OK, I thought it was time for a bit of playing around. No its not a tune up, I don't cook on the holidays. I have done that enough, time to allow the new generation the fun and frustration so they'll have their own stories to someday laugh about. No doubt while watching their kids learn. LOL
Awhile back someone whom I will not mention his name left the meat freezer's door open and well it smelled narly. Almost like after a hurricane used to...
I always keep butts, briskets and a turkey or two plus all the other small stuff. So I got another turkey. This one was a Butterball Premium. Since it was already enhanced, although only 8%, I decided to skip the brine and go the injected route. Been a while since I injected and thats the only way my Pop used to do 'em.... I knew I could use some practice.
Pop's injection sauce was much like everything else, his recipes he kept in his wallet. Seriously, it was one of his that he to this day keeps in his wallet. LOL.... its not like its something unusual though. I bet if you just look at the pictures you'll figure it out.
I won't bore you with the same old BS, I defrosted the turkey, a day and 1/2. O place 'en in the old brine bucket with water and set 'em in the bathtub after weighing it down. And ta-da its was a turkey. It was a 20+ pound turkey, I really don't even notice the weight anymore and I know thats a bad habit. Took years to figure out the smoking times using all the variables, now I just stick a thermometer in the breast and get after it.
So let me introduce you this the bird, well everyone knows that the bird is the word!
Note the fan, I ran the fan on it for about 45 mins. to form a pellicle. No one likes rubbery skin. I wish you could have seen the yellow color from the fat rising up. After forming the pellicle, I injected it.
Don't try and tell me that there is red blooded American man that can't tell all the major muscles on the turkey. As kids we started with the wings and progressively worked our way up. You know this bird!
Lets talk hypodermic. 2.50 at every seed & feed I ever went into. Yes you can spend ALOT more And I have more than my share of them, but the cattle hypo is IMHO still the best, cheapest, easiest, and easy to find in any town, village, burg or city! There is always a a seed & feed in ever community. I like the short needles, because you don't need the long ones. They usually cause the injector to put too much juice in the bird and half of it squirts out, while the other half just pools in the meat. I use the small needle, numerous injections with just a little juice injected at one time. You also want to get into the major muscles high and low, close and far.
The chicken above is already injected. do you see any clotted butter on the skin or pan? Its in the bird. Remember the bird is the word!
Here is the bird, you can see the pellicle, and its all juiced up. That yellow is the fat and not the butter.
Then I actually sort of massage the meat to try and get the juices distributed into the muscles. The Bird likes this part and appreciates you using warm hands. Then its into the reefer overnight to get good and chilled again.
The next day, smoker. I used the 40 because the 30 is sick. I hate that little tiny chip tray but hallelujah & praise the lord I have an aux. smoke generator. I have most of the Amazing products also but this time it was the Masterbuilt generator. I preheat to 275 and allow it to stabilize. 30 to 45 mins. and while awaiting I pull the bird from the reefer remobe the once damp paper towels from it (inside and out). Insure its not too dehydrated. Then rub it down with suntan lotion. Think I used olive oil today, but just whatever you reach in the pantry and grab first. I go back outside, and load the generator, with chips or shells. place the chimney in the generator but no need to turn it on yet.
I get the bird and remember that the bird is the word, place it in the smoker, open the vent fully, and go clean up your mess. About an hour later come check everything. I am going to start calling this the dewater cycle, because it does, and it also preheats the bird usually to about 50 to 80 degrees IT, depending upon the bird mass, and how cold it was.
I insert the remote thermometer dead center in the breast for the nest reading and Click on the generator. OK, I didn't tell ya I did put some chips in the chip tray because I like the smoke smell but it was only for me to enjoy it. Doesn't do much for the Bird.
So here we go......... Heres the first hour probed.
4 hours in........
I think about 6........ IT was 163
See all those juices in the pan? Remember to pull it a bit early and allow the temp to travel while it sits. I try to allow for a 10 degree temp drop before pulling the thermometer, usuall longer.
What I didn't really concentrate on, bird weight, who cares, you are cooking to an IT. Time smoked? I do sometimes worry about time smoked if it is a large bird. You regulate your temperature to facilitate the time you want. Had this been a big bird I would have gone lower and slower. Why? Because bigger birds are tuffer, lower and slow will beat down tuff every time. Also its a wood consideration. What color are you wanting? Deep mahogany? Bright Red? Light Brown? You are in control of all these things, just plan accordingly.
BTW today's bird was brought to you by the color apple. I love how apple makes a turkey look, its almost like an amber window when looking at or thru the skin, beautiful.
Well that's it, now I gotta go figure what to do with all this meat....ROFLMAO
Thanks for checking it out......... If I missed something just ask......... I hope everyone has a pleasant holiday season and all that all your birds are the word.
