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  • #16
    I am going to smoke/grill a turkey this year. I think I am going to do a few smaller ones as oppossed to one large one. Maybe I'll try a few different styles. My turkey fryer was stolen out of my Parents yard, so frying is out.
    "I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - Tommy Callahan III

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    • #17
      Originally posted by nikuman View Post
      I've never found frying to be labor intensive. I am a solid convert to frying and do it every year at Christmas and thanksgiving. I am hauling up my set up to Utah to let the family partake too.
      If I had someone else to clean up afterwards, maybe I would feel differently. I just hate waiting for the oil to cool and then figuring out what to do with it.

      I suppose if I had one of those fancy filter/pumps that could change things too.

      But I really REALLY like how this ultimate cooker works. Seems to cook faster and easier, don't have to watch the temperature as closely, and the bird comes out great.

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      • #18
        Originally posted by Drunk Tank View Post
        I am going to smoke/grill a turkey this year. I think I am going to do a few smaller ones as oppossed to one large one. Maybe I'll try a few different styles. My turkey fryer was stolen out of my Parents yard, so frying is out.
        I was just going to ask if anyone has smoked one. I'm thinking of buying a nice smoker for my parents and doing a small turkey for Thanksgiving while they'll do a tranditional bird. If mine turns out terrible we'll still have the normal. I'd like some pointers on how to do it.
        A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Mohammad Ali

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        • #19
          Originally posted by CJF View Post
          I was just going to ask if anyone has smoked one. I'm thinking of buying a nice smoker for my parents and doing a small turkey for Thanksgiving while they'll do a tranditional bird. If mine turns out terrible we'll still have the normal. I'd like some pointers on how to do it.
          If we have a crowd, I will normally roast one and smoke one. That is what I will probably do this year. The smoked one usually turns out fabulous. I don't do that much special, just brine it overnight then practice good temperature control.

          I always need at least one roasted or else there's no gravy, and then what are you going to do with all your potatoes and dressing?

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          • #20
            Originally posted by Clark Addison View Post
            If we have a crowd, I will normally roast one and smoke one. That is what I will probably do this year. The smoked one usually turns out fabulous. I don't do that much special, just brine it overnight then practice good temperature control.

            I always need at least one roasted or else there's no gravy, and then what are you going to do with all your potatoes and dressing?
            The gravy is what makes the Thanksgiving meal. This was my thinking also.

            So now I need to get serious about a smoker. What do you use?
            A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Mohammad Ali

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            • #21
              Originally posted by CJF View Post
              The gravy is what makes the Thanksgiving meal. This was my thinking also.
              Very true. We roast a small bird or breast of a bird for the drippings for gravy. Best of both worlds.
              Awesomeness now has a name. Let me introduce myself.

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              • #22
                Originally posted by Drunk Tank View Post
                I am going to smoke/grill a turkey this year. I think I am going to do a few smaller ones as oppossed to one large one. Maybe I'll try a few different styles. My turkey fryer was stolen out of my Parents yard, so frying is out.
                Have you decided how you're going to smoke your turkey? I'm trying to decide on a recipe.
                A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Mohammad Ali

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                • #23
                  Okay, so a slight change of plans to our turkey plans. For Christmas, anyway.

                  My 4 year old son has been hearing stories of thanksgiving stories about turkeys, and one in particular about how some kids saved a bunch of turkeys from being saved from being killed by a farmer and thus saved from being served for dinner.

                  He's got lots of questions now, not the "why do have to kill turkeys to eat, that's mean" sort of questions but the "when are we going to have a farmer kill our turkey" sort.

                  I told him about the time when I was 14 and we raised our own turkey on the farm and killed it Thanksgiving morning. He was enthralled, especially when it came to the parts about using a hatchet to cut off the head and taking out all the guts.

                  So I called up my dad to see if there is any way that we can find a small turkey for Christmas that we can kill the day before (my parents still live on the farm). If so, we're going to slaughter it for the benefit of my son so he can see where food comes from.

                  I hope that we're not feeding some sort of bloodlust that turns him into a mass murderer later.
                  Awesomeness now has a name. Let me introduce myself.

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                  • #24
                    Originally posted by CJF View Post
                    Have you decided how you're going to smoke your turkey? I'm trying to decide on a recipe.
                    I am not sure. I bought a small 11 pound one this week to do a practice run. I am thinking of brining the turkey and then butterflying it (aka spatchcock) and cooking it on the Big Green Egg. I think I am going to use the apple jerk rub I have.

