Season's Greetings! I'm planning to cook 2 boneless turkey breasts and 2 turkey leg quarters at the same time on a 22.5" WSM cooker. Do any of you good pitmasters out there have recommendations for cooking temps and if these both should be cooked on one grate OR should the breast be cooked on either the upper or lower grate and the quarters be cooked on the other grate? Thank you!
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The quarters need to be cooked to a higher temperature than the breast. I don’t know your cooker so take that into consideration when placing your food on the cooker. Cooking temperature will depend on whether you want crispy skin or it doesn’t matter. If you are smoking it the skin will be rubbery. You will need to cook at about 375 if you want crisp skin, and it will help if the turkey was air dryer in the refrigerator over night. -
If time allows, I would do the breast at 250° with water in the pan, and then hold it tightly wrapped with a little stock added in a very low oven, or better yet a sous vide bath, and then pull the water pan out and do the leg quarters at 350 or so.
The problem with this cook is the same as doing a whole bird. By the time you get the dark meat done, the breast is going to be dry. That problem gets even worse when you are doing a boneless breast.
If you have to do both at the same time, I would run the whole cook at 350° and keep a very close eye on the breast temp. I wouldn't let it get much more than 130° before wrapping it, and pull it at 150° to let the carry over finish it.
Doing both at the same time is going to be a very tricky cook to get right.
Good luck, and let us know what you did and how it turned out.Comment
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