topic: I made my first Spent Grain bread (actually my first ever bread). Using the spent grain from yesterday's home brewing session (a wheat beer), I made 2 loaves without mixers or bread machines. Hand kneaded. The works. Had to taste it before heading off to bed at around 1am.

With bread flour, whole grains from the brew, and about 45 minutes of kneading (took a while for me to "derp" on the fact that the wet grains and high humidity had made the dough too wet so working in more bread flour was needed to knead get it past tackiness. After all that, it has all the glutens so everyone who is

can rest easy.
The loaves are heavy but the bread isn't disgustingly dense.

Purty gute.

Another survival skill acquired.

 

[TomInPA]

The bird (19lbs) is on brine tonight. I was reading the Meatheads, and they simply recommend dry brining, but I did the brine solution with a bit of brown sugar, rosemary Thyme, garlic and stuff. A 19 lb bird so need to start early. I may end up in the Komodo instead of the electric since I know it,.

 

[El Toro Joe]

Picked up an 8# brisket yesterday, tomorrow it gets brined, Friday it gets smoked, and Saturday it gets finished as pastrami. I'll try to get pictures of the process.

 

[biknflyfisher]

Hi All, I've enjoyed keeping an eye on this smoking conversation. I have gotten pretty good at smoking tri-tip and brisket on my cheapo Brinkman vertical smoker (or so my family says). As my wife and I are by ourselves tomorrow (family Thanksgiving is Saturday) I am going to try my hand at smoking a fresh turkey breast. If it's a disaster, it will only be the two of us that have to chew through it...

I have the turkey in the fridge in a brine solution now, and I'll hit the smoker tomorrow at noon and give it a whirl. I have both mesquite and hickory wood chunks, but not sure which I'll use.

Any tips or suggestions as I've never done a turkey breast before?

Brian

 

[Knifemaker]

Hi All, I've enjoyed keeping an eye on this smoking conversation. I have gotten pretty good at smoking tri-tip and brisket on my cheapo Brinkman vertical smoker (or so my family says). As my wife and I are by ourselves tomorrow (family Thanksgiving is Saturday) I am going to try my hand at smoking a fresh turkey breast. If it's a disaster, it will only be the two of us that have to chew through it...I have the turkey in the fridge in a brine solution now, and I'll hit the smoker tomorrow at noon and give it a whirl. I have both mesquite and hickory wood chunks, but not sure which I'll use.

Any tips or suggestions as I've never done a turkey breast before?

Brian

Use some kind of rub, (that has no salt). I used store bought "Poultry Seasoning", black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. I'd stick with hickory as mesquite can sometimes be a bit harsh on poultry. (A little wouldn't hurt though)

Hopefully you have a good temperature probe. Smoke at 230-240 F, but others may suggest something different. Pull at 158 degrees, let rest 15-20 minutes (covered lightly) it should rise to 165 F. Many just cook it to 165 "to be sure" I really found no difference, depends on the size of the breast.

I'll add don't go heavy with the smoke, a lighter smoke flavor tastes better than a heavy one on turkey.