Who's smoking meat this weekend?

passedpawn said:

Where'd you get the metal ones?

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My local pool/outdoor living shop. They sell and service the BGE and Kamado Joe folks.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0067YBFQQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

These are the ones I have. Infact, I've got a set for my home here and our place in NC for the summer for when I smoke up there. Works great to lift stuff from the smoker instead of getting the BBQ gloves on and handling things.

BGE apparently makes some as well, same brand and design, but in the green color and obviously more expensive because of it.

Worth the $12 bucks though.

FATC1TY said:

My local pool/outdoor living shop. They sell and service the BGE and Kamado Joe folks.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0067YBFQQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

These are the ones I have. Infact, I've got a set for my home here and our place in NC for the summer for when I smoke up there. Works great to lift stuff from the smoker instead of getting the BBQ gloves on and handling things.

BGE apparently makes some as well, same brand and design, but in the green color and obviously more expensive because of it.

Worth the $12 bucks though.

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Cool. Amazon Prime FTW. Just bought.

Menards had those exact metal claws as well.

Ok guys, got word from the MIL last night that I am in charge of smoking a turkey this year and have never done one. Any tips, recipes, smoking time/temps? I am not sure how big it is yet but I dont think itll be too large. Should I brine it? Any advice is welcome. It will be done on a pellet smoker it that helps any.

I don't prefer smoked turkey per se... i do prefer grill roasted turkey. all the flavor, half the work.

finsfan said:

Ok guys, got word from the MIL last night that I am in charge of smoking a turkey this year and have never done one. Any tips, recipes, smoking time/temps? I am not sure how big it is yet but I dont think itll be too large. Should I brine it? Any advice is welcome. It will be done on a pellet smoker it that helps any.

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http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/honey-brined-smoked-turkey-recipe2/index.html

finsfan said:

Ok guys, got word from the MIL last night that I am in charge of smoking a turkey this year and have never done one. Any tips, recipes, smoking time/temps? I am not sure how big it is yet but I dont think itll be too large. Should I brine it? Any advice is welcome. It will be done on a pellet smoker it that helps any.

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It's a lot more simple than you think. Make your own brine (it's easy).

Smoke the turkey at anything above 300F. If you want crispy skin, shoot for 350F. I always smoke a ~24-lb. turkey at 325F for about 5-5.5 hours using a mild fruit woods (cherry, maple and apple).

Remmy said:

It's a lot more simple than you think. Make your own brine (it's easy).

Smoke the turkey at anything above 300F. If you want crispy skin, shoot for 350F. I always smoke a ~24-lb. turkey at 325F for about 5-5.5 hours using a mild fruit woods (cherry, maple and apple).

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Everything Ive read today says to keep it between 230-275. Any reason for smoking it so hot?

Brine it for sure... Without a doubt a step you do not want to skip. Adds flavor, and keeps the moisture.

FRESH TURKEY is the best. If you can avoid it, get the fresh stuff, and avoid a really large turkey. If you need a bunch get two turkeys that smoke them versus a really big old bird. Takes too long to cook, you can over smoke it too.

I plan for 30-35 minutes a pound, at roughly 250-300 for a couple hours. Check the temp near the end. 165* in the dark meats. I ramp it up to get it slightly crispier on the skin, but it doesn't really matter. No one eats it anyways.

I will rub the turkey skin down with olive oil and put a couple pats of butter under the skin of the breasts.

Smoke it away.. I generally like to use maple and pecan myself. Might even use some peach this year.

When you are around the 165 mark, pull it off just before hand for some carry over, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.

Makes some killer sammies the next day too!

finsfan said:

Everything Ive read today says to keep it between 230-275. Any reason for smoking it so hot?

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That is smoke roasting (what we do).

finsfan said:

Everything Ive read today says to keep it between 230-275. Any reason for smoking it so hot?

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Did you check that link out that I dropped above? I go 300-350. That's on a 20# turkey.

passedpawn said:

Did you check that link out that I dropped above? I go 300-350. That's on a 20# turkey.

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yeah it said 400*! IDK what to do now, everyone has different opinions. I will ask the MIL if I can do a trial run this sunday I guess.

