Who's smoking meat this weekend?

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

Doing a smoked turkey tomorrow, 4th year i'll be doing it. I use the concepts from this guys website, which is packed with info although a bit hard to navigate: http://amazingribs.com/recipes/chicken_turkey_duck/ultimate_smoked_turkey.html

key points: dry rub bird with salt the night before, dont stuff the bird, make an amazing and thinner (heavy cream like consistency) gravy from the smokey drip-pan drippings. My mouth is watering already!

 

[DisturbdChemist]

I have always smoked poultry at 325. What effect does doing it so much lower do for the bird. I would almost be afraid it would soak up too much smoke. Smoke sponges that they are.

I never had an issue with it. People have disagree with me on this site but Dont knock it until you try it. All turns out tasty, last year I cooked it a little too long this year I wont. I only add a set amount of smoking chips. Especially when you make turkey soup with it. Great smokey flavor.

 

[DrunkleJon]

I never had an issue with it. People have disagree with me on this site but Dont knock it until you try it. All turns out tasty, last year I cooked it a little too long this year I wont. I only add a set amount of smoking chips. Especially when you make turkey soup with it. Great smokey flavor.

Cool. One more question because I am sure this matters a lot in cases like this. Electric, gas, charcoal or stick heated smoker?

 

[smit70136]

Not trying to answer for Disturbd but I do the same thing with a stick burner. Choice of wood makes a world of difference.

 

[Rockn_M]

Cool. One more question because I am sure this matters a lot in cases like this. Electric, gas, charcoal or stick heated smoker?

I've done a few in an electric smoker at the highest setting to get a nice crispy skin. After about 1.5 hours I stop adding wood chips and let it cook.

Taste great!

 

[Zekk]

Turkey is sitting in the fridge with a dry brine on it. I think last year we put apples and onions inside the turkey while it smoked. Can't wait for 5 pm tomorrow! I use an electric, and I think it only gets up to 275*.

 

[banesong]

Cool. One more question because I am sure this matters a lot in cases like this. Electric, gas, charcoal or stick heated smoker?

I have an electric, and hit it at 225° for about 6 hours or so. delish.

Kept it around the same temp on my charcoal smoker too.


Edit: 6 hours for a breast. A longer smoke for a while turkey.

 

[EHV]

I'm going to try lump over briquettes in the WSM this year to try to hit the higher temps. Shooting for 325 350. I struggled to keep it at 325 last year with the door cracked. Going with Pecan as well.

 

[castermmt]

Just loaded up the smoker with 4 Briskets, 42lbs before trim, and 4 Pork shoulders, 32lbs before trim. Also have a 24 lb Turkey for the oven in the early morning. Should be a nice holiday

 

[DisturbdChemist]

Cool. One more question because I am sure this matters a lot in cases like this. Electric, gas, charcoal or stick heated smoker?

I use charcoal and smoke chips/pieces. I have a smoker box on the side ans just light the fire and add chips and charcoal every so often. I stop adding chips about half way through and just go with charcoal heat from then on out

 

[banesong]

Just loaded up the smoker with 4 Briskets, 42lbs before trim, and 4 Pork shoulders, 32lbs before trim. Also have a 24 lb Turkey for the oven in the early morning. Should be a nice holiday

Uhhh... How big a smoker?!

 

[DisturbdChemist]

Cool. One more question because I am sure this matters a lot in cases like this. Electric, gas, charcoal or stick heated smoker?

Perfect. Right off the bone. Just 1 of 2 trays of meaty goodness waiting to be devoured.

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[Curtis2010]

Curtis - I think you're right. If the meat has been injected with salt water solution at the production line it won't take up much, if any of the flavor from the brine. That's pretty much the standard deal with the stand alone breast packages. Really sucks.

That said, I routinely do a brine very similar to what you describe EHV and agree with you 100% - the apple brine does wonders for white meat of any kind. I use apple juice, soy sauce, olive oil, salt, sugar, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, tarragon, and juniper berries in my brine. Soak for an hour per pound and smoke with hickory, oak, and apple (also for an hour per pound). What do you use in your brine?

