Smoking a Turkey Breast - Cure or No Cure?

[equinn]

Hi Guys,

I am planning to smoke a couple of whole turkey breasts for Thanksgiving. I have always brined my turkeys with brown sugar/salt/apple juice or cider brine and then just cooked in the oven. They always turn out moist and delicious. Now I want to smoke a turkey and am hearing that some folks cure and smoke, while others brine and smoke. Which is better and why? What does cured and smoked taste like? Any good recipes (I have Prague #1)?

Also, I have seen people leaving the turkeys in the cure/brine anywhere from overnight to a couple of weeks. What is the difference? I usually brine 1 hour per pound of Turkey.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Elena

 

[browneyesvictim]

Cured and smoked Turkey tastes like ham basically. Very good and better than straight smoked turkey in my opinion. Search Pops Brine Cure. Its super easy.

 

[motocrash]

I always brine and apple wood smoke.Brine is like yours but with lemons and oranges added,I normally brine it for a few days 2~3. I've never cured one but everyone says what browneyes stated above.

Bill

 

[darwin101]

I have been curing turkey breast for a few months. I got several bone in breast for $ .99 per pound. The Board's Head brand of smoked Turkey is $8 to $12 / #. The flavour is similar and it does have a ham like taste.

 

[noboundaries]

A little cure goes a LONG way to add flavor. My smoked turkeys are not cured, but in my brine recipe, which includes about a gallon of liquid, I add 1/2 tsp of Prague Powder cure #1. I always inject the breast with the brine. It gives the turkey just a hint of ham flavor that still allows the turkey to be turkey, but goes nicely with the smoke.