Edited by
SilverSparkz, Max, Steve, Natalie Gray and 2 others
Smoking
is a great alternative outdoor cooking method to grilling. Smoking a turkey,
though not a task for the impatient cook, is a great alternative to roasting or
frying one. Whether the weatherman is calling for a nice day or you have been
wanting to attempt cooking a smoked turkey for a while, pull out the smoker and
follow these instructions to smoke a turkey.
Part 1 of 2: Prepping the Turkey
- 1
Remove any organs that may be in the turkey's cavity. If buying a frozen turkey, there's a good
chance that your turkey contains a few extra organs — kidney, liver, heart,
gizzard — in the cavity of the turkey. Remove and set aside.
·
A good idea for the
leftovers is to incorporate them into your stuffing recipe. Sauté them in a bit
of butter or oil and add sparingly to most stuffing recipes for added flavor.
·
Many people choose to
make broth or stock from the innards of the turkey. Cut them up,
along with a diced onion, a couple carrots, as well as a couple stalks of
celery, and add to a pot of boiling water. Add a bit of salt, peppercorns, and
several bay leaves to the pot and boil for several hours, skimming the foam off
the top every so often.
2
Rinse the turkey. Run water inside and outside the turkey to clean it. Pat it dry
or let it air dry.
3
Decide
whether to brine the turkey (optional). A brine is a bath of flavored salt water that you
soak your bird in for 24 hours before smoking. Brining your turkey will add
extra flavor and help it stay moist during the cooking process.[1] Here is a basic brine recipe[2] you can try for your turkey:
·
Bring 2 gallons of
water to a boil in a large saucepan. To it, add 4 cups of salt, 4 cups of
sugar, one bulb of garlic (cut in half), a cup of black peppercorns, and your
choice of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, lavender, sage, and marjoram all work
well). Turn off heat and allow salt and sugar to dissolve completely. Let steep
for 5 minutes.
·
Add the basic brine to
large cooler filled with 3 bags of ice, stirring. To the cooler, add 1 gallon
of apple cider, and four each lemons and oranges, sliced in half. Submerge your
turkey in the cooler, making sure it is entirely covered with liquid.
·
Let your bird soak for
at least 24 hours, turning the turkey every 6 to 12 hours. Try to keep the
cooler in a cold place; if the temperature of the brine goes above 40° F, add
extra ice to keep the solution cool.
4
Thaw your turkey completely. If you chose not to brine your turkey and you purchased a
frozen one, you'll want to thaw it completely before smoking. Thawing a turkey
in the refrigerator takes longest but is the safest method for completing the
task. Place the turkey in a large bowl or pan and let it sit in the
refrigerator for 1 day for every 5 pounds of bird.[3]
·
You can also thaw a
turkey by covering it in cool water. Submerge the turkey in a sink full of cold
water. It will need to stay in its cold water bath for 30 minutes for every
pound of bird.
5
After thawing, cover the bird with a rub, a glaze, or basic
seasoning. Rub a generous amount
of oil or butter over the entire bird. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and any other
desired seasoning. Get creative!
·
A dry rub is a
combination of dry spices that you rub into the skin of the turkey, coating it
in flavor. For a basic but classic holiday rub, try a combination of kosher
salt, pepper, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried sage, and garlic powder.[4]
·
A glaze is a thick,
usually syrupy mixture, that is brushed onto meat and which reduces once
cooked, concentrating its flavors. Consider going with this holiday-themed
glaze consisting of cranberry juice, maple syrup, apple cider, and brown sugar.[5]
·
Who says smoking a
turkey needs to be fancy? Give basic seasoning a try. Coat the turkey liberally
with oil or softened butter and rub salt and pepper over its skin. You're ready
to cook.
- 1
Pre-cook your turkey (optional). Of course, if you have plenty of time on your
hands and don't need to speed up the process, you won't need to pre-cook your
bird. But if you happen to be in a hurry and want to expedite the cooking,
consider pre-cooking the turkey and blasting it with smoke afterwards.
