-
-
-
I was very happy with the two smoked turkeys I prepared for Thanksgiving. I have been smoking turkeys for Thanksgiving and other special occasions for several years. Each time I tweak the recipe or the technique. I now have the perfect combination. I started with two 14 lb frozen turkeys from Publix. I was determined to have some leftovers even after sending the guests home with care packages.
I prepared the brine from a recipe of Alton Brown. It is a available at food.com and it is from the show "Romancing the Bird". I used two Igloo 5 gal. Beverage Coolers to brine the birds. They brined over night. I tried Meathead's “Simon & Garfunkel" rub for the first time. I figured the S&G would do for my birds what that magical Memphis Dust did for all of my pork. I mixed up the rub a couple of days in advance. I also used Alton Brown's method of cooking the bird at 450-500 for the first ½ hour to crisp the skin and then 350 until at temperature.
I removed the birds from the brine bath, dried them, rubbed them with canola oil and dusted them with S&G. They went into the refrigerator while I started my fires. I set my Weber Performer for indirect cooking and had it at between 450-500. Since I could not get two birds on the Performer. I cranked up my Big Steel Keg with the indirect setup and got the temp at 450. I had previously started my 18.5 inch Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker with the Pitmaster IQ 110 and had it set at 350. I monitored the bird temperature and pit temperature with the iDevice iGrill2. I also made breast heat shields for the birds as demonstrated by A. Brown.
I have the Cajun Bandit Stainless Steel 18.5 Stacker on the WSM. On the bottom rack, I placed an aluminum roasting pan to collect the drippings. After 30 minutes, the first bird came off the BSK a perfect mahogany brown. I put it in the middle rack of the WSM and inserted the temperature probe in the thickest part of the breast. The heat shield went on to protect the breast. The bird coming off the Performer did not have the uniform mahogany browning. I moved it to the BSK and within 15 minutes, it looked just fine. This bird was moved to the top rack of the WSM, probed, and shielded. I set a timer for 2.5 hours. I then monitored the birds' temperature with my iPhone, kicked back with an adult beverage and proceeded to solve local, national and international challenges with my youngest son, Nathan, who came to visit with his family. Nathan also loves to cook outdoors with fire. He built his own ceramic cooker from extra large ceramic pots. I enjoyed passing this technique for smoked turkey on to him. After 2.5 -3 hours, the birds reached 161 degrees. I pulled them off and covered them with the Weber lids to rest 15 minutes before carving.
They smelled so wonderfully and had a rich mahogany color. The meat was tender and oh so juicy. The breast meat had the juiciness usually reserved exclusively for the dark thigh meat. The flavors of the brine and the rub did not over power the meat but rather subtlety enhanced it. This was for me, my perfect turkey. Since I am posting this on Saturday, I can also report that the reheated leftovers are equally moist, tender and flavorful.
I hope everyone here had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I was so thankful for having my wife, my sister, my son, Nathan, his wife and his 3 wonderful children, for as we know here at amazing ribs it isn't what is on the table but who is at the table that makes for a wonderful meal.Comment
-
I didn't do a turkey. I did ribs, wings, garlic cloves and some kielbasa. Here is a pic of the ribs. The Karubeque does it again. Best ribs I have ever had.Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
Attached FilesComment
-
-
Had a lot of hungry people. these were the only pics I got.
Comment
-
NICE. That looks almost identical to my turkey's color. -
David Parrish WSM 18.5 Kingsford regular. No wood.
Dry Brined 28 hrs in advance.
Simon and Garfunkel wet rub with evoo, unsalted butter and a little recado (similar to paprika) paste 3 hours before cooking.
Averaged 315 degrees total time 3 hrs. 13 lbs spatchcocked turkey from the local grocery. No brand name. In feaux cambro for approx. 1 hour
Ham target temp 275. Averaged 280 degrees on SnS for 2.5 hrs. In faux camber for about 1.5 hrs. SnS was amazingly stable. Had to mess with WSM a lot to keep temp up.
Overall was pretty awesome!! -
NICE. Next time you might be better off doing the hotter cook with the SnS.
