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December 26, 2008
Christmas Turkey
(and I'm not talking about me)
For Christmas dinner this year I decided to smoke a turkey using the easy and tasty recipe by Keri C Here. This is a high-temperature smoke, so it really takes the same amount of time as a regular buzzard cook in the oven. But whoa Nelly the flavor!
You need an unbrined, non-enhanced turkey. I got a 14 pounder from Hinck's. A "free-range" farm in New Jersey...who'd a thunk it? Anyhow, mostly following the recipe on Tuesday night I mixed 1 gallon of apple juice with 3/4 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup organic white sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar. I borrowed a 20 qt non-reactive pot to brine the beast in and plopped her in.
and then I wrestled the pot into the back fridge for a few days of enjuicyfying. And I do mean wrestled; this puppy was heavy. From Tuesday night until Thursday morning it sat in the fridge, brining away.
Christmas morning, after the presents were opened, I lugged the pot out of the fridge, took the turkey out, rinsed her off and patted her dry with paper towels and then put her on a platter back into the fridge to dry a little bit for a few hours until I was ready to cook her.
I was planning on about a 3 hour cook, so at the D-4 hour mark I started the charcoal going. While that was warming up I took her out of the fridge and quartered a large onion and placed in the cavity, tied the drumsticks together and lightly sprinkled some Montreal steak seasoning on the skin just because I felt like it, and inserted the old temperature probe
Once the coals got reasonably warm I put on four chunks of cherry for the smoke
and assembled the smoker, watching the temperature climb quickly to the desired 350º
(or at least close enough for my purposes) whereupon on the buzzard went
to be completely ignored for the next 2/12 hours. The wonderful thing about the temperature probes is that you never ever have to lift up the lid to check the internal temp; the lead hangs out the side of the smoker/over/grill/whatever and you just plug in the meter and you get your temperature. I started checking the temp at the 2 hour mark, because I was between bottles of wine, and it was climbing nicely.
I used the smoking time creatively. I drank wine, and I watched my Bride set a lovely table
Right around 3 hours the breast temperature hit my target of 165º so I brought her in
and covered her with foil to rest for 15 minutes or so while the remainder of the sides were finalized, then sliced and served. daughter was kind enough to pause for a half second before eating to show you
Turkey with a delicious smoke ring and flavor, mashed spuds and mashed yams, tasty green beans. Yum yum yum.
Oh, and to wash it all down
A bottle of Chateau Latour 1989. I bought that bottle, gosh, at least 15 years ago. I couldn't afford it then, and I sure as heck can't afford to replace it now, but it was bought to be drunk at a special time with family and friends, and I figured this Christmas surely fit that description. And I was frankly getting a little nervous that after nearly 20 years of far from ideal storage and several moves that it might be well past its prime...but it was wonderful. Not quite as full bodied as Latour normally is, and perhaps not quite what you would expect from one of the top rated wines of one of the top rated vintages of the past century, she nonetheless had a sweetness and smooth classic structure that was simply marvelous. Sure, I could have waited for the perfect meal or the perfect occasion...and she might have turned to flat brown water by then.
Fine things are only made fine by sharing them with those you care for.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at December 26, 2008 08:02 PM
Comments
(and I'm not talking about me)
And a good thing! What with that probe and all, you'd be mighty uncomfortable. And likely no where near as tasty.
mmmmmmmmmmm.......smoked turkey!
Posted by: JeffS at December 26, 2008 09:07 PM
Thou art the man.
Posted by: Mark at December 27, 2008 12:32 PM
Man, that sounds good! I'll have to try smoking a turkey some time. I got a smoker a couple years ago (gas-fired with wood chip box type) and so far all I've done are pork shoulders and beef briskets.
Posted by: Eric at December 28, 2008 10:51 AM
Damn. That looks awesome.
Wanna adopt anyone? Like from California? As in Fresno?
Posted by: That 1 Guy at December 28, 2008 10:25 PM
It was pretty easy, Eric. The only pain really is finding something to brine the buzzard in.
I love cooking pork butts on it...when I've got 14 spare hours.
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at December 29, 2008 06:47 AM
Yow...14 hours? I think the Boston Butts I smoke only take 6-8 hours, and they seem to be the same size as the one you did.
And why do they call a pork shoulder a butt, anyway?
Posted by: Eric at December 29, 2008 07:09 AM
All I can say is. . . Yummy Christmas!
Posted by: Kate P at December 30, 2008 01:01 AM
The time depends on the temp, Eric. If you can keep the temp in the smoker down to 225 or so then it will take a 6-7 lb butt anywhere from 12 to 14 hours to reach 190ish internally; if the smoker is closer to 300 than it's more like the 6-8 hours that you go by. I've done them both ways ( the last time by accident: there was a gap in the door that let way too much air in so I couldn't keep the temp low enough) and I prefer the lower/slower butt as my results have had better bark than the 6 hour ones. But they are both delicious! Pulled pork...damn, I'm getting hungry.
I have no idea why the shoulder is called the butt, or why the lower portion is the 'picnic.'
It does allow one to say things like "I had some tasty butt over the weekend" in public, however.
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I am amazed with it. It is a good thing for my research. Thanks
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