A Turkey to Break My Helicopter Smoking - Qview

[Preacher Man]

You know how they say helicopter parents are those parents that are always hovering over every single thing their child does? Well, that's me with smoking meat. I put something in the the smoker and I go nuts and obsess over it the whole time.

I been really wanting to break myself of this habit, so I decided to do an overnight smoke where I'm forced to sleep instead of hover.

I had a free turkey someone gave me thawed out, so I decided to use that. I've done turkey breast and turkey legs separate, but never a whole turkey. Meh, what the heck.

I brined it the day before, got home from church Wednesday night, preheated the MES30 to 250° for an hour, rubbed it with some poultry rub I found in my cabinet, got my 12" Amazen Pellet Tube Smoker filled with alder, started and positioned it, then stuck my turkey in and got in bed by 9:30pm.

My alarm on my Maverick ET-733 went off at 3:03am to tell me it was done. I wrapped the bird up, stuck it in my cooler, covered it with towels, went back to bed and then at 4:30am I woke up, went to the gym like normal, came back by 6:00am and started carving up the gobbler.

Goodness gracious! This is the best turkey I've ever had! I could hardly keep the thigh together because it was falling off of the bone. The legs just pulled right off. The breast was raining juices as I was slicing it up. And the smoke flavor was deep, rich, and perfectly complimentary to meat. Mmm!

Thank you, Mr. Turkey, for showing me that you don't need my obsessive behavior to taste so delicious.

 

[The Butt Man]

Looks good. I’ll take a sandwich please.

 

[oldsmokerdude]

Great looking gobbler meat!! Meat, smoke, fire, and time are all it takes when you boil it down to the basics. I sometimes get the feeling that the less "messing with the process" I do the better the end product is.

Nice job on the turkey!!

 

[browneyesvictim]

...and just like that, your patients is rewarded! Great job!

 

[Scott Eisenbraun]

Looks fantastic. My son in law said he used to hate turkey, because all he'd ever eaten was overcooked, and dried out on the holidays. First time he ate an injected smoked was bird at our place. Now they travel 6 hours to our house every Thanksgiving.

 

[gmc2003]

Looks like a real fine bird you smoked. Nice Job. Now your ready to take on the T-day bird.

Point for sure.
Chris

 

[Preacher Man]

...First time he ate an injected smoked was bird at our place...

Scott Eisenbraun do you also brine your bird and inject it? I brined this one, but didn't inject and it was all kinds of juicy. Would injecting it make it more so?

I've always been afraid that the injection points would make pathways for the juices to flow out. (Maybe I spent too long working fracs in the oil patch?)

 

[Preacher Man]

Now your ready to take on the T-day bird.

gmc2003 I've been reading about this smo-fried turkey. I'm seriously thinking about taking this route on T-day!

 

[Scott Eisenbraun]

Scott Eisenbraun do you also brine your bird and inject it? I brined this one, but didn't inject and it was all kinds of juicy. Would injecting it make it more so?

I've always been afraid that the injection points would make pathways for the juices to flow out. (Maybe I spent too long working fracs in the oil patch?)

No, this bird was already brined by the processor. Used Cajun butter injector kit back then. Now I make my own. Always comes out moist and smokey good. Either way adds moisture. I do a hot smoke @325. Will probably try a low temp smoke with cure pretty soon.​

 

[browneyesvictim]

Hands down best turkey ever has been with the Slaugherhouse Brine and/or Injection recipes. I also add 1T. Cure #1. Just wow...

In my opinion, I don't think it matters if it is already "enhanced" if doing a wet brine, but injecting is another story. You will reach an equilibrium with a wet brine, but with an injection you are directly adding to whatever salt and such is already there that it can uptake.

Both slaughterhouse recipes/methods are good, but Ill use just the brine recipe and will also inject that to speed the process. It goes in a 2 Gallon ziplock with the brine. No worries about injection holes leaking out! I go 2 days injecting or 4 days if I don't. Try it on a couple of whole chickens or poultry parts the same way... Amazing.

 

[chilerelleno]

Gotta love giving people the bird.
Especially when it is just fantastically good.
I dry brined, air dried and injected our last turkey... An unprecedented level of food nirvana was achieved that day.
Sounds like you hit one too.

 

[crazymoon]

PM, Good job on that bird sir !

 

[Bearcarver]

Nice Bird!!!
Make 'em any nicer than that you're gonna have to get a Door-Gunner for your Helicopter!!
Nice Job!
Like.

Bear

 

[SmokinAl]

Your turkey looks great!
If you want to try an injection, I would recommend Tony C's Butter & jalapeno marinade.
Walmart usually carries it, and it's awesome on poultry!
Al

 

[HalfSmoked]

Nice looking bird surely was a nice learning curve for you.

Warren

 

[HalfSmoked]

Nice looking bird there are many ways to do a turkey and it seems this has been a learning curve for you.

Warren