help RE: smoking and freezing turkey

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jamesdouglas

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jun 20, 2010
58
11
I am smoking some bone in Turkey breasts for a friends wedding rehearsal dinner. Smoking 7 of them.

I have to smoke them this weekend because they need them on Friday. After I smoke them I will slice some of them, and pulling some.

Because I have to do it this weekend I will need to freeze it till Thursday and then thaw it.

I need some tips on freezing/thawing/reheating to keep it as juicy as possible.

Thanks for the tips.
 
Cook to IT of 165.

Do no slice or pull yet.

Remove from bone and cool from >140 to below 40 in under 4 hrs. Use bones to make a quick stock for liquid when reheating. Same cooling time line for stock.

Reheat in oven wrapped with a bit of the stock you made. You want to go from 165 in 2hrs.

Slice what you need first, then use what falls off and other breast for pulled/chopped. You can use the stock you made as a base for a finishing sauce.

Hope this helps. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
 
Many techniques will work.  My favorite way to reheat while retaining all moisture is to vacuum seal and freeze.  When reheating, bring pot of water with steamer rack in bottom to a simmer, 180° and heat the product, in the bags until ready to serve.  Will keep for hours in the water.  Leave bags sealed.  This will work for most products including frozen soups.

Tom
 
Unfortunately I do not have a vacuum sealer.

But I want to repeat back just to ensure I have it right.

After smoking and setting....pull the large chunks from the bone. Cool to below 40° then freeze.
Use bones and dripping to make some stock. And save for when I thaw.

When thawing....put in oven, with stock on the turkey to heat to right temp.

Sound right?

And again, thanks to all.
 
Sorry for the confussion.......

I would not pull the turkey off the bone. I would cut along the center bone between the breasts. Then run the tip of your knife along the rib cage as you are gently pulling back on the breast.

Yes cool to below 40. Then wrap with plastic then foil and freeze.

Remove from freezer and take the foil off, leaving the plastic on, the day before reheating. thaw in fridge....

Weather you do the oven or boil in the bag method it is very important for food safety to reheat to 165 in under 2 hrs.

For the oven method place the breast in a roasting pan, take out of the plastic, with a bit of stock. If you have a rack that will sit in the bottom of the pan to keep the breast from sitting directly on the bottome of the pan, use it. If not no worries. Wrap the pan with plastic wrap then foil. Place in preheated oven at 300. Check temp after an hour, if close make no adjustments, if still not close turn up the heat a bit.

Hope this clears up the mud a bit.

Jeramy
 
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