                    Something like this:

                    http://www.fredsmusicandbbq.com/category_s/759.htm
                    "I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - Tommy Callahan III

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                    • #25
                      I just ordered a fresh turkey from Wight Farms in Ogden. I think I'm going with this apple brine recipe. I can't wait.
                      A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Mohammad Ali

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                      • #26
                        Originally posted by Eddie View Post
                        Thanks - I'll have to take a closer look at that.

                        The Tandoori Turkey sounded intriguing, but ultimately it seems like I found too many examples of it not going well to experiment this time around.


                        Does the brine really make that big of a difference? Or is this one of those cooking things that just gives too little return on the investment of time and hassle to do it?
                        Here's the Good Eats episode about Turkey. It's four parts of ten minutes each and while it is informative, I find it just flat out entertaining. The other three parts can be found in the side bar to the right (in the youtube window obviously).

                        [YOUTUBE]acUg1jaUzOY[/YOUTUBE]

                        I've never done a turkey, but I've eaten turkeys brined and cooked according to this recipe and the results are great.
                        Dio perdona tante cose per un’opera di misericordia
                        God forgives many things for an act of mercy
                        Alessandro Manzoni

                        Knock it off. This board has enough problems without a dose of middle-age lechery.

                        pelagius

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                        • #27
                          Originally posted by CJF View Post
                          The gravy is what makes the Thanksgiving meal. This was my thinking also.

                          So now I need to get serious about a smoker. What do you use?
                          I just use a Weber Smokey Mountain. It does a great job.

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                          • #28
                            Pre-Thanksgiving practice turkey

                            Last year my plan was to smoke a turkey for Thanksgiving, but as fate would have it, both my smokers were out of comission. To be fully prepared for this year, I purchased an 11 pound sacrificial turkey to practice with prior to the real turkey day. I need to be sure to be at the top of my game for the big show in front of the family, and I dont need any surprises.

                            I decided to prepare the turkey "spatchcock" style, or butterflied if you will. Spatchcock is simply removing the backbone and keel bone of the chicken/turkey allowing it to lay flat and grill evenly over the entire surface of the bird. This method cooks much faster than the traditional method of smoking a turkey.

                            First step was to brine the turkey. I used an off-the-shelf turkey brine made by spice hunter. It seemed to be pretty good having a mixture of salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, and various other herbs, fruit, and spices in it. I mixed the brine into 1 gallon boiling water and then let it cool down completely. I then added that 1 gallon of brine with 1 additional gallon of cold water into a cleaned "homer bucket" from home depot.



                            This was a new, unused bucket that was washed in the dishwasher. You can use a brine bag if you dont want to use a bucket. In goes the turkey and extra parts (giblets, etc..) and into the fridge for 24 hours.



                            After 24 hours, rinse the bird in cold water and pat dry.

                            Here is the fun part, time to butterfly the turkey. I made 2 score lines down the backbone of the turkey as a guide.



                            Then, using a sharp knife and poultry shears, I carefully cut out the backbone. Next, flip the bird over and carefully cut out the keel bone, trying not to cut into and ruin the breast meat. If all goes well, you can flip it back over and ready it for seasoning. Also, dont throw away all the extra "parts". Use them to make a stock for your gravy.






                            I decided to use Apple Jerk Chicken rub since the apple in the brine would compliment the rub. First, a liberal coating of olive oil (you can use butter if you wish as well. Then a coating of the rub. Coat both side of the bird and alsoo get some under the skin, being careful not to rip the skin off.



                            Before this, I got the big green egg up to temp and set it up for indirect heat, using the plate setter. I used 3" stainless bolts and washers to make legs for my grill rack to raise it up high enough to clear the drip pan under the bird. In the drip pan I had some rub and 2 bottles of beer. I cooked the bird @ 325-375 for approx 95 minutes. You want to pull the bird then the breast is @ 165 and the thigh is about 175-180. Also, I used 2 lumps of hickory for the smoke. You dont need a ton of smokiness, since poultry tends to absorb a lot of smoke anyhow and you can easily over power the bird with too much smoke.



                            The bird came out great! It was one of the best tasting turkeys I have had. It could have gone a little longer (my digital thermometer crapped out on me) maybe 10-15 minutes to be perfect. Anyways, it was good practice and I enjoyed it!



                            "I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - Tommy Callahan III

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                            • #29
                              I've been inspired, DT.
                              I'm your huckleberry.


                              "I love pulling the bone. Really though, what guy doesn't?" - CJF

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                              • #30
                                That looks awesome DT.

                                I am going to do my turkey entirely in the traeger this year. Usually I finish it off in the oven.

                                I have some apple jerk rub. You don't think it ended up too salty in combination with the brine?

                                I would butterfly mine but it is 23 lbs. I worry that it might not fit.
                                "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
                                "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
                                "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

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