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Setup for Turkey Breast

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    Setup for Turkey Breast

    One reason I selected the WSK was the versatility of setups. I tried the Simon & Garfunkel rub on a bone in turkey breast, cooked indirect with the deflector and did not like the results at all. Neither did my wife. It could have been the turkey (Shady Brook) or my ability to create the rub or me, the cook. On the good side, my cornbread dressing was superb.

    My next version (Butterball) will be just rubbed with butter and salt/pepper. I'm guided by Chef Jean Pierre techniques.

    I'm wondering how others cook their turkeys. Do you put charcoal on bottom grate with deflector or split charcoal on top level? I'm thinking for a bone in breast I want to run the charcoal (Jealous Devil lump) on the top grate, pushed to the sides with drip pan between and try to hold temp at 325-350.

    Any techniques or experiences appreciated in advance.

    #2
    I’m sure a number of very experienced folks on AR will jump in to help, but I’ll start by asking a few basic questions. (1) What in particular about the results from your first attempt did you and your wife not like? (2) What were the cooker temperatures during the cook, and at what internal meat temperature did you pull the turkey breasts? (3) What lighting method did you use? The more detail you can provide, the better. I’ve cooked a whole cut-up turkey on my WSK using the kamado setup with defector plate, not to mention many other cooks, and things have always come out really good, so I can’t believe it was the setup. Something else must have occurred, just need to figure out what.

    Comment


    • FarmCook54
      FarmCook54 commented
      Editing a comment
      The flavor was not what we were used to. My wife reminded me we didn't like the last SBF turkey breast either (ages ago). I particularly didn't like the seasoning blend. S&G is just not for me. Cooker was setup in kamado mode. B&B hickory lump with 2 chunks of apple wood. Bird on at 250 and then ran at 340. Pulled at 161. Meat was moist; just not a good flavor. We are use to oven baked Butterball. It could be we don't like the grill flavor, but I will just keep experimenting.

    • Jessterr
      Jessterr commented
      Editing a comment
      FarmCook54 Setup and temps sound perfect, so yeah, sounds like the seasoning blend and maybe that particular supplier of bird that you didn’t like. Next step might be to prepare the bird the same way you would for an oven cook, sounds like you’re already on that. My only other suggestions might be to eliminate the smoke wood for the next cook, just to see if that’s a taste you don’t care for, and maybe an oak lump charcoal rather than hickory might provide a slightly lighter flavor. 🍺

    #3
    Generic turkey breast experience from my perspective: I spatchcock the turkey breast. I dry brine it. I cook it around 325 F indirect and take it up to 150 F internal. I slice across the grain and get very tender, juicy, delicious turkey breast. Turkey breast done right is the best part of the turkey. Overcooked turkey breast is dry and probably why most people claim the dark meat is their favorite. Dark meat is heartier and can withstand higher temps and the breast dries out and almost is inedible if it is over-cooked. Good luck! Post pics!

    Comment


      #4
      I've only smoked whole turkeys but a boids a boid.
      My go to is mostly Malcom Reeds method with a few of my curve balls tossed in.
      An over night wet brine in a witches brew on ice, quick brush with olive oil and a dusting of my dry rub and right onto the grate while the boids as cold as possible.
      I also cook on a kamado with a water pan/diffuser, try to keep the temp in the 350-375 range.
      Every 30-40 mins I either baste with drippings or spray the boid with aerosol Canola spray.
      Comes out moist every time but the skin is hit or miss for crispiness.
      If your going with a Butterball you may want to pass on the wet brine as BB's are already inside brined I'll call it. May be salt overload.
      One thing I did try last boid is to start the cook breast down in the pan for the first 2 hours of the cook then flipping breast up to the end of the cook. I found the leg and wing areas benefited from this method. Just have an extra pair a hands hanging around for that move....

      Comment


        #5
        Ditto on smoking whole turkeys only from above. I inject my turkeys and would a breast as well.

        Comment


          #6
          Thanks for all who replied. Just an update. Butterball bone in breast. Grill setup was banked coals on upper grate and no smoke chunk. Injected with Chachere's Cajun butter and seasoned with PS Seasoning's SPG. Cook temps about the same as first time. Result: My wife said it was the best she remembers. My son said it was the best thing I've ever cooked. Just luck, but happy just the same. Same seasoning profile on chicken didn't work well. So I'll catalog the turkey recipe and move on with other chicken recipes.

          Comment


            #7
            That's good news, FarmCook54 ! Congratulations!

            Good call on the injecting--I usually inject with melted butter, but lots of folks here swear by Tony Chachere's injections. They're really salty but very flavorful.

            Makes sense to smoke a single breast indirect kettle mode instead of kamado mode. Saves on charcoal for sure. Good call on that setup.

            Have you looked into getting an SnS for your WSK in kettle mode? You might want to consider it for turkey and for smaller cooks like a few racks of ribs or a pork butt or two. It holds the smoker temps rock solid and uses less charcoal than firing up the kamado mode. Just a thought.

            You might want to consider an All Purpose rub for chicken. I use Pit Barrel Cooker's AP rub, but Malcolm Reed sells a delicious one as well. They usually have salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, maybe a little sugar, etc. I think the paprika adds something to chicken. And turkey for that matter. Plus the red in it makes the bird smoke up pretty.

            Kathryn

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