Smoked Turkey

hondabbq

I read alot of posts about brining a turkey prior to egging it.

What is the reason for brining the turkey and is it necessary?

Mickey

Lots of people do brine, I just find the spatchcocked turkey juicy w/o it. I am lazy.

RocEGG

Mickey said:

Lots of people do brine, I just find the spatchcocked turkey juicy w/o it. I am lazy.

Good idea on the previous post about doing two birds. Might try that this year. I do miss the skin along with the slices of breast meat.

hondabbq said:

I read alot of posts about brining a turkey prior to egging it.

What is the reason for brining the turkey and is it necessary?

It isn't necessary, but it does result in a much more moist bird. I have found that when I don't brine the turkey, it is usually a bit dry. I started brining 4 years ago and will never go without now.  Another advantage to brining is you can add some flavor to the bird, whatever you choose is infused throughout.There are a million recipes out there, I have tried a few and like Alton Brown's, but I usually experiment with it a bit each year. I also find that being able to just dump the whole bird in a big tupperware bin with the brine in it straight from the freezer simplifies my life. No separate defrosting. That of course assumes you live somewhere that is cold enough outside. I leave mine in the garage to brine/defrost til ready to cook.

SmokeyPitt

Last year I got a brined bird from Trader Joes and spatchcocked it and it turned out really good. I think whole foods also sells the birds already brined.  Just another option if you don't want to do it yourself .

OLD NORTH STATE BBQ CO.

Fred the Smokin' Guitar player has an excellent instructional video on his site:

http://www.fredsmusicandbbq.com/category_s/230.htm

jlsm

henapple said:

The only thing my wife hated about my smoked turkey was no broth...about how much broth. Should I cut up the neck, etc and add? Thanks for the help.

I generally use two quarts. I don't use the neck etc. 

Little Steven

I generally make my own stock cause the backs, necks, wings and drumsticks are on sale.

Start with turkey parts necks, backs and wings.


Roast the parts at about 350* until golden


Add mirepoix, two parts onion to one each carrot and celery



Roast until mirepoix is caramelised and bird parts are very dark.

Remove the stuff to a stockpot, I'm using a large pasta pot cause I like the strainer. and cover with cold water


Now your roasting pans are going to look like this

Add a bunch of decent white wine and boil and scrape the brown bits off.


Pour into the stock, get everything

Put some herbs in a double layer of cheesecloth, great way to use the stalks and stems

Tie with butcher twine and tuck it into the mix. I pull thiis out after an hour or so.

This will simmer for six or seven hours, I'll pull out the strainer and put the pot on a snowbank overnight.

Brownie

Sunday I stuffed a bird with apples and cinnamon sticks and rubbed the outside with tsunami spin. (I had to lose the v rack... too tall) After cooking, I stuck it in the fridge whole. Monday I stripped the breasts (whole) and sliced for lunch meat. The legs, thighs and wings got pulled to bite size chunks and put in the freezer for turkey noodle soup at a later date. The bones and skin and other waste got boiled down to stock and was strained and then frozen as well for my soup base later. A little turkey goes a long way.

Mickey

Little Steven  "This will simmer for six or seven hours, I'll pull out the strainer and put the pot on a snowbank overnight."

You are saying you don't have to worry about a moose peeing in it <:-P

Little Steven

I forgot to mention the lid Mickey

nolaegghead

Thank goodness wildlife doesn't have thumbs.

Little Steven

Moose don't but they are damn good eating!

SmokeyPitt

Steven I'm glad to see you got your photobucket back!  That looks great.  

Little Steven

SP, Wish! I just learned how to copy old posts. Still trying to contact a living being at photobucket.

Doc_Eggerton

A little OT Little Steven, but I frequently take the chicken corpses after a cook (meaning what is left after we eat and pick all the meat we are inclined to eat off) and toss them in a pot of boiling water.  Makes great stock, using stuff that we would have thrown out.

Little Steven

Doc,

I save every bit of every bone and shell from anything I cook. I go to an Oriental market that butchers hundreds of chickens everyday and get 10lb of bones for a buck. There is an Italian Grocery not far from me that gives me all the veal bones I want for nothing. I think stockmaking is the key to good cooking. I do most of it in the winter because I can leave the stock in the garage

nolaegghead

+1 on the stock making.