Thanksgiving smoke thread

[nate456789]

At 325 it would probably be 3 to 4 hours, yes. But don't go by time. Use a thermometer.

Stick a remote digital thermometer probe into the breast starting from the neck opening so the tip rests in the middle of one side of the breast. Cover the breast with foil after it has achieved the color and texture you want. Then remove the bird when the breast registers 155F. By that time, the thighs should be around 165 degrees. Carryover heat should take it to 165 in the breast, 175 in the thigh.

The old advice from the FDA to cook turkey until it registers 180 in the thigh is a sure fire way to ruin a bird. It'll be dry and tough and overcooked.

Alton Brown used to say to pull the bird when the internal temp in the breast gets to 161 degrees. More recently, he has revised that to 151 degrees. I go with 155 in the breast, and my turkeys are always cooked.

Thanks for the advice. I do have a remote thermometer - It is fairly accurate. This is my second attempt at smoking a turkey. The first try I was not able to get my smoker box above 225 because it was a windy day - so the turkey was rubbery, but it had an internal temp of 160 in the breasts.
I am hoping to get the box hotter this time.
My only fear is stopping at 155 and the bird not getting to the right temp while it is resting. The majority of the sources I have found said the breast should be between 160 and 165. Above that and you have ruined the bird.

Any recommendation of some simple spices? nothing over the top.
I rubbed the bird down with olive oil and spices before I cooked it.
This was my first attempt. It looked tasty but I was not impressed.

 

[wolfstar]

This year I am smoking a 10# bird. I soak the turkey for about a week in a very weak brine solution of apple juice, a couple of cinamon sticks, and kosher salt.

I smoke it on a rotisserie with the cavity stuffed VERY LOOSLEY with large chunks of cellery, apple, juniper berries, and carrot. I slip a compound butter of fresh sage, a touch of rosemary and thyme under the skin.

Having done this a couple times in the past, so far it has been a number one hit for Turkey Day.

Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Green Beans
Honey Sage Cornbread Stuffing (homemade)
Cranberry Sauce (homemade)
Triple Chocolate Bread pudding with Vannilla ice Cream and A Rum Glaze

There is only two of us so the menue is limited but good....

 

[nate456789]

Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Green Beans
Honey Sage Cornbread Stuffing (homemade)
Cranberry Sauce (homemade)
Triple Chocolate Bread pudding with Vannilla ice Cream and A Rum Glaze

There is only two of us so the menue is limited but good....

Limited? My god that sounds good.
Looks like a very tasty menu to me.

 

[billtzk]

Any recommendation of some simple spices? nothing over the top.

I bet you could insulate that smoker with Reflectix. Just keep it away from the firebox area and do the upper cabinet only.

For something simple, I tuck a stem of rosemary under the breast skin and put a couple more inside the bird along with a lemon and an onion cut into large chunks. The rosemary will definitely be noticeable, but not over the top. Black pepper and cayenne rubbed under the breast skin as far as you can reach without tearing or separating too much of it, and more sprinkled on top of the skin for appearance. No salt, since I always brine the bird. Anything like that will work.

I often flavor my brine. Orange blossum honey, ginger, garlic, herbs, soy sauce, apple juice, a pinch of clove, a couple of bay leaves. That sort of thing. When I flavor the brine I tend not to use much additional seasoning on the bird before roasting or smoking, just pepper and maybe some onion in the cavity.

 

[corkybstewart]

I just put a 15 pounder and a 12 pounder on. They're sitting at 195F right now, using lump charcoal and apple chips. I'll have to add charcoal before work tomorrow morning and the turkeys should be done by noon.

 

[JoeyChopps]

About to put my 17 pounder in ( I know is a little large) but its cool its 4am so I got 12 hours to cool it happy thanksgiving

 

[Walker]

This bitch is almost done...

 

[dfess1]

these babies came out awesome. That brine I had back on page 3 was awesome. I've never had white meat that moist before.

 

[McLompoc]

Had a problem with the oven, so I thought what the hell and did my chipotle dungeness crab stuffed mushrooms in my smoker! They were hot, sweet and decadent!

 

[billtzk]

Those chipotle dungeness crab stuffed mushrooms look awesome, McLompoc. Would you mind sharing the recipe?

