smoked turkey breast issues

[biggreenmatt]

So many issues with turkey.

Haven't cooked a whole turkey in a long time- hate that white and dark meat hate each other, get done at different temperatures, and by the time one is done, the other is either over or underdone. Been cooking them separately for a long time. Don't usually smoke turkey either, since smoke, IMO, ruins the best part of the turkey- the acres of beautiful, crispy, perfectly-rendered skin.

Smoked a 7 lb breast yesterday, skin off, which I turned into the most amazing cracklings you ever did see. As for the meat itself, it came out beautifully, but the smoke left the outside pellicle to turn brown, tough, and bitter.

Million dollar question: next time do I need to keep the skin on and sacrifice it for a non-bitter meat, or is the bitter pellicle the price I need to pay?

[PaulstheRibList]

biggreenmatt what temp are you cooking at? We just cooked 20 turkeys, total, Thanksgiving week. All were spatchcocked and cooked per Meathead 's recipe all the way, 325 degree smoker, with the addition of another rub in addition to S&G, and the skin came out great! If the skin didn't cut easily while slicing the breast, I directed the cutters to lay it out, chop it up in thin slices, cut to 1 inch, and disburse in the pan.

This one the skin stayed on the slices. Yum! The thicker parts of the skin, around the neck, and on the lower part of the breast, near the wing side, didn't render out to that crispy state. The upper side was great!


This one the skin was partially shrunken off the breast, and partially removed for cutting. Smoking them bone-in protects the meat from that stark exterior problem you mentioned. Anyway, this was the best turkey I can remember!


Some restaurants smoke unskinned turkey breasts and they come out great. I'll have to practice that one. Until then, I'm in love with Spatchcocked, butter-ingected, herb and Cherry rubbed turkeys smoked at 325 until they his 160 in the deepest part of the breast!

#GoodEnough2WantTooEatDaily4TwoWeeks

[biggreenmatt]

Thanks for the reply- smoked between 300-350 on a BGE, indirect, over apple. First breast got pulled at 150F with an hour or so wrapped in a faux cambro. Came out incredibly well, but for the pellicle. Second off at 170F, and a little dry (thank all that's holy for the brine)- and the pellicle was worse.

Sliced it paper thin, which helped, but still a bit bitter. Better next time.

[Huskee]

I would always leave the skin on with poultry. If you don't want to eat it with the meat then just remove it before eating, but it adds a protective layer so you don't get a jerky layer on the meat itself. Seasonings can easily be added under the skin if you choose. Piecing the bird out will surely help with timing, but FWIW spatchcocking a turkey will eliminate the doneness timing issues on a whole bird. By the time the breasts are 160 the thighs and drums are 175ish usually....if cooked at 325+.