-
-
Well, I ain't got no pictures, but I cooked a turkey for Thanksgiving, then had to transport for an hour and lunch turned out to be almost 2-1/2 hours after I had cooked it - to 160 IT (breasts). I added hot water to my cooler for about 15-20 minutes, drained it, then added my turkey covered in foil and about 5 bath towels that I heated in my dryer. That turkey actually rose to 172 IT after an hour and dropped to ~165 IT after the 2-1/2 hours. I knew the skin would not be crispy, but the white meat stayed very moist and everyone raved about it. I was expecting dry and chewy white meat. I rarely cook a turkey.Comment
-
Little late but loved reading through this feed. My first smoked turkey, and my first time hosting thanksgiving. Used MH's recipe to the letter and everyone raved, only went 4oz of applewood on my gas cabinet smoker. Next time I may go a little more, but not more than an ounce or so, it just needed maybe a touch. 325 not hard to keep steady on this warm sunny California thanksgiving day, took him out at 160' in the breast, not a raw or tough piece to be found.Comment
-
First time I smoked a turkey...second time smoking anything on the Weber! I followed the Ultimate Turkey recipe exactly except for dry brining the turkey. My turkey came from Giant (East Coast/PA grocery chain) and was pre-salted/basted. I separated the skin from the meat and applied S&G rub all over. I used apple wood for the smoke, about 8-10 oz. over the two hours. I made two turkeys this year. I didn't know if the smoker would come out on time so I did a traditional one in the oven using the same recipe. Always helps to have a plan B!
I had problems keeping my bbq temps regulated and my thermometer wasn't reading accurately. The thermometer was working perfectly fine, I just had to move it off center so I could fit the 13.5# bird in the grill. The bbq temp never got above 240o and I know that is wrong because I hit 160o IT in two hours. Any suggestions on correcting that one?
Any who, the turkeys came out amazing! Even though I used the faux cambro for almost 2 hours, everyone loved them.
I also made the drunken cranberry sauce. It was too tart so I added about 2 cups of fresh squeezed OJ and a 1/4 cup of sugar. The OJ and sugar were heated and reduced before adding into the cranberry sauce. It was right on the money. (My brother-in-law is an executive chef and gave me the idea)
I made the cranberry stuffing. Thats stuff is amazingly good. So simple, yet so flavorful.
Needless to say, I am now on the hook for next year and there have been requests for salmon, lamb, rib roast, and a duck to be added to the menu. I might need a bigger smoker
Comment
-
bhleigh For it to get done and that dark in 2 hrs I'd say you were cooking a bit hotter as well. Is there a chance the cooker probe was too close to the bird and in what we call the heat shadow, or the cool air bubble surrounding the meat? Was it 2-3" away from it? Sounds like you saved the day and had a successful cook. Congrats!Comment
-
Better late than never! I did a slap yo daddy style turkey using Harry Soo's all purpose rub with some SnP on WSM using 2 good sized chunks of apple. Temperature in Joshua Tree CA was low (30s) so had some trouble keeping temp above 270-280. Turkey turned out excellent and had a nice color!
Also did a prime rib roast MH style!Attached FilesComment
-
Look at you, man!!
GREAT set-up! A Happy Helper just watching for anything that might fall to the ground, a LARGE supply of wood - no wonder you have a big smile!!
What probe system are you using - I see the unit on the right side of the first picture? -
richinlbrg it's a stoker unit with probes for the pit and fan. great for WSM!
-
-
The link below will take you to my 2015 Turkey Cooking Journal. Can't thank AmazingRibs enough for their tips and tricks. This year's cook was extraordinary.
Cooking Journal Link ---> https://www.evernote.com/l/APJ8YTnR8...o9hmqtIY0wZ8rgComment
-
I'm a little new here but I wanted to share my Thanksgiving experience as this was my first attempt at smokn turkeys.
Without solicitation, I had 2 friends ask if I would smoke their Thanksgiving turkeys. Having never tried, I was a little nervous about the BIG DAY BIRD. I used the Ultimate turkey method with the Simon and Garfunkel rub and wow, the aroma filled the house when I brought them in. The birds cooked perfectly, smelled great, were juicy and tender. And the best part is that the friends are still friends.
Thanks MH for all you do for us smokn guys!Last edited by (Pappy); December 6, 2015, 05:47 PM.Comment
-
These are the turkeys (16 lb each, and spatchcocked) I did for Thanksgiving. Took about 2.5 hours, seasoned with salt and pepper. I used Mesquite pellets as the fuel. They were fantastic. I have since done four more turkeys. Spatchcocked is the only way to go!Comment
-
A little late, but here she is! My first spatchcocked bird, a 16 pounder, done on Weber 22. Half a Weber chimney to start. Warm day in B'more. Started cook with small packet of apple chips, then after another hour or so, a small packet of pecan, to give it that nice color. This may well be the only way I
ever cook a turkey again. S&G rub under the skin, dry brined for 2.5 hours prior to cooking.Last edited by Thunder77; December 15, 2015, 11:40 AM.Comment
Hope you and everyone had a good Thanks Giving!!!
Comment