First Turkey on WSM, The gravy.

[Guy]

Hello everyone, I cooked my first turkey (12 lb.) on a new WSM yesterday afternoon. This is the 4th time I have fired it up. Two times to season it and once to cook chicken. I used the Ultimate Turkey recipe to the T. I started the fire with a 3/4 full ring of Kingsford Blue Bag and hollowed out the middle using those coals to start my chimney fire. The water pan was foiled and dry. I put the gravy pan on the grate that is on top of the water pan and the Turkey on the top grate. I only put two small chunks of apple wood for smoke. I have installed a Tel-Tru bimetal thermometer in place of the Weber on the lid. I also used a remote Maverick 733. I left all vents wide open from the start until the end and the temp. never did get over 266. However, I removed the Turkey after 3 hours when the breast reached 160 and the dark meat was about 175. The skin and color of the Turkey were really pretty. Nice and a dark golden. Crisp delicious skin . The taste of the Turkey was pretty good but I wished I had used more smoke. That is just my taste. The breast meat right up against the breast bone was a little dry but everything else was fine. Not really what I was expecting as The Ultimate Turkey. I was not expecting much for the first smoke anyway and will continue using this recipe.

I have given you all of this info just in case it is needed to advice me about the gravy. After straining it into a glass bowl it looked the color it was supposed to be and was thin like it was supposed to be. However, when my wife and I tasted it it only taste like oil. We did a finger tip taste a couple of times about 30 minutes apart and the main taste is still oil. I am not sure what to do here. I know this gravy is just for the Turkey and I did not try it on the Turkey yet. It may be that on the turkey I will get the taste I am supposed to have. Hope to hear from a lot of you, maybe even Meathead. LOL

[Beefchop]

Sounds delicious - I'll be following your lead at the end of the month. : )

I always have to work with my pan drippings a little to make them a true "gravy" and always add some fried onions, garlic, a little white wine or sherry, and salt/pepper to taste to some of the pan drippings. I then thicken with some flour over a skillet. Add back some meat for more flavor. If you have it, add some home made stock boiled down from a cooked bird carcass.

[Guy]

Beefchop, thanks for the response, it definitely needs something more. I know it needs salt but was waiting to hear from others and get their opinions.

[smarkley]

Here are some questions... based on the Ultimate Turkey recipe:

Did you put the myoglobin from the bag into the gravy?

Did you inject the Turkey and put extra injection juice in gravy?

You used this recipe for non meat parts??? >>
3 quarts [2.8 L] water
1 cup [237 ml] apple juice
2 onions, skin on, ends removed, cut into quarters
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch lengths
1 rib of celery, leaves and all, cut into 2 inch lengths
1 tablespoon [15 ml] dried sage leaves, crumbled (do not use powdered herbs, they will cloud the broth)
1 tablespoon [15 ml] dried thyme leaves
2 whole dried bay leaves

Did you put everything except the liver from the giblet bag in the gravy?

Did you whack off the Pope's Nose and Wingtips and throw in the gravy?

I am assuming you threw the drippings from your cook into the gravy?

I know for a fact that this is an awesomely (is that a word? lol ) flavored gravy... and you may need to add some salt.

[Guy]

Smarkley, answer to your questions: Yes on the myoglobin from the bag. I did not inject the turkey. Yes on every other single question. I am going to heat it up tonight and salt it and use it on the turkey meat. I will let everyone know in the morning. Does more smoke have anything to do with the flavor? Thanks for your response.

[smarkley]

I am at a loss then. Smoke will affect it some, but I think you should normally have enough from normal smoking.

[Guy]

Smarkley, thanks for your responses. So you are saying it has a flavor besides just oil? The flavor I have is predominantly oil taste. Smooth oil.

[smarkley]

very strange.... you should have all kinds of good flavor.. turkey, smoke, veggys, all the herbs... I don't get it.

[FLBuckeye]

I have done the UT recipe 5-6 times and have never had an issue with the gravy tasting like oil. Odd to say the least

[Ernest]

I stopped making gravy from smoker dripping pan. I could be wrong but I think that the water/ liquid from the bird actually evaporates leaving you with just the fat. (could be the oil taste that you're experiencing)
Your best bet would be to use the neck, wing tips and liver for stove top gravy.
Get the nicely seared in butter, add mirepoix, salt and chipotle pepper. Add flour to make a roux, add cold stock (I love Better than bouillon). Add some mustard and some dried herbs such as Herbs De Provences. Fresh thyme works beautifully as well. Strain and enjoy.
The chipotle pepper will give you some smokey flavor.
Get you summa this salt to finish off any dish.

[Guy]

Ernest did you get the fine or the course salt? Looking to order.

[Ernest]

I got the fine grind, It's not really fine fine. It's close to kosher grind. Their course grind is really course.

[Guy]

Thanks, will order soon.

[Guy]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I got in late last night so I did not have time to heat up the gravy and add salt. I did however skim the fat off of the top. Will add salt tonight. If that does not work I am going to have to make a roux gravy. Should I post this somewhere else to get more feed back?

[Guy]

Well everyone I finally got some good gravy. Don't ask me what worked because I don't know. Anyway I put the gravy in a pan and added salt, pepper, celery salt, garlic salt, onion salt and a little smoked paprika. Then I heated it up and stirred it often while it was heating until it came to a boil. It took about 10 minutes to boil and I would taste it all along. Added a little more salt until I got the taste I wanted. By then it was boiling so I shut it down. I heated up some turkey with the gravy on it and made turkey sliders. Wonderful. Still don't know what happened on the cook but the gravy now lives up to its rep. Thanks everyone for trying to figure it out,

[DWCowles]

This is how the wife wants me to do the turkey and gravy

[Guy]

DW this is great I am sure my wife will want me to do the same. Thanks for the video.