quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Stormin Normin, you'll get crispier skin if you bump up to 275 to 325. A tip I learned from LastManStanding.

I may give 275 a try next time. I don’t have to cook a turkey this Thanksgiving, but may do one at Christmas.

I have smoked my turkeys on my XL Big Green Egg using the invertabird technique. One of the guys on the BGE Forum came up with the idea of placing the bird on a wire poultry rack but with the neck down and the legs to the top. On the Egg the higher temps are near the upper dome area. The legs and thighs are exposed to this higher heat and are done at the same time as the breast. This has worked for me three times over past Thanksgivings. I suspect it might work in a Weber kettle but have not tried. As long as there is enough room for the bird it should work.

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Stormin Normin, you'll get crispier skin if you bump up to 275 to 325. A tip I learned from LastManStanding.

I may give 275 a try next time. I don’t have to cook a turkey this Thanksgiving, but may do one at Christmas.

My wife bumps the temp up to 325 the last 20-30 minutes and the skin comes out perfect every time.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Stormin Normin, you'll get crispier skin if you bump up to 275 to 325. A tip I learned from LastManStanding.

I may give 275 a try next time. I don’t have to cook a turkey this Thanksgiving, but may do one at Christmas.

My wife bumps the temp up to 325 the last 20-30 minutes and the skin comes out perfect every time.

Jim

That sounds like a good idea. Cook at 275 and then bump up to 325 for last 30 minutes. I absolutely love the flavor of gravy made from smoked turkey drippings. I kind of wish I was doing the turkey this year, but it will be nice to just show up an eat this time.

Just making/starting my brine now.
More to come later with pics of course.

quote:

Originally posted by Ken226:
I rubbed it down with 4 tablespoons of kosher salt and some spices, then injectex the breast with a stick of melted butter. I'll spatchcock it and smoke it wed. (I gotta work thanksgiving day).

4 tablespoons dound about right? My google searches indicated that 1 tablespoon per 4lbs. Its a 15lb turkey.

Your salt level sounds about right, especially if you have a standard store bird with some salt content. "Self-basting, enhanced, etc". You can use more if you have a totally unsalted bird though. Did you add a Tbsp of baking powder?

Here are pics of the brine I used (store bought) and the turkey and, this is the first time I have Spatch-cocked one, so supposedly it will cook faster and more evenly.

More pics to follow as the day progresses.









And with the spine removed,



And now on the kamado Joe,



Done,



Thanks,

This message has been edited. Last edited by: archerman,

Rock n Roll Time.

24hr brine.


Time to carve.

I did turkey thighs since it's just the wife and I. Dry brined them overnight and made a compound butter with fresh rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, celery salt and pepper.

About two hours before the cook, I rubbed them all down with the compound butter, including under the skin.

Prepped a small chimney of charcoal for my Weber. Got a small roasting pan and filled it with chunks of onion, celerey, carrot, more fresh thyme, rosemary and garlic and filled it halfway with chicken stock.

Put the roasting pan on the bottom of the grille and piled the charcoal on either side. Placed the thighs down right over the pan to catch the drippings and control the heat.

Smoked with soaked pecan chips for over an hour at about 325 the whole time. Basted with more compound butter every chance I could.

Probably the best non fried turkey I've ever had.

Yesterday, I had Thanksgiving with friends at their place.

Today is Thanksgiving Part Deaux - smoked a bone-in turkey breast, made a batch of stuffing, and made horseradish mashed potatoes. Now, I'll have turkey for my turkey enchiladas, and leftover turkey dinners.

I did a smoked 12lb turkey today on the Big Green Egg. This is my 2nd or 3rd turkey to smoke and this one came out the best! I smoked with cherry wood, but did not use too much as I didn’t want to make the bird too dark. I cooked at 275 until internal temps were 165 and then let rest for 20 minutes before cutting. Of course I then used the pan drippings to make the best gravy! Everyone absolutely enjoyed it. Now I will make turkey soup with the carcass and leftover meat. The soup comes out so good because it too will have that Smokey flavor. Sorry I don’t have any pictures as I made the turkey and every single side dish so I was busting my butt until everything was done.

Glad you and your crew liked your turkey smoked at 275.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Glad you and your crew liked your turkey smoked at 275.

Yeah I will never do less than 275 again. Next time I want to do 275 until it gets close and then increase to 325 for last 30 minutes, but this time I was too busy making the sides and then saw the internal temp was ready and had to get it off the Egg.

Smoked a Turkey and Ham, Turkey brined overnight in brown sugar, salt and maple syrup solution, created a butter and spice rub, under the skin and on it, then sprinkled with Good Shit spices.

Nothing left of it or the ham...

Drew smoked two 9 pound turkeys in his BGE ,

when he explained the process , I was apprehensive about the amount of salt.

His smoked turkeys were very very good and not the least bit salty tasting.

nice change of pace from the dipped or baked
stuff

Brine is a definite.

If like me you'd like to tone down the char and smoke flavor just a bit but not have a full-wrapped bird, Chris Lilly gives a great tip in his book.

After brining and putting whatever you want in the bird, put it in an aluminum pan. Then make a ball from two sticks of butter that are slightly softened, put that ball on top of the turkey and cover with one extra large piece of foil. THEN cut a 1"x2" square out of the foil directly over the butter. As the butter heats up it runs down surface of the turkey and ends up in simmering in the pan.

The important part is this ball has created an air-gap around the entire top of bird. That combined with the chimney allows just enough smoke and wood flavor to get in to season up the bird, but not so much to dry it out or make it too smokey, as turkey likes to do.

Brilliant. I've tried this twice, both times flawless!