PS:: I wish I had brined the bird, or even brined it also. Its juicy but nothing like it would have been had I brined it. I think when brined it just holds on to all those juices you see in the tray better. Again just IMHO.
Awhile back someone whom I will not mention his name left the meat freezer's door open and well it smelled narly. Almost like after a hurricane used to...
I always keep butts, briskets and a turkey or two plus all the other small stuff. So I got another turkey. This one was a Butterball Premium. Since it was already enhanced, although only 8%, I decided to skip the brine and go the injected route. Been a while since I injected and thats the only way my Pop used to do 'em.... I knew I could use some practice.
Pop's injection sauce was much like everything else, his recipes he kept in his wallet. Seriously, it was one of his that he to this day keeps in his wallet. LOL.... its not like its something unusual though. I bet if you just look at the pictures you'll figure it out.
I won't bore you with the same old BS, I defrosted the turkey, a day and 1/2. O place 'en in the old brine bucket with water and set 'em in the bathtub after weighing it down. And ta-da its was a turkey. It was a 20+ pound turkey, I really don't even notice the weight anymore and I know thats a bad habit. Took years to figure out the smoking times using all the variables, now I just stick a thermometer in the breast and get after it.
So let me introduce you this the bird, well everyone knows that the bird is the word!
Note the fan, I ran the fan on it for about 45 mins. to form a pellicle. No one likes rubbery skin. I wish you could have seen the yellow color from the fat rising up. After forming the pellicle, I injected it.
Don't try and tell me that there is red blooded American man that can't tell all the major muscles on the turkey. As kids we started with the wings and progressively worked our way up. You know this bird!
Lets talk hypodermic. 2.50 at every seed & feed I ever went into. Yes you can spend ALOT more And I have more than my share of them, but the cattle hypo is IMHO still the best, cheapest, easiest, and easy to find in any town, village, burg or city! There is always a a seed & feed in ever community. I like the short needles, because you don't need the long ones. They usually cause the injector to put too much juice in the bird and half of it squirts out, while the other half just pools in the meat. I use the small needle, numerous injections with just a little juice injected at one time. You also want to get into the major muscles high and low, close and far.
The chicken above is already injected. do you see any clotted butter on the skin or pan? Its in the bird. Remember the bird is the word!
Here is the bird, you can see the pellicle, and its all juiced up. That yellow is the fat and not the butter.
Then I actually sort of massage the meat to try and get the juices distributed into the muscles. The Bird likes this part and appreciates you using warm hands. Then its into the reefer overnight to get good and chilled again.
The next day, smoker. I used the 40 because the 30 is sick. I hate that little tiny chip tray but hallelujah & praise the lord I have an aux. smoke generator. I have most of the Amazing products also but this time it was the Masterbuilt generator. I preheat to 275 and allow it to stabilize. 30 to 45 mins. and while awaiting I pull the bird from the reefer remobe the once damp paper towels from it (inside and out). Insure its not too dehydrated. Then rub it down with suntan lotion. Think I used olive oil today, but just whatever you reach in the pantry and grab first. I go back outside, and load the generator, with chips or shells. place the chimney in the generator but no need to turn it on yet.
I get the bird and remember that the bird is the word, place it in the smoker, open the vent fully, and go clean up your mess. About an hour later come check everything. I am going to start calling this the dewater cycle, because it does, and it also preheats the bird usually to about 50 to 80 degrees IT, depending upon the bird mass, and how cold it was.
I insert the remote thermometer dead center in the breast for the nest reading and Click on the generator. OK, I didn't tell ya I did put some chips in the chip tray because I like the smoke smell but it was only for me to enjoy it. Doesn't do much for the Bird.
So here we go......... Heres the first hour probed.
4 hours in........
I think about 6........ IT was 163
See all those juices in the pan? Remember to pull it a bit early and allow the temp to travel while it sits. I try to allow for a 10 degree temp drop before pulling the thermometer, usuall longer.
What I didn't really concentrate on, bird weight, who cares, you are cooking to an IT. Time smoked? I do sometimes worry about time smoked if it is a large bird. You regulate your temperature to facilitate the time you want. Had this been a big bird I would have gone lower and slower. Why? Because bigger birds are tuffer, lower and slow will beat down tuff every time. Also its a wood consideration. What color are you wanting? Deep mahogany? Bright Red? Light Brown? You are in control of all these things, just plan accordingly.
BTW today's bird was brought to you by the color apple. I love how apple makes a turkey look, its almost like an amber window when looking at or thru the skin, beautiful.
Well that's it, now I gotta go figure what to do with all this meat....ROFLMAO
Thanks for checking it out......... If I missed something just ask......... I hope everyone has a pleasant holiday season and all that all your birds are the word.
PS:: I wish I had brined the bird, or even brined it also. Its juicy but nothing like it would have been had I brined it. I think when brined it just holds on to all those juices you see in the tray better. Again just IMHO.
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