Maybe dumb question but can you catch turkey drippings?

illinoishokie

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Original poster

Nov 2, 2012

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11

Galesburg, IL

• Nov 11, 2012

• #1

I'll be smoking my first turkey and think a smoked gravy sounds incredible, but I'm not sure if you can catch drippings during a smoke?

I'm using an electric smoker and my thought is just put a pan with some water on the rack below the turkey. But that will take up a lot of area between the smoke source and the bird. Does that after how well the bird takes the smoke?

And since it's at such a lower temp than over roasting, do you produce enough drippings during a smoke to make gravy?

This will be from a 14 pound brined bird.

 

jrod62

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Jun 13, 2011

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New Athens IL

• Nov 11, 2012

• #2

Here how I do my turkey (got this off of weber's web site)

 

Brine

2 quarts apple juice

1 cup kosher salt

2 tablespoons dried rosemary

2 tablespoons dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried sage

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 turkey, 10 to 12 pounds, fresh or defrosted

 

 Get a pan and add the below ingredients to it

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, divided

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock

1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped

2 large carrots, roughly chopped

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

 Chef JJ taught me this part: add the onion,carrots and celery without the stock for one hour in smoke before adding the chicken stock.

this will get a good smoke flavor in the vegetables.

Gravy

Reserved pan liquid plus enough chicken stock to

make 4 cups of liquid

¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 equal pieces

¼  cup all-purpose flour

⅓ cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Kosher salt

Freshly ground

hopes this helps

 

illinoishokie

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Nov 2, 2012

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Galesburg, IL

• Nov 11, 2012

• #3

So you actually smoke it in the pan inside the smoker?

 

bama bbq

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Sep 24, 2011

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Rocket City (Huntsville) AL

• Nov 11, 2012

• #4

IllinoisHokie said:

So you actually smoke it in the pan inside the smoker?

Click to expand...

I do.  This is the one I did last year on the kettle.  I'll probably use the WSM this year but this is the idea:

IMG_0248.JPG

• bama bbq
• Nov 11, 2012

 

jrod62

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New Athens IL

• Nov 11, 2012

• #5

IllinoisHokie said:

So you actually smoke it in the pan inside the smoker?

Click to expand...

Yes,

 

chef jimmyj

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• Nov 12, 2012

• #6

I do what Ed does but add a few sprigs Fresh Thyme and a Bay Leaf to the Pan...Turkey Fat like most animal fat, melts at around 100*F. This combined with the extra moisture from the brine will render just fine even at 225*F so there will be plenty of drippings and great flavor...JJ

 

illinoishokie

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Nov 2, 2012

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Galesburg, IL

• Nov 12, 2012

• #7

Thanks, everybody! I am REALLY looking forward to this gravy!