·
To pre-cook your bird,
place it in an oven-safe pan and cover with foil or a lid. Bake for 30 minutes
at 350° F.
2
Prepare the grill rack of the smoker. Oil the rungs of the rack or line it with
foil to keep the bird from sticking..
3
Light your smoker. Your optimum temperature for smoking a turkey is around 230° F,
but anywhere between 220° and 240° F is acceptable. It will take your smoker
about 45 minutes to reach this temperature.
4
Add your wood. Once the smoker is lit and pre-heated to be ready for cooking,
add your pre-soaked wood chips to the smoker.
·
If you want, you can
get fancy with your soaking liquids. Say, for example, you're using hickory
chips to smoke the turkey. Why not reach for bourbon as your soaking liquid? Or
say you're smoking with applewood chips. Why not reach for apple cider?
Complement the flavor of the chips with a tasty soaking liquid.
·
Experiment with
different wood chips to alter the flavor of the meat. Milder flavors of wood
chips include alder, apple, cherry, grape, maple, mulberry, orange, and peach;
stronger flavors include hickory, mesquite, oak, pecan, walnut, and whiskey
barrel.[6]
·
Some people prefer not
smoking their wood chips — or wood chunks — at all.[7] They argue that wood needs to dry out before
it produces smoke, prolonging the process. Experiment for yourself whether
smoking with soaked or dry wood chips produces better flavor.
5
Place the turkey on the smoker. Place the turkey on the cooking rack of the
smoker with the breast up. The best part of the rack to place the turkey will
depend on where the most direct heat is. You'll want to place the turkey on the
side of the rack, away from direct heat.[8] Put the lid back on the smoker.
·
Consider placing a
drip pan underneath the turkey. If you want to save fluids and fat for some
smokey gravy, place a drip pan underneath your rack to
catch any fluids leaving your turkey.
6
Maintain the heat of the smoker at around 230° F. Check the smoker every hour or so to maintain
the heat and smoke. Add more charcoal, wood chips or water as needed. If your
smoker doesn't have a thermometer attached to it, consider placing a metal
thermometer inside the cooking rack to gauge the temp when you open it.
7
Time the cooking of your turkey by the poundage of the bird. Your turkey will need 30 to 40 minutes per
pound to smoke. The time difference is determined by your smoker and the
temperature outside.
·
At 220° F, a 15 lb
turkey will take between 8 and 9 hours to smoke.
·
If you decide to cook
at a higher temperature, the cooking time will diminish significantly, but the
turkey won't retain as much smoky flavor. At 325° F, a 15 pound turkey will
take between 3 and 3.5 hours to smoke.[9]
8
Wait for the internal temperature of the turkey to reach 165° F
for doneness. Calculate the minimum
time suggested that the turkey might take to smoke completely. When that amount
of time has passed, open the lid and quickly get a reading with your meat
thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh area of the bird. The turkey is
done when the temperature is at 165° F.
·
If the turkey is not
done yet, put the lid back on the smoker and let the bird cook another 30-45
minutes. Check for the desired temperature again.
9
Let it rest.
After removing the bird from the smoker, let it rest for around 30 minutes
before carving. This will help the juices settle in the bird, making for a
moister treat when you finally do cut into it.
10
Finished.
Enjoy your smoked turkey on its own, or with a magnificent Thanksgiving fare
that includes candied yams, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, and cranberry
sauce.
The link on the subject can be found at: http://www.wikihow.com/Smoke-a-Turkey
There are many other
YouTube and other links on the various methods of smoking a turkey (or
chicken).
There are similar
links on carving a turkey, also.
Consider sharing your
feast with someone not a friend or Family that will enjoy it, also. If not this
Thanksgiving, perhaps this Christmas, or even next year. Pets can count, too.
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