 

[McLompoc]

1lb dungess crab, fresh and I shelled my own after steaming.
1.5lb Mushrooms, large enough to hold the stuffing
Bread crumbs
Garlic
Chipotle in Adobo-small can
Oregano
Parmesan fresh grated
Mayo - I used the new mayo with olive oil

In a blender or processor drop in the can of Chipotle and about 5-6 big cloves of garlic. Puree until blended. Scoop out in put in a container with a lid. You will only use a portion. I found mixing this concoction with butter and brushing on corn is yummy too if you like heat.
Back to the shrooms. In a bowl with the crab meat add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of mayo. Fold just a bit. Now is time to add the chipotle. Start with a small spoonfull, taste and then leave alone or and more to your liking. Fold more and taste is my theory. Add oregano, fold, then add bread crumbs a litlle at a time to get a firm yet moist consistency. Add parmesan to your liking and fold again. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to let everything combine.

When ready to cook, I remove the stems from the mushrooms a scoop out the insides. Spoon a heaping batch of crab goodness in the mushrooms and form with a spoon.
I smoked these at 225 for about 25-30 minutes and they were great. The heat was noticeable but quickly eased to a sweet and warm crab melt! In the oven I do them 350 15-20 min. You can telll when they are done.

Happy eating!

 

[bgeek]

Smoked a brisket this year for Thanksgiving. Spiced with kosher salt and cracked pepper and left it on the bbq for about 12hrs. Used mesquite lump charcoal for coals and hickory/oak chunks for smoke. Turned out awesome. :rockin:

 

[billtzk]

1lb dungess crab, fresh and I shelled my own after steaming.
1.5lb Mushrooms, large enough to hold the stuffing
Bread crumbs
Garlic
Chipotle in Adobo-small can
Oregano
Parmesan fresh grated
Mayo - I used the new mayo with olive oil

In a blender or processor drop in the can of Chipotle and about 5-6 big cloves of garlic. Puree until blended. Scoop out in put in a container with a lid. You will only use a portion. I found mixing this concoction with butter and brushing on corn is yummy too if you like heat.
Back to the shrooms. In a bowl with the crab meat add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of mayo. Fold just a bit. Now is time to add the chipotle. Start with a small spoonfull, taste and then leave alone or and more to your liking. Fold more and taste is my theory. Add oregano, fold, then add bread crumbs a litlle at a time to get a firm yet moist consistency. Add parmesan to your liking and fold again. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to let everything combine.

When ready to cook, I remove the stems from the mushrooms a scoop out the insides. Spoon a heaping batch of crab goodness in the mushrooms and form with a spoon.
I smoked these at 225 for about 25-30 minutes and they were great. The heat was noticeable but quickly eased to a sweet and warm crab melt! In the oven I do them 350 15-20 min. You can telll when they are done.

Happy eating!

Man that sounds great. Thank you! for the recipe. I'll be trying this out soon.

 

[billtzk]

Smoked a brisket this year for Thanksgiving. Spiced with kosher salt and cracked pepper and left it on the bbq for about 12hrs. Used mesquite lump charcoal for coals and hickory/oak chunks for smoke. Turned out awesome. :rockin:

Beautiful. What temp did you smoke it at?

 

[bgeek]

Beautiful. What temp did you smoke it at?

The temp was hard to control, due to the wind, but I was able to keep it between 200F-300F.

 

[McLompoc]

Man that sounds great. Thank you! for the recipe. I'll be trying this out soon.

No worries at all! Love to cook! And I have used this topping on New Zealand green lip mussels! Outrageous!

 

[cabron99]

Maybe I've got this all wrong, but I let the wife do her usual excellent job with the turkey and I went out in the back yard and smoked a Havana Partagas Lusitania. Accompanied by some of my homebrewed IPA. Works for me.

 

[corkybstewart]

My birds, 2011

 

[JoeyChopps]

Sweet shirt

 

[corkybstewart]

Sweet shirt

Dress-up Aloha

 

[howabouttheiris]

Turducken.... from scratch.

 

[toolboxdiver]

Dude you are the MAN a Turducken from scratch you got yo post more details like the different stuffings you used etc...

 

[howabouttheiris]

Here is a public link showing the meat prep....

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150477384486142.419556.569071141&type=1&l=7af16f7459

 

[McLompoc]

That is an awesome turducken. My brother has been doing them from scratch the past few years too. I haven't had the guts yet.

 

[emjay]

Turducken.... from scratch.

Is it just me, or are they not stuffed in the "correct" order?

 

[howabouttheiris]

Is it just me, or are they not stuffed in the "correct" order?

Are you guessing duck on the inside, due to color? It was smoked directly on a grill. I think the chicken took a tonne of smoke thru the bottom and is almost entirely smoke ring. It is wrapped chicken in duck in turkey... which I believe is the correct order. Correct me if I am wrong.

It was a 14 lb turkey, a 6-7lb duck and a 4-5lb chicken.

 

[android]

tonne of smoke

awesome.