Smoking Poultry?

mine are never pink.. but have great smoke flavor. I don't know the reason for the pinkness you've experienced.. maybe it's like the infamous smoke ring in other meats.

Did you have good smoke flavor? If so.. that's what smoking is about, IMO.

Yep. How did the birds taste? Are you cooking them on 250*? As long as you get the poultry done to 165* in the breast and 170* in the thigh and the juices run clear and you don't see any blood, you are good to go, as long as you like the taste. Crisp the skin on a grill or in the kitchen oven.

All were pleased at dad's new found prowess. I just couldn't answer the wife's question. It weighed 12 pounds and at 225 deg. took 12 hours.

Im not a expert but I think the pink comes from cured meats or brined. A lot of the smoked or slow roasted meats were brined in quick cures etc just my thought.

quote:

Originally posted by davielad:
All were pleased at dad's new found prowess. I just couldn't answer the wife's question. It weighed 12 pounds and at 225 deg. took 12 hours.

WOW!!! Did you stuff this turkey? I buy a bunch of 12#'s just before Thanksgiving when they are dirt cheap (for Calif) and cook one every month or so.. in fact, I'm about ready for another one.

Anyhow,when I do turkeys.. I don't ever remember one taking more than 4:30 to bring to temp. I cook at 250º. If stuffed, it's not recommended due to the long time it takes to get out of the danger zone. You can put some apple, etc slices inside for flavoring if you like.. just be careful about stuffing it.. IMO.

Re: 12 hours at 225 deg. the 12 pounder was not stuffed other than 2 apples quartered and previously brined. Directions varied between 35 minutes per pound for a brined to a flat 10 hours.In actuality the last hour was in the oven at 325 deg.-the kids were arriving. I learned so much on this one. It's great to come here and sit in my old schoolhouse desk and soak up the wisdom.
By the way, Smokenque, your woodcarvings are beautiful.

I have done turkey and chick in my charcoal smoker that alway remained pink when done.

I tried one in my 008 for 12 hours and it was like eating a shoe.

PINK is an affect of smoke. Now in some places commercially they inject/cure them first so they can get pink.

You don't get a pink bird out of the oven on T-Day because there is no wood.

Wood generate Nitrates/Nitrites and "cures" the meat, hence it gets a pink color.

With the little amount of smoke in the CS, you don't typically get that.

Do a search on "smoke ring" if you're wife wants the scientific explaination.

Key thing. How did it taste? SR is 100% visual and most people learned it.

Funny thing is I've seen judges comment down because chicken as TOO pink. Although it was done and juices ran clear.