I did a dry rub of Simon & Garfunkle rub per amazingribs.com's recipe (huge amount of info on cooking turkey there BTW). Let sit over night. Sous vide'd for a few hours in the AM then finished on grill. Indirect heat and smoke for a couple of hours and then seared to brown them better on the hot side. Looked good, smelled great, moist & tender, but tasted like Chicken McNuggets to me...meaning no flavor in the very homogenous meat.

A friend asked me to cook these so I did, but seems silly to me when we can get real birds down here...which taste SO much better.

 

[smit70136]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1448602478.066712.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1448602498.350292.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1448602509.667223.jpg
Bacon was added on a whim and mainly served as a smoke barrier for the breasts. Color wasn't what I hoped for but the meat was absolutely delicious. Platter was quickly taken to the table and consumed before I had a chance to take a pic of the sliced turkey. No one had any patience for my documentation attempts.

 

[castermmt]

Uhhh... How big a smoker?!

I have "The Good One" Marshall off set smoker with a Q-Master Senior PID controller.

 

[ChefRex]

Yesterday's turkey, brined and cooked on a Weber kettle, delicious if I do say so myself. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1448629118.716019.jpg

 

[castermmt]

Wow, that Turkey looks amazing!

 

[beernbourbon]

I have "The Good One" Marshall off set smoker with a Q-Master Senior PID controller.

Holy chit. I now have some serious smoker envy.

 

[wi_brewer]

Smoked a 20# bird on my egg for the in laws yesterday.
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[applescrap]

Beautiful birds! Just usual a sale tenderloin and hormel bbq butt piece

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[renrutle]

I'm smoking two fresh hind quarters of venison. Wrapped in bacon and smoked over oak and pecan.

 

[BaylessBrewer]

Throwing 5lbs of venison snack sticks on tomorrow. Wanted to do 10lbs but the kids were driving me nuts and things are bad enough using a kitchen aid stand mixer for grinding and stuffing.
Done and boy are they good! View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1448850677.340095.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1448850694.329105.jpg

 

[bob1852]

About to toss some wings on the smoker. Injected and tossed with creole butter and Frank's hot sauce.

 

[Dixon9717]

Smoking cheese today since it's now cold enough outside that it won't melt since I don't have a cold smoker. I use charcoal and pellets.

5lb Colby
5lb pepperjack
5lb medium cheddar
5lb sharp cheddar

 

[Dixon9717]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1448914351.435797.jpg

 

[slym2none]

Wednesday or Thursday, I will be taking a 10-lb piece of pork shoulder out of the molasses brine, giving it a nice rub, and then cooking that sucker for 12-14 hours, or until I can pull the bone out easily. Smoke for the first 3-4 hours, and IDK what I am gonna use for that yet. I am all out of corn cobs.

 

[HoppyDaze]

View attachment 319735

Looks good. What are you gonna do with 20lbs of cheese?

 

[vanishingpint]

Bayless ; those snack sticks look great.That is a nice fine grind. Hoping to shoot some this week myself .If some walk by my stand that is.

 

[BaylessBrewer]

Bayless ; those snack sticks look great.That is a nice fine grind. Hoping to shoot some this week myself .If some walk by my stand that is.

Thanks! I only ran the meat through the grinder once with the fine plate. It does a great job.
Good luck in the woods this week. Shoot straight be safe!!!!

 

[brew703]

Throwing 5lbs of venison snack sticks on tomorrow. Wanted to do 10lbs but the kids were driving me nuts and things are bad enough using a kitchen aid stand mixer for grinding and stuffing.
Done and boy are they good! View attachment 319612View attachment 319613

Do you use store bought spice mix or something you came up with yourself? I dont do venison but I do beef snack sticks and I cant seem to get the seasoning right. I've tried store bought and recipes on the net but nothing comes close to what I want. They are edible but not quite right.
I do have a couple pounds of deer ground meat in the freezer but i think it's mixed with green onion. Might be good to just try that and see how it turns out.