Big Poppa
Administrator
This is going to be another sticky in the Hall of Fame. Believe it or not each year we learn something new about Turkey. As the fads go we roasted, then maybe weber kettled (still great) fried (super dangerous) and now you are going to smoke it. I think this is the very best way. But there are tips that some Im going to repeat and some are new.
1. Cook w small turkeys instead of one big one. By the time the big one is done at the bone the stuff near the skin is overcooked. Younger birds are more tender too.
2. Cook one traditionally and cook the other spatchcocked. Google it if you dont know it.
you can also cook at a higher temp without sacrificing the tenderness....I dont go above 375 . But it is a two hour cook with a 13 lb bird....(use a wired thermometer for safety) Give the traditional one a 2 hour head start I cook my traditional ones at 275. I think this gives the best results when you consider skin vs breast tenderness.
3. This is the new trick. I got it from Serious Eats and then Meathead picked up on it but it makes total sense. DO NOT USE A ROASTING PAN> The temp of the roasting pan at the bottom is sometimes 80 degrees less than the top. Ever notice that the skin is perfect
on the top and a mess on the bottom? The bottom wasnt roasted. Use a baking sheet
with a foil lining for easy clean up and a roasting rack for ease of handling but more
importantly to improve the circulation With a pellet cooker you have convection and
4 Rest your meat. Twenty minutes.
5. Carve it right. Do not slice it like your dad or uncle or aunt or Mom did with the grain with the breast attached to the bird. Remove the legs and wings and then slice along the length of the bird along the top down and then cut the bottom off giving you what looks like a boneless skin on chicken breast and then slice against the grain. Pics in the other sticky.
6. Make your stuffing in a crock pot. Dont stuff a smoked bird...no bueno as far as bacteria and food safety goes. Be adventurous and play with different kinds of stuffing....sourdough...corn bread ...mix up your sausages and flavors...you can always make another traditional one
1. Cook w small turkeys instead of one big one. By the time the big one is done at the bone the stuff near the skin is overcooked. Younger birds are more tender too.
2. Cook one traditionally and cook the other spatchcocked. Google it if you dont know it.
you can also cook at a higher temp without sacrificing the tenderness....I dont go above 375 . But it is a two hour cook with a 13 lb bird....(use a wired thermometer for safety) Give the traditional one a 2 hour head start I cook my traditional ones at 275. I think this gives the best results when you consider skin vs breast tenderness.
3. This is the new trick. I got it from Serious Eats and then Meathead picked up on it but it makes total sense. DO NOT USE A ROASTING PAN> The temp of the roasting pan at the bottom is sometimes 80 degrees less than the top. Ever notice that the skin is perfect
on the top and a mess on the bottom? The bottom wasnt roasted. Use a baking sheet
with a foil lining for easy clean up and a roasting rack for ease of handling but more
importantly to improve the circulation With a pellet cooker you have convection and
4 Rest your meat. Twenty minutes.
5. Carve it right. Do not slice it like your dad or uncle or aunt or Mom did with the grain with the breast attached to the bird. Remove the legs and wings and then slice along the length of the bird along the top down and then cut the bottom off giving you what looks like a boneless skin on chicken breast and then slice against the grain. Pics in the other sticky.
6. Make your stuffing in a crock pot. Dont stuff a smoked bird...no bueno as far as bacteria and food safety goes. Be adventurous and play with different kinds of stuffing....sourdough...corn bread ...mix up your sausages and flavors...you can always make another traditional one