Awesome Smoked Turkey!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays! I love the season and I look forward to having family time and mounds of food that we all bring together for this special occasion!

One of our favorite foods on the smoker is smoked turkey. What I would like to do is share the procedure I use when smoking a turkey. I hope you find this helpful and giveS you the best smoked turkey you and your family will ever have!

 

 

Planning and Notes;

·        Figure about 1 pond raw weight per person when buying, not including allowances for leftovers

·        Allow 4-10 hours to thaw a frozen turkey, more if it’s a Tom (18-24 pounds) a nearly thawed bird can finish thawing in the brine.

·        Allow 8-12 hours for brining of your turkey.

·        If a really crisp skin is desired, allow 4-12 hours to dry the turkey under refrigeration.

·        Allow 4 to 4 ½ hours to smoke the turkey which includes extra time to ensure it is ready to serve when your are ready to eat.

·        Allow 6-12 hours cook time to smoke your turkey, depending on your smoker.   

Key techniques;

 

Getting a great barbequed turkey is the result of three key techniques. First, the bird is brined, which is simply letting the bird soak in a salt-water solution. During the soak the muscle tissues absorbs the brine, which seasons and adds extra moisture to the turkey.

The second technique is to cook the bird in two stages so that the faster cooking (and faster drying out) breast meat is protected, and the slower cooking thighs and legs are hit with more heat to speed their cooking.

Finally, the use of a good probe thermometer is employed so that the cooking process is stopped at the right internal temperature to preserve maximum moisture and juiciness.

 

Ingredients;

 

Brine

2 Cups Kosher or 1 Cup Table salt

2 Cups Granulated sugar

2 Cups Brown Sugar

1 Bottle Maple Syrup

2 Gallons cold water

1 Turkey fresh or thawed, not self-basting, giblets and tail removed, and rinsed thoroughly.

 

Turkey Mop

1 Stick of butter

½ cup corn syrup

Black pepper and/or other desired seasonings

 

Wood

Hickory, Oak, Maple or Apple

 

 

 

Brine Procedure

 

Dissolve the salt and sugar into the cold water in a non-reactive (not aluminum) 12-16 quart stockpot or clean bucket. Add the turkey and refrigerate, or set in a very cool place like the garage for 12 hours. If a crisper skin is desired, allow the turkey to dry out after the brining, uncovered, on a wire rack under refrigeration for 4-12 hours.

 

 

 Smoking Procedure;

Pre-heat your smoker to a temperature of 350-400 degrees. While the smoker is heating, remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry inside and out. Tie the wings into the body using cotton string, or cut a small slit into the skin, allowing you to tuck the wing tips inside the turkey.  Leave the legs untied to allow the heat to circulate all around them.

 

Next brush the turkey with the prepared mop, if a dark bronze like skin is desired. If not skip the mop and season the turkey with the desired salt, pepper and other seasonings. Mop the turkey once each hour of smoking.

 

Place the turkey, breast side DOWN on the center of the grill. Use a v-rack or several carrot sticks to balance the turkey on the grill. Adjust the heat of the smoker if needed, but maintain the 350-400 degree temperature for the first hour of smoking.

 

After an hour, turn the turkey over, breast side UP, mop the turkey, and damp down the vents or lower the temperature to 200-250 degrees, then continue to smoke. The goal of this cook is to maintain the temperature of 200-250 degrees throughout the rest of the smoking session.

 

 Check for doneness by inserting a probe thermometer horizontally from the end of the breast into the center of the thickest part of the breast. If a remote thermometer is being used, it can be placed in the turkey breast prior to being placed on the grill. Using a manual thermometer, start checking the temperature of the turkey after 4 hours.

The turkey is done when it registers 160 degrees 165 degrees. If while smoking, the breast stars to split or gets very dark, cover the area with foil.  When the turkey is done, remove from smoker to a platter and cover loosely with foil. Let rest 20 minutes before carving.

This is the best turkey you will every have!  From my family to yours, We hope you have a great Holiday season!

Posted by Chuck Posted in: Recipes No Comments » October 2008

Pulled Pork Nachos!!

