Need some tips for Turkey breast like the BBQ joints?

[jr.s]

TONS of info here, but still need something a bit more specific.

I have scored some 10 pound boneless turkey breasts from a friend in the restaurant business. For years I have wondered where the BBQ joints and Caterers got their turkey breast, now I have some!!

I want to do some of the amazingly moist smoked turkey like I buy in the restaurants and BBQ joints and wonder how everyone here recommends to smoke it?

My assumptions are brine first? I'm hoping for just a simple brine that will help with the moisture content.

Also I have a MES that only goes up to 275 degrees. I have read a ton of different opinions....some say 'low and slow' and some say 'hotter and faster' is the answer for more moist meat?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. I have one of them thawing as we speak......hoping to get it on the smoker by the weekend.

 

[gmc2003]

I'm a fan of injecting the breast then cooking hot-n-fast. You still get a subtle smoke flavor, crisp skin and moist meat. My family likes the added flavor smoking puts into food, as long as it isn't overpowering.

Chris

 

[bdskelly]

Like Chris I’d inject or carefully slip pats of butter under the skin. I like Butchers Bird Booster. I go 230 for turkey. Now since your cooking on an MES, If you want to crisp the skin then after your breast IT is just below 165, place it in a preheated oven 425 for about 5 minutes . B

 

[daveomak]

Below is a good start for moist poultry....

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/hind-qtrs-injected-with-stpp-and-veg-stock.275003/

 

[zwiller]

Aaron Franklin actually removes the skin and his technique is nothing exciting. Myself, I am having good results at lower temps with forming a good pellicle for poultry skin. I agree and think the juicy thing is from injecting phosphates but pulling at proper IT is also a factor.

daveomak How do you know if a bird was already injected with phosphate?

 

[daveomak]

I've never had a moist turkey from the store... Soooo, the label means not much to me... I just add STPP and Vegetable stock to improve the moisture and flavor...

 

[zwiller]

Agreed. They probably only use a tiny bit... Gonna try your injection. I am already a huge fan of veggie stock with poultry and just grabbed some STPP and other stuff from Butcher Packer.

 

[chef jimmyj]

First off read the label, on bird or box. These sound like 3-4 lobe turkey breasts. The lobes are meat glued together and wrapped in some skin. Most are already injected with 5 to 30 percent brine by weight.
These are tasty and the key to keeping them moist is not smoker temp but the IT you cook to. If smoking at 225 to 275, pull then when the IT hits 155°F. Tent or wrap in foil and over the next 20-30 minutes the IT will rise to 160-165 then begin to fall. Slice after the rest and eat or refer overnight and slice for sandwiches. I have cooked hundreds of these with great results. I have vet to see one were there was enough skin to mess with the crisping process. It is on loosely and shrinks a lot. YMMV...JJ

 

[zwiller]

Good point. They might be already more enhanced than store bought stuff (and why it's better)