My smoker only goes to 275...I guess I can use the grill and do foil pouches.

finsfan said:

Everything Ive read today says to keep it between 230-275. Any reason for smoking it so hot?

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There's no point in cooking poultry at that low if a temperature. You'll dry it out.

Remmy said:

There's no point in cooking poultry at that low if a temperature. You'll dry it out.

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That seems contradictory but i cant argue with that great looking bird Ill try it out this weekend

finsfan said:

yeah it said 400*! IDK what to do now, everyone has different opinions. I will ask the MIL if I can do a trial run this sunday I guess.

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Do yourself a favor and try two chickens first. Cook one at 230 and another at 300+. You'll see.

I'm still a newb, so take the below for what it's worth. And please, if I'm wrong, correct me as I'd hate to be laboring under wrong assumptions...

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From what I've read, everything about low'n'slow is all about taking tough & fatty cuts of meat, and the low'n'slow cooking renders out the fats and collagen in the meat to make it tender.

Poultry isn't fatty, nor is it burdened with difficult connective tissue that needs to be rendered out. So there's no reason to cook low'n'slow. And as others point out, that just gives it more time under heat for moisture to evaporate out.

Hot[ter] & fast[er] works. You obviously don't want it so hot it burns the outside without allowing the heat to transfer to the inside. But you don't need it down at 250, when 350 works better, will keep it more moist, and will crisp up the skin.

I am newbish about smoking as well and figure I should add that you do not want to oversmoke poultry either. I would rather be too lightly smoked and moist rather than oversmoked and dry.

That's why I use ash wood from one of our trees on top of the coals. The smoke seems to circulate the heat better in my pit. And no more than a 13lb turkey works the best at higher heat,like 350F or so. I keep a chimney full of coals to light when it starts cooling down. Takes some 5-7 hours or so. I also like to put garlic butter under the breast skin. It permiates the whole bird slowly.

Careful brining most turkeys. They usually are already injected with a salt solution. Your typical brine will result in an overly salty turkey.

This year I'm going to inject/rub with creole butter and smoke. Mostly to free up the oven for other stuff.

AZ_IPA said:

Careful brining most turkeys. They usually are already injected with a salt solution. Your typical brine will result in an overly salty turkey.

This year I'm going to inject/rub with creole butter and smoke. Mostly to free up the oven for other stuff.

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Which is why it's best to get a fresh turkey. Most of your commercial butterball and store brand turkeys will be pumped full of junk.

Good points to remind.

Also, pay attention to your brine recipe if you are using a new one. Some aren't overnight, and might be a couple hours. Depends on how much salt in there too. Overbrined turkey taste terrible.

finsfan said:

Ok guys, got word from the MIL last night that I am in charge of smoking a turkey this year and have never done one. Any tips, recipes, smoking time/temps? I am not sure how big it is yet but I dont think itll be too large. Should I brine it? Any advice is welcome. It will be done on a pellet smoker it that helps any.

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What I did last time is about 20 hours @ 175F, I kept a pan of water on the first shelf, and cooked the turkey breast up with a pan below it to catch the drippings. I peeled an onion and quartered it and stuck inside the turkey, and then laid a few onions on top of the breast. I kept some beer and apple juice handy and when I checked on the turkey I'd put a little in the cavity of the bird. For the last hour or two I turned my electric smoker to high to help crisp up the skin some.

The drippings were turned into some amazing stuffing and the bird was so juicy it squirted when I cut into it and tender and smokey and flavored throughout.

Grimster said:

What I did last time is about 20 hours @ 175F, I kept a pan of water on the first shelf, and cooked the turkey breast up with a pan below it to catch the drippings. I peeled an onion and quartered it and stuck inside the turkey, and then laid a few onions on top of the breast. I kept some beer and apple juice handy and when I checked on the turkey I'd put a little in the cavity of the bird. For the last hour or two I turned my electric smoker to high to help crisp up the skin some. The drippings were turned into some amazing stuffing and the bird was so juicy it squirted when I cut into it and tender and smokey and flavored throughout.

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That's crazy. If I ever smoked a bird that low for that long, it would come out like poop. How did you smoke at 175F for the duration of the cook when the dark meat should have reached 180-185F?