Pulled Pork Nachos, just the name alone causes saliva in the mouth to become eager with anticipation! This has become a family tradition in my home, to the point where I think we only smoke pork butt just so the next day we can have Pulled Pork Nachos!!

           

                                                  

 

So what is needed to make this delicious pile of pork and cheese appear on your table! You will need the following:

Disposable aluminum pan (why make a lot of dishes for yourself…)

Tortilla chips/strips (I use Mission Tortilla Strips)

1lb pulled pork (more if you want)

Refried Beans (32 ounce can)

BBQ Sauce

Salsa

1 large Tomato

1-2lbs of Cheese

Sour Cream

 

Spay the bottom of the pan with a light coating of “Pam” to help keep food for sticking. Next place the Tortilla strips on the bottom of the pan, covering the entire bottom. Spread the refried beans on top of the tortillas evenly. Then place a layer of cheese on top of the beans. I then spread a thick layer of pulled pork on top of the cheese and complete this masterpiece with a light layer of bbq sauce topped with more Cheese!

 

Place the pan in a pre-heated oven at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese begins to bubble and brown. Remove the nachos from the oven and add diced tomatoes and onions on top. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top and more BBQ sauce or salsa if desired.

 

 

This is such a simple dish, but one that EVERYONE remembers and requests especially with Football and Hockey season being here! Hope you enjoy this family favorite. Let me know of any spins or a twist you add to this that just makes the dish even more irresistible! Smoke On!

Posted by Chuck Posted in: Recipes No Comments » September 2008

Smoked Buffalo Meatloaf !

 

One of the challenging things of barbeque is trying new things. The challenge for me is to try new things and in the process make them not only edible but something both family and friends would want to eat again.

 

I recently had the opportunity to try my hand at smoking buffalo(Thanks Ben for the Buffalo Meat!). For me this was very challenging in that Buffalo in and of itself is a very lean meat and if not smoked correctly is prone to drying out. I decided to try making a Buffalo meat loaf and see what would happen.

 

With the chance of the meat drying out, I decided to add some ground pork sausage to the meatloaf mixture to help baste the meat and keep it moist. The recipe we used was the same we use for beef meatloaf.

Bossman Meatloaf-  2 lbs of ground Buffalo meat, 1lb Jimmy Deans Breakfast Sausage,, 5 strips of bacon crumbled, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce,1 small onion/ diced, 1 small green bell pepper /diced, 1 ½ cup bread crumbs, 4 large eggs lightly beaten, 2 tsp Kosher Salt, 2 tsp granulated garlic

Mix the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Place contents into disposable aluminum bread pans or a regular disposable aluminum pan; pierce the bottom of the pan in several places such as the corners to allow the grease to escape during cooking.

Pack the meatloaf into the disposable pan, packing the meatloaf into the pan tightly paying attention to the corners of the pan. Prepare the smoker for indirect smoking with a 50/50 mix of Oak and Sugar Maple or your favorite wood, reaching a temperature of 250-275. Place the meatloaf directly on the smoker grate and allow smoking for 1 hour. Check for firmness, if needed allow cooking longer until firming begins.

Once the loaf begins to firm and pull away from the corners and edge of the pan, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the disposable pan, covering the top of the pan. This next step can be tricky, turn the pan over with the aluminum foil allowing the foil to be on the bottom grate and remove the pan exposing the meatloaf on the aluminum sheet. Smoke for another hour checking for an internal temperature of 155.

Once the internal of 155 is reached, remove the loaf from the smoker placing it back into the disposable pan using the same method as before. Glaze the loaf with barbeque sauce if desired and tent with aluminum foil allowing the loaf to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve on sandwiches or a main dish.

 

            So how did the Buffalo meatloaf turn out? AWESOME!  As you can see from the photos that were taken during this cook the meatloaf stayed moist, but you can also see that adding the sausage to the meatloaf caused it to have some discoloration in the meat itself. My family enjoyed this lot and actually told me that they prefer the Buffalo meatloaf over the regular meatloaf we make on the smoker.

Moral of this story; don’t be afraid to try new things or to think outside the box when cooking on the smoker this goes for side dishes, main dishes and of course desserts. I think you will find that almost everything on the smoker tastes a little better when mixed with wood smoke!

