Turkey First Time....Went Rogue...i think

That was perfect!  As long as it was under 4 hours to 141°, it is fine!  Make sure you take some Qview next time!  We all love to drool!  You will inspire us!

adp32 said:

Hello fellow smokers.

I started last week and wanted to try smoking a turkey.  Wife was not sure about it, but I was going ahead with it without a life jacket, she was getting ready to look at which pizza she was going to order :(.

Well I started out with an 11.2 lb turkey, defrosted in the fridge for 4 days, a little bit of cajaun seasoning, and my smoker.

So I read in the forum 41-141, so that concerned me.  I was worried of getting sick if it wasn't cooked right.  So this is what I did:

Seasoned turkey with cajaun spice, let sit for 20 min.

Started heating up smoker to high temp (just to get it hot)

Put turkey on rack, and added apple wood.Oh and also water to pan.

Cooked until temp reached 150 F about 3 hrs.

Took turkey in the house and topped it up with maple bacon, enough to cover all the top.

Put in oven for 1.5 hrs until it reached an internal temp of 176 F.  Thermometer says it should be 185, not sure if that is what it should be, but I figured that it will still cook after I take it out. 

Let sit for 30 minutes to rest and get everything else ready, and used drippings for gravy.

Wife didn't order the pizza, and was very happy.

Taste was amazing, moisture perfect, bacon crisp, and smoke flavour was just enough to not overpower the turkey.

I am sure that there are better ways to do this, but this was my first time with turkey, so I wanted to make sure we didn't get sick and eat at a good time.

Sorry guys no pictures, but will have some next time, as this was a hit.

I would of never been able to do this without this forum...thanks guys and have a great Christmas!

Norm

Click to expand...

Norm , evening, and welcome to the forum.....  As far as better ways to cook a turkey..... You met all the safety criteria, and the wife loved it....  I think you have found the "better way to cook a turkey".....   Congratulations....  Dave

165 internal temp is fully cooked for poultry.  I think those guides on some thermometers were developed with a comfortable margin of error in mind.  185 is turkey jerky to me, lol...

Norm and others, Here is a post from awhile back.... JarJarChef... Jeramy posted this....  these guidelines will walk you through all forms of meats....   Thanks Jeramy.....    Dave

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Food temp and safety

First off, I feel that the 40-140 in 4 rule as a guide is a very good starting point for as mentioned earlier about 90% of what is discussed here. Yes, there are some items that will take longer and some will go much faster. I personally used 40 - 140 in 4hr guide before I saw it here, because of wanting to get the food out of the temperature danger zone faster. I fully support that as a guide...

Where I work we follow Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) for all of our food storage, preparation, cooking, holding, transportation and service. It is not mandated by the Sate or FDA, but it is what we use and our company serves millions of meals a year. A bit on the history of HACCP http://www.haccpforexcellence.com/home/history_of_haccp  . I have looked for a mandated rule to support the 40-140 in rule, that is set in stone. Could not find it either, however it is a good guide to follow. With HACCP they talk about time at the temperature (see below). The only time I see a time with heating things up is in reheating (40-165 in <2hrs). When cooling we look at how fast we can cool it. Just a guide we use 140 to 70 in 2hrs then 70 to <40 in 4hrs. Does not make since to me either, but that is what the Florida Sate inspector looks for as well.

A suggested plan by the FDA http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/...odSafetyHACCPPrinciples/Operators/default.htm

 Below was taken from (saved me from typing it all out  )  http://www.webstaurantstore.com/guide/43/haccp-and-critical-control-point-guide.html

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) establishes minimum internal temperatures for cooked foods. It is important to remember that these values can be superseded by state or local health code requirements, but they cannot be below the FDA limits. Temperatures should be measured with a probe thermometer in the thickest part of meats, or the center of other dishes, avoiding bones and container sides. Minimum internal temperatures are set as follows:

• 165°F (74°C) for 15 seconds
  • Poultry (such as whole or ground chicken, turkey, or duck)
  • Stuffing
  • Stuffed meats, fish, poultry, and pasta
  • Any previously cooked foods that are reheated from a temperature below 135°F (57°C), provided they have been refrigerated or warm less than 2 hours
  • Any potentially hazardous foods cooked in a microwave, such as poultry, meat, fish, or eggs
• 155°F (68°C) for 15 seconds
  • Ground meats (such as beef or pork)
  • Injected meats (such as flavor-injected roasts or brined hams)
  • Ground or minced fish
  • Eggs that will be held for a length of time before eaten
• 145°F (63°C) for 15 seconds
  • Steaks and chops such as beef, pork, veal, and lamb
  • Fish
  • Eggs cooked for immediate service
• 145°F (63°C) for 4 minutes
  • Roasts (can be cooked to lower temperatures for increased lengths of time) ( we will cook roasts to 130 and hold for 121 min)
• 135°F (57°C) for 15 seconds
  • Cooked fruits or vegetables that will be held for a length of time before eaten
  • Any commercially processed, ready-to-eat foods that will be held for a length of time before eaten

In addition, hot food must be held at a minimum internal of 135°F (57°C) if it is not immediately consumed. The temperature must be checked every 4 hours or else labeled with a discard time. Although monitored hot food can be held indefinitely in this way without a food safety concern, the nutritional value, flavor, and quality can suffer over long periods.