Smoked a turkey

[WYPirate]

This last year, I hickory-smoked my turkey. I picked up a 15 lb. Butterball Young Hen, sqwoze some fresh orange, and coated the outside with good olive oil, then rubbed it down good with creole seasoning. The cavity I stuffed with the orange hulls, a red onion and a few cloves of garlic. I then fired up the Brinkmann smoker with charcoal and hickory chunks to around 250*. The bird went in at around 0900, and smoked until 1430. There was little wind, so keeping the temp consistant was a non-issue.

Caveat; Smoking a turkey will usually turn it's skin BLACK, YMMV. during the cooking process, it went from a dark mahogany, to black as pitch. I was slightly worried that the skin would be in-edible, but in my case it was fine. Remember, if this happens to you, the blackness is from the smoke, not the heat you'd find in an oven, it is not burnt. I did not baste the turkey at all during it's stint in the smoker.

Once the probe thermometer's alarm reached 165* (inserted into the tukey thigh meat), it went into a roasting pan and covered with foil for a nap. With carry-over, it reached a toasty 178*F, perfect. Once the smoker cooled a bit, I removed the aluminum roasting pan from under the turkey's cooking grate. I was awash in smokey dripping goodness, this made for some unbelievable gravy over garlic mashed potatoes.

I'd recommend trying the smoker method. If not on a turkey, try it on other whole foul. Every cell of that meat was full of smoky flavor. Not to the point of being too smoky, but just right. BTW, don't chuck the bones or carcass of that bird! Chuck it into a pot with carrots, celery, onion and some herbs/spices, and make a stock.

The rest of the menu consisted of Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Dressing, Garlic Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes, Smoked Turkey Gravy, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and about 6 pitchers of American Alt. I'm still eating leftovers. Monte Cristos, Turkey Melts, Turkey Cacciatore, Sammiches, and just regular plates with all the fixin's. I won't not post pictures of the fare this year, as the midnight turkey looked like a black hole on the table. Razz

Anybody doing something other and the norm for Thanksgiving this year?

[Colt45]

I used to indirect cook the T-day turkey on the weber kettle every year. I haven't the past couple, but loved the flavor.

The skin would get very dark, but never truly black.

Loved the ribs and brisket - thanks for the posts!

[paesano]

Also a cooker here by trade and grew up in the business. Nice to have another food hound here. I do 99% of the food at my home and all the shopping.

[Homebrew]

This last year, I hickory-smoked my turkey. I picked up a 15 lb. Butterball Young Hen, sqwoze some fresh orange, and coated the outside with good olive oil, then rubbed it down good with creole seasoning. The cavity I stuffed with the orange hulls, a red onion and a few cloves of garlic. I then fired up the Brinkmann smoker with charcoal and hickory chunks to around 250*. The bird went in at around 0900, and smoked until 1430. There was little wind, so keeping the temp consistant was a non-issue.

Caveat; Smoking a turkey will usually turn it's skin BLACK, YMMV. during the cooking process, it went from a dark mahogany, to black as pitch. I was slightly worried that the skin would be in-edible, but in my case it was fine. Remember, if this happens to you, the blackness is from the smoke, not the heat you'd find in an oven, it is not burnt. I did not baste the turkey at all during it's stint in the smoker.

Once the probe thermometer's alarm reached 165* (inserted into the tukey thigh meat), it went into a roasting pan and covered with foil for a nap. With carry-over, it reached a toasty 178*F, perfect. Once the smoker cooled a bit, I removed the aluminum roasting pan from under the turkey's cooking grate. I was awash in smokey dripping goodness, this made for some unbelievable gravy over garlic mashed potatoes.

I'd recommend trying the smoker method. If not on a turkey, try it on other whole foul. Every cell of that meat was full of smoky flavor. Not to the point of being too smoky, but just right. BTW, don't chuck the bones or carcass of that bird! Chuck it into a pot with carrots, celery, onion and some herbs/spices, and make a stock.

The rest of the menu consisted of Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Dressing, Garlic Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes, Smoked Turkey Gravy, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and about 6 pitchers of American Alt. I'm still eating leftovers. Monte Cristos, Turkey Melts, Turkey Cacciatore, Sammiches, and just regular plates with all the fixin's. I won't not post pictures of the fare this year, as the midnight turkey looked like a black hole on the table. Razz

Anybody doing something other and the norm for Thanksgiving this year?

