Smoked Turkey. Rub?

[Chello]

Smoking a bird for thanksgiving this year. Plan on brining, most likely using Alton Browns recipe. Will be smoking with Apple wood, and possibly a bit of Hickory.

Should i use a rub also? Got any good turkey rub recipes?

 

[r2eng]

I wouldn't rub... especially if you like the skin (my favorite part!).

AB's recipe for the brine is excellent. I have used it many times with delicious results.

GREAT... now I have drool on my laptop

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Keep it very simple. You don't have to use a rub, especially if you're brining the turkey. If you choose to use one, salt, pepper, quality paprika, and a little turbinado sugar would work well. Easy on the salt if the bird is brined. Some cayenne or chili powder might be nice, depending on your taste. I'd skip the onion or garlic powder common to many rub recipes.

If you want crispy skin that will go well with the rest of the usual Thanksgiving fare, go easy on the rub. If you want a heavier barbecued feel, slather the turkey with yellow mustard and pile on the spices.

 

[RedHouse]

I also plan on smoking a bird for Thanksgiving. Doing a Heritage Breed turkey from a local farm.....will do a simple brine and smoke with peach wood.

 

[sacrifice]

I do a turkey a few times a year. I brine for 12 hours using water, salt, sage, onion powder, minced garlic, maple syrup, a bit of cayenne and pepper corns. I only rub the bird with olive oil - nothing else. I smoke at 210 degrees for about 10 - 12 hours (4 - 5 hours on the smoke, usually a mix of mostly maple and apple, then hickory, and sometimes mesquite - the rest of the time with heat only). I use a water tray of red wine and apple juice with garlic cloves, which I doubt adds anything to the turkey, but it makes me feel like it does, so I do it.....

Also, unless the bird is natural, do not brine. A lot of turkeys are injected with all types of fats and salty fluid. Soaking them in a brine may be a bit more salt than you want...

 

[Fletch78]

Chello, make sure that bird sits out for many hours... overnight even... so it's room temp when it goes on the smoker. That's a pro-tip. Free of charge.

 

[rogue212005]

While I'm not really wanting to step on any toes.... I not sure what "pro" said leave meat out for "hours." I've been cooking "professionally" since I was 16 and have never really heard such recklessness, plus I'm sure most of us are aware of the Danger Zone of 40 - 140 degrees for four hours. Plus I've had food poisoning before and it is definitely not fun.

 

[Frankfurtvr4]

While I'm not really wanting to step on any toes.... I not sure what "pro" said leave meat out for "hours." I've been cooking "professionally" since I was 16 and have never really heard such recklessness, plus I'm sure most of us are aware of the Danger Zone of 40 - 140 degrees for four hours. Plus I've had food poisoning before and it is definitely not fun.

Seconded.

 

[Fletch78]

I guess it should be noted you shouldn't do this with any meat that isn't going to be cooked to 165. It's pretty common practice to leave large pieces of meat out overnight before smoking them. The fact of the matter is that most people will leave that meat sitting out for 4 hours after it's cooked, in the danger zone. That's the big no-no. Very rarely do people actually get sick, but that's the main concern from a Servsafe perspective. Yes, I've got the Servsafe book too.

Even if you put it on the smoker right out of the fridge, at 35 degrees, how long do you think it takes the inside of that meat to go from 40 to 140? Depending on your smoking style, that could take well over 4 hours. Should all those low-and-slow bbq'ers throw their meat out? Are all of their customers getting food poisoning?

 

[rogue212005]

DO NOT leave food out in the Danger Zone for more than 4 hours!!
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/How_Temperatures_Affect_Food/index.asp
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/98471/why-4-hrs Pay special attention to post #20

 

[sacrifice]

DO NOT leave food out in the Danger Zone for more than 4 hours!!

I agree. Then again ---- I don't follow those rules myself at times.

Overnight to come to room temperature is a bit excessive though. I take my 20 pound turkey out prior to smoking about 3 hours before it goes in the 210 degree smoker. The smoker temp usually drops to the mid-180's for a while, then all is well. It takes 10 - 12 hours to go from room temp to 165, so probably 5 or 7 hours to get to 140+.

Hey! My ice cream has 12 raw eggs in it :rockin: Yum!

 

[Denny330]

I do a turkey a few times a year. I brine for 12 hours using water, salt, sage, onion powder, minced garlic, maple syrup, a bit of cayenne and pepper corns. I only rub the bird with olive oil - nothing else. I smoke at 210 degrees for about 10 - 12 hours (4 - 5 hours on the smoke, usually a mix of mostly maple and apple, then hickory, and sometimes mesquite - the rest of the time with heat only). I use a water tray of red wine and apple juice with garlic cloves, which I doubt adds anything to the turkey, but it makes me feel like it does, so I do it.....

Also, unless the bird is natural, do not brine. A lot of turkeys are injected with all types of fats and salty fluid. Soaking them in a brine may be a bit more salt than you want...

I just wanted to say thanks for the idea of the wine, apple juice and garlic. I did that with the turkey and it turned out perfect.