OK I'm a newbie at smoking in general (although I bought the WSM 2 years ago)....life in general does not give me that many days where I have extended stretches of time around the house to tend a smoker.
Anyhow here goes:
12 lb butterball. Brined for 12 hours in 1/2 cup kosher salt & 1/2 gallon of water. After cutting out the backbone the whole bird fit in this big stainless steel bowl I have and 1/2 gallon of water was adequate to cover. taped it in foil and put him back in the fridge overnght.
This morning before heading out to band rehearsal I pulled him out, rinsed and patted dry. used the Jeff Phillips basic BBQ rub recipe and rubbed down the bird, getting the rub under the skin and onto the meat. Back in the fridge until I got back from rehearsal at 11.
Onto the WSM, I used a mix of apple wood and hickory wood as smoke woods, and I burn briquettes as fuel.
here's a photo of about 2 hours in. At this point I have a small spray bottle loaded up with apple cider and every time I lift the lid I hose it down with cider.
Here's the bird fresh off the smoker. The skin is a bit dark but I'm hungry. Its dead now and I'm ready to eat.
All carved up and ready for the table.
Lousy cell phone pix. Some people get good pix with a cell phone. I don't.
Anyway, the wife made homemade sweet potato biscuits and cooked up a big pot full of collard greens to go with the bird.
The meat is moist and flavorful. Even the white meat is outstanding and generally I stay away from the white meat as its apt to be dry and not as much flavor.
Is the dark skin normal / not a concern?
thanks,
Jeff
Anyhow here goes:
12 lb butterball. Brined for 12 hours in 1/2 cup kosher salt & 1/2 gallon of water. After cutting out the backbone the whole bird fit in this big stainless steel bowl I have and 1/2 gallon of water was adequate to cover. taped it in foil and put him back in the fridge overnght.
This morning before heading out to band rehearsal I pulled him out, rinsed and patted dry. used the Jeff Phillips basic BBQ rub recipe and rubbed down the bird, getting the rub under the skin and onto the meat. Back in the fridge until I got back from rehearsal at 11.
Onto the WSM, I used a mix of apple wood and hickory wood as smoke woods, and I burn briquettes as fuel.
here's a photo of about 2 hours in. At this point I have a small spray bottle loaded up with apple cider and every time I lift the lid I hose it down with cider.
Here's the bird fresh off the smoker. The skin is a bit dark but I'm hungry. Its dead now and I'm ready to eat.
All carved up and ready for the table.
Lousy cell phone pix. Some people get good pix with a cell phone. I don't.
Anyway, the wife made homemade sweet potato biscuits and cooked up a big pot full of collard greens to go with the bird.
The meat is moist and flavorful. Even the white meat is outstanding and generally I stay away from the white meat as its apt to be dry and not as much flavor.
Is the dark skin normal / not a concern?
thanks,
Jeff