I have a pic or two of a smoked bird.

Dave (A.K.A. Homebrew)

[WYPirate]

Nice lookin bird Homebrew! How did you keep the skin from blackening? Temp? Time? How how how!!!

[Don Candido]

I just ate some Stove Top stuffing to get in the mood for the week. I know it is just packaged and but it is comfort food. Mama used to cook it.

I wish I had some of that smoked bird to go with my stuffing. I need to get my act together....

[Ryan]

I did the Christmas turkey on the weber last year. Hot smoked it with mesquite chunks.

I didn't do anything particularly fancy with it, rubbed a mixture of oil, butter and lemon juice on it. Lemon, garlic and celery in the cavity.

I had a drip pan under it half filled with white wine and sprigs of rosemary, makes for a great gravy once the drippings go in it too.

It took about 3 1/2 hours for a 15LB turkey, the skin stayed a very nice reddish brown, I may have used tinfoil towards the end the prevent blackening, I can't remember.

I kept warm with hot port and an Upmann Monarch.

Great stuff, I'll do it again this year.

[Homebrew]

Nice lookin bird Homebrew! How did you keep the skin from blackening? Temp? Time? How how how!!!

There is a bit of a trick to it. Build a massive fire in the firebox to start. Let all of the remaining oils, sap, burn from the wood, so that you have a hot bed of coals with very little smoke. Put the bird into the smoker. Add one stick of cured hickory about every hour to supply the smoke, and replace the coals as they burn up. This was a 13lbs bird, that was smoked at 200 degrees F for 7 hours.

Dave (A.K.A. Homebrew)

P.S. This is the smoker I used.

[WYPirate]

Thanks homebrew, that make perfect sense. I simply "oversmoked" mine. I could tell by your pics of your bird you had a big smoker. But that's a monster you've got there!

[Homebrew]

Thanks homebrew, that make perfect sense. I simply "oversmoked" mine. I could tell by your pics of your bird you had a big smoker. But that's a monster you've got there!

Yep,

That is my big smoker, that I use for my BBQ buisness.

Here is my little smoker.

Have a great week.

Dave (A.K.A. Homebrew)

[jezzicaz789]

This last year, I hickory-smoked my turkey. I picked up a 15 lb. Butterball Young Hen, sqwoze some fresh orange, and coated the outside with good olive oil, then rubbed it down good with creole seasoning. The cavity I stuffed with the orange hulls, a red onion and a few cloves of garlic. I then fired up the Brinkmann smoker with charcoal and hickory chunks to around 250*. The bird went in at around 0900, and smoked until 1430. There was little wind, so keeping the temp consistant was a non-issue.

Caveat; Smoking a turkey will usually turn it's skin BLACK, YMMV. during the cooking process, it went from a dark mahogany, to black as pitch. I was slightly worried that the skin would be in-edible, but in my case it was fine. Remember, if this happens to you, the blackness is from the smoke, not the heat you'd find in an oven, it is not burnt. I did not baste the turkey at all during it's stint in the smoker.

Once the probe thermometer's alarm reached 165* (inserted into the tukey thigh meat), it went into a roasting pan and covered with foil for a nap. With carry-over, it reached a toasty 178*F, perfect. Once the smoker cooled a bit, I removed the aluminum roasting pan from under the turkey's cooking grate. I was awash in smokey dripping goodness, this made for some unbelievable gravy over garlic mashed potatoes.

I'd recommend trying the smoker method. If not on a turkey, try it on other whole foul. Every cell of that meat was full of smoky flavor. Not to the point of being too smoky, but just right. BTW, don't chuck the bones or carcass of that bird! Chuck it into a pot with carrots, celery, onion and some herbs/spices, and make a stock.

The rest of the menu consisted of Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Dressing, Garlic Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes, Smoked Turkey Gravy, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and about 6 pitchers of American Alt. I'm still eating leftovers. Monte Cristos, Turkey Melts, Turkey Cacciatore, Sammiches, and just regular plates with all the fixin's. I won't not post pictures of the fare this year, as the midnight turkey looked like a black hole on the table. Razz

Anybody doing something other and the norm for Thanksgiving this year?

Thank you for the post.

Hi guys, Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.

[Ken Gargett]

Thank you for the post.

Hi guys, Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.

welcome. do an intro for the guys in the section.

and as for the title of this, i'm thinking it meant you smoked a dud cigar.