Remmy said:

That's crazy. If I ever smoked a bird that low for that long, it would come out like poop. How did you smoke at 175F for the duration of the cook when the dark meat should have reached 180-185F?

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Why would you want the dark meat to reach 180-185?

165* is the safe temp for turkey..

FATC1TY said:

Why would you want the dark meat to reach 180-185?

165* is the safe temp for turkey..

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for white meat yeah but you want the dark meat around 180*

finsfan said:

for white meat yeah but you want the dark meat around 180*

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Actually, thats old school. They've pretty much changed the whole "done temp" for the whole turkey at 165.. They, being the USDA. Food safe talking, I always cook to 165, and the dark meat and white meat are done, tender and juicy. The juice runs clears throughout.

Some people stick to the 180 is done for dark meat, and end up drying out their white meat. They try and tent it, and dismantle the turkey to cook it all separate. Dark meat does need more time to become more tender, but there's really no reason IMO.

I always test both dark and white meat before I pull the turkey off of the smoker. I never pull of the dark meat hasn't reached 180. 162-165 is ok for breast. Always cooked-through and never dry when I use a brine. I've cooked birds without brining and they are significantly less juice when smoked to the same temps.

As far as smoking at 175F smoker temp, I would never eat they turkey. Not because it wouldn't come out tasty. But just based on the fact that it would have stayed in the danger zone for so long, I wouldn't want to get sick from it.

The wife wants me to smoke a turkey breast for thanksgiving and said that I better practice this weekend to make sure I'll do it right on Thursday. Who am I to disagree? I better throw some pork chops on there, too. Mmmm, smoked pork chops....

SteveHeff said:

The wife wants me to smoke a turkey breast for thanksgiving and said that I better practice this weekend to make sure I'll do it right on Thursday. Who am I to disagree? I better throw some pork chops on there, too. Mmmm, smoked pork chops....

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I told the MIL that I had to practice before thanksgiving too, smoking a turkey sunday to practice

Planning on doing a couple spatchcocked chickens tomorrow. Going to smoke them at 325.

If I've got birds in the 3.5# range, any *rough* idea how long I should factor for cooking? I'm thinking it's not likely to go beyond 2 hours?

I'm doing a couple of spatchcocks as well...first time. I think they should take less than an hour at 325º.

Doing a trail turkey this weekend. Only 7-8 lbs, how long do I smoke it per pound at 350*?

finsfan said:

Doing a trail turkey this weekend. Only 7-8 lbs, how long do I smoke it per pound at 350*?

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go with the suggested timing that they use for oven roasting. insert thermometer about halfway to that time point and keep an eye on the bird.

Melana said:

go with the suggested timing that they use for oven roasting. insert thermometer about halfway to that time point and keep an eye on the bird.

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Thanks!

I am doing a TriTip on Sat or Sun. We usually smoke something at least 3 or 4 time a week be it pork or beef. I cheat though. Gas is the way to go, set it and forget it.

I'm going to brine and grill fresh turkey breast on Saturday. Specifically two pairs of boobs, 7 lbs each. Any recommendations for temp and time. I've grilled turkey before in my egg, I want to say I had it at about 350F and indirect.

pickles said:

I'm going to brine and grill fresh turkey breast on Saturday. Specifically two pairs of boobs, 7 lbs each. Any recommendations for temp and time. I've grilled turkey before in my egg, I want to say I had it at about 350F and indirect.

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Take them to 160º-165º internal and then a 15 min. rest.

^that sounds about right. bigger pieces of meat like that will probably benefit from the "lower" pit temp. If they were smaller I'd say hit em' at 375-400. Heck - you still might benefit from a slightly higher temp if you're like me and enjoy a little char on the meat

pickles said:

I'm going to brine and grill fresh turkey breast on Saturday. Specifically two pairs of boobs, 7 lbs each. Any recommendations for temp and time. I've grilled turkey before in my egg, I want to say I had it at about 350F and indirect.

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What's better than one pair of boobs? Two.

Seriously though... i'd pull them at 155 and let them coast the rest of the way to done. wrap those girls as soon as they pop out and they will stay juicy.
Hmmmm juicy boobs... didn't think i had it in me!

Thanks this is all good advice. Any idea of time based on 375F ? I'm also thinking rubbing one with a southwest style rub, just not sure what yet.