 

 

 

Posted by Chuck Posted in: Recipes 1 Comment » September 2008

Bite Through Smoked Chicken Skin

With the Colorado Avalanche playing in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, life in my home is crazy to say the least! Food at anytime is a priority, but during NHL playoff time Smoking and Grilling are a priority! One of the things we love and eat a lot of around the homestead is Smoked Chicken. I’ve written about smoked chicken before, but what we haven’t shared is the secret of getting the bite through skin that we desire, instead of the gummy nasty chicken skin a lot of people associate with smoked chicken.

Read the rest of this article »

Posted by Chuck Posted in: Recipes 2 Comments » April 2008

Smoked Meatloaf

One of the things I have always loved eating was homemade meat loaf! I have always looked forward to a nice thick slice of meatloaf on bread with BBQ sauce and all the fixings! To make meatloaf go to the next level in taste texture, my family and I smoke our meatloaf with a mix of oak and sugar maple wood.

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Posted by Chuck Posted in: Recipes 4 Comments » April 2008

Hog Apple Smoked Beans

Sometimes in life the recipes our families love are not fully appreciated. We get busy with work and life and seldom think twice when we throw stuff together to feed the starving crowds in our homes each night. Routine becomes the word and the action of each day until something happens or changes that routine.
With that in mind, I wanted to share with you a recipe that my family and I love, we eat this at least twice a month because we love it so much! Its also one of the recipes our family and friends request. Read the rest of this article »

Posted by Chuck Posted in: Recipes No Comments » February 2008

Book Review: “The Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook”

For Christmas, I put several things on my wish list and, of course, at the top of this list were barbecue books related to the style of barbecue that I enjoy the most, “Texas Style Barbecue.”  Having this in mind, I chose to review a book I feel has a unique feel and great recipes for both the beginner and the seasoned pro. This book has become my go-to book for many receipes and methods for cooking delicious BBQ.  Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook, Recipes and Recollections from the Pit Bosses is written by Robb Walsh, a two-time winner of the James Beard Award, food critic and contributing author to numerous newspapers and magazines covering the subject of Texas food cusine.

What first catches your eye with this particular book is the cover. It has the look and feel of a book that I would expect to have found in my grandfather’s collection, tucked away with the pages dog-eared so you could easily find that one recipe or technique that you prize the most.  When you examine this book, you are drawn to the pictures of some of the first Pitt Masters, events and culture of the true pioneers of barbecue. In my opinion, any barbecue enthusiasts would treasure this book simply because of the pictures alone.

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Posted by Chuck Posted in: Cookbooks, Recipes 1 Comment » January 2008

ABTs

Looking for the perfect holiday appetizer? Why not try the ABT? What the heck are ABT’s you ask? Well it’s short for Atomic Buffalo Turds! A cored jalapeño stuffed with cheeses and meats, wrapped in bacon and smoked. What could be better? Read the rest of this article »

Posted by Chuck Posted in: Recipes No Comments » November 2007

Buckboard Bacon

Who doesn’t enjoy the taste and smell of fresh cooked bacon?? To say my family and I love bacon would be a serious understatement. But unfortunately the quality of bacon and the selection available in your local grocer, along with the outrageous pricing is fair at best.

So what is the solution? Well in our case we make our own! With the help of Hi Mountain Seasonings located in Riverton Wyoming, not only can you make your own homemade Buckboard bacon, but you can also find seasoning kits to make your own homemade sausages, marinades, dips and other specialty items! Read the rest of this article »

Posted by Chuck Posted in: Recipes No Comments » November 2007

Beef Chuck Roll

Beef Chuck Roll One of my favorite foods to slow smoke is a good piece of Black Angus Beef. Brisket is a great piece to smoke; the problem with it is that the yield on a whole packer brisket is very minimal. Over the years, when we have slow smoked beef for family and friends, and expect a decent size crowd to feed (25 and up…) we turn to the Queen of beef, the chuck roll. Read the rest of this article »

Posted by Chuck Posted in: Recipes No Comments » October 2007

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