Smoked Turkey... a BDS Tribute.

Foamheart said:

Chef, I call mine wine but it would be a fortified wine if that. Its really more of am infusion process, like a brine and its simple. I have made wine and sparkling wines in the past but..... due to the ever increasing temps in South Louisiana everything seems to be dying from the heat before it reaches maturity. I will gladly share with you what I do, but Disco is the wine maker. He's forgot more than I will ever know.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/143459/uncle-goldies-fruit-liqueur

You might also try variations of the families "Cherry Bounce" recipe

Cherry Bounce, my way.

1 Gal.        Cherries, washed and pitted

1 box        Golden Raisins

1 C            Honey
[h1]1 C            Brown sugar[/h1]
2 bottles   Brandy (make sure you cover the cherries)

I made this in a clean 5 gallon white plastic bucket with lid so you might want to adjust accordingly. Mix it all up, Seal tightly and let stand at room temperature 1 to 6 months. Strain off and reserve liquid in clear glass containers like mason jars. Cherry Bounce can be used after about a month, but the flavor is smoother if you let the cherries marinate longer.  This is when you taste it to check the flavor. You can increase the sweetness to achieve your personal preference. But do it now, and remember it will smooth out. Sometimes I will also add everclear to give it a kick. BUT small amounts!

Let liquid stand at room temperature until clear, you’ll see it start in a week, takes maybe a month. Pour off the clear. Then strain the sediment with cheese cloth and coffee filters, (a rubber spatula helps here too).. Let stand again.

After the month, carefully pour off only the clear liquid. Discard any sediment. The longer it sets, the better the settle rate. The cloudy part is just sediment. Transfer the clear liquid to a smaller bottle and let stand another week, then pour off and discard sediment. It takes me a few times to be happy.

Cherry Bounce is normally made during harvest, and held until the Christmas holidays for special friends. That’s about a 3 month run.

I have had both mixed and single cherry Bounce, I most liked the Bounce made with wild black cherries.

There used to be a guy in Hammond, made and sold wines and bounce, but I heard years ago that he had passed on. Now his was the best I have had. You can make it with brandy or fortified wine or vodka or rum or whiskey, or etc.

Bounce recipes can be traced back to the 1600 1700’s. Its not a heavy alcohol drink, it’s what people did when they found they had way too much of a fruit and not enough canning jars. It flavored what was an otherwise nasty tasting homebrew. Homebrew was much like pickles, never the same twice and on the less favorable years to try and help the taste.

The cherries and raisins are great but not for kids. I know a local, who has white cherry trees, and he makes bounce yearly and will not share his recipe (its good stuff Manard), but I do know he ages some of his up to 5 years.

Pop always did with Jack Daniels, one year he used cognac, and it was gone pretty quickly.

Just some ideas, I am just an old country boy who likes to play around at it. (I would love to own a nice copper evaporator to make Ethynol from sugarcane)

Seriously I think Disco is your source about making wine. I just flavor booze.

BTW Blackberry is really a tuff starter Chef, its nearly impossible to get clean and still be usable. As a little kid I always made some each year and only 50% ever made without contanimation.

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Foamheart said:

Mmmm.... smoked turkey gumbo, and Turkey pot pies! But you must have a medical card to eat any of the pot pie. </insert rim shot here>

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Foamheart said:

 
Start to finish, wanted to do this and see how the high temp setting worked on the Smoker.

Normally I would crank it high for about 45 mins then drop to about 220-230. Thought I would give it a run full tilt boogey to see why I had not always done it this way to develop a crisper skin.

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• foamheart
• Aug 21, 2013

I passed on brining, did inject it though. Butter,Salt, Onion, Garlic, Tabasco, and Lea & Perrins. My injection method of choice, a cattle needle.

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• foamheart
• Aug 21, 2013

Note, with a small needle you see no runs from pooling nor leaks of the injected juices.

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• foamheart
• Aug 21, 2013

Smoker I used, MES 30 I have no idea which generation, but I like it. It does what you tell it to and that's a good thing.

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• foamheart
• Aug 21, 2013

Note the vent, I have been getting lazy since I have Todd's smoke generator, thought I would go old style since there seems so much discussion about it these days. Its all about what you like, there is always more than one way to skin a cat. Both offer excellent results.

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• foamheart
• Aug 21, 2013

2 1/2 hours into the smoke at a smoker temp set at 275 and an IT of about 130.

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• foamheart
• Aug 21, 2013

While the smoker was smoking, I was busy in the kitchen doing other things, corn bread and biscuits had to be made for the dressing, giblets cooked for the gravy, fruit cut up for the salad. AND I bottled 1 gallon of plum wine, 2 qts of white peach, 1 qt of cling peach, and 1 qt. of nectarine liqueur. They should be ripe about Thanksgiving / Christmas, although like ol'Si on Duck Dynasty, I do like sweet tea, and that peach is mighty tastee in my tea!

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• foamheart
• Aug 21, 2013

Beautiful mahogany colored bird using peach chips. It was done in 4 and 1/2 hours which seemed fast then I remembered the increased smoker temperature.

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• foamheart
• Aug 21, 2013

He was so pretty decided to give ya another shot, BTW I pulled at 164, highest it achieved while resting was 169.

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• foamheart
• Aug 21, 2013

This was one of Mom's turkey platter's I have, the turkeys I remember as a kid would fill that sucker up. This one didn't even cover the turkey. BTW the bird looks dark but its the lighting there in the corner.

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• foamheart
• Aug 21, 2013

I am from the south, I know that giblet gravy is not an American standard, but at my house it is. Cornbread dressing with giblet gravy (sage in that dressing too....OMG!) I will eat again tomorrow or the next day....LOL Maybe Turkey Tetrazinii, turkey gumbo, turkey with sweet potato chowder, etc etc....

As to the experiment, more research will be required..LOL, well did you expect less? But I did notice the turkey was a bit tuffer this time using 275 vice 230, Other than that, didn't seem much difference, the turkey was extremely juicy and flavorful, the smoke was different, don't remember using peach before though.

No aux. smoke generator this time. Didn't need it. I do think I will slide back to 220 to 230 on the next one.

Thank you for looking in on Da'Bird.

Think its time for drink, Tia Maria + Irish Cream + Spiced Rum (GWAD I lub homemade!)

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I am from the south, I know that giblet gravy is not an American standard, but at my house it is. Cornbread dressing with giblet gravy (sage in that dressing too....OMG!) I will eat again tomorrow or the next day....LOL Maybe Turkey Tetrazinii, turkey gumbo, turkey with sweet potato chowder, etc etc....

Click to expand...