Whole Turkeys

gabe,
that suggestion sounds like a good one to me.
one thing i have done that works well since my family and friends aren't too keen on brining is to make a compound butter using bell's seasoning (just whip the butter with it or plain old poultry seasoning). i put it under the skin of the bird and just use toothpicks to hold the skin in place. i found if i apply kosher salt to the skin and then let it air dry for a while the skin gets nice and crisp.
just another idea
jack

almost forgot one last idea.
a trick that i always used when working at the conference center was this;
take a knife or good pair of shears and remove the backbone. this will speed up your cooking time around 15-20%.
take the backbones and add chunked up onions,carrots and celery along with a pinch of salt and make stock from them.
strain that and chill it and then put into freezer bags and freeze whatever you don't need for dressing. the frozen stock keeps well for over 90 days and saves you some major bucks!!!
jack

Its not turkey but.... When I cook cornish rock hens, I quarter limes & lemons and put 1/4 each in the cavity after rubbing with mayo & your favorite rub. Then I put these in the smoker and smoke as usual. When done, you can really taste the citrus flavor in the birds. Have had many a comment on this method... all good ones!

Bob

I always figured that the stuffing was a waste of good aromatics in the smoker.

I've done a lot ,both ways.

Cut around the knobs of the legs,through the tendons, with your boning knife.

After cooking ,you can pull the tendons out with needle nose pliers.

Saves a lot of carving labor,when you serve.

When I was a pit boy,an old bbq cook taught me that one.

quote:

Originally posted by Gabe's:
[qb] ... I spoke with a cookshack rep that suggested cleaning the birds, rubbing them down with pure apple juice, salt and stuffing the inside with fruit or onion and garlic, any advice from out there. [/qb]

Not sure who THAT rep was, were they local in NEB or on the phone at CS. That's more than a little simplistic, just sounds like an old idea.

Yeah, my advice, go with the forum. Personally, AJ won't add anything to the bird (look at most AJ, #1 ingredient is water).

Stuffing with aromatics? Nope, I think that's an old Chef's trick (no offense Jack -- but EXCELLENT idea on the backbone) but I've experiement with a LOT of that stuff and I just don't think it adds anything to the flavor. Maybe to the aroma, but not the flavor.

Guess it depends on how much work or not you want to go to. Brining is time/space consuming. Me, I brine for 48 hours and have no problem with over salty or hammy tastes.

Change the aromatics in the brine and the flavor will be in the meat, not in the cavity.

Smokin'

Jack,

I like the idea of kosher salt on the skin and air-drying but how do you get the salt to stick to the skin? Do you put any oil or butter on first?

John

A little more than an answer to your question,but along the same line.

Rude Pete,from out on the left coast, entered a dry brined turkey and this albacore technique in a Cookshack contest.

Both these approaches changed my mind and I believe they will do so for the other doubters.

I cooked the turkey at lower temps in the smoker.

I thought the fennel might be too much,but it was barely noticable.


Rude Pete's Albacore

Rude Pete's turkey

.

Tom, no disrespect meant but you would eat a piece of plywood if it had red pepper flakes on it! LOL

We can talk more about it this weekend in Plant City.

Hee Hee

john,
the salt thing i learned years ago mess cooking in the navy.
the salt i put on last after i have put compund butter under the skin. by that time there seems to be just enough of it to make it stick.
if i am not doing the butter thing then i apply it after taking the backbone out and washing the bird down.
funny thing is although i hated my military service (69-72) i sure learned a lot from those old navy cooks that served me well 30 years later.
weird world eh??
jack

Thanks Jack. I will definitely give it a try.

quote:

Originally posted by RibDog:
[qb]... you would eat a piece of plywood if it had red pepper flakes on it! LOL We can talk more about it this weekend in Plant City. [/qb]

Wish I could be there to listen.

Have a great contest!

PC313-

I did the backbone removal last night and it really does speed things up.

We need pulled turkey for a gig today. These guys were partially frozen 23# toms. Knives and shears didn't work. Went to the basement and brought up the meat saw. That worked.

We also did the neck and backbone stock idea. That went into the roaster with the pulled turkey.

We're making more stock today with the carcasses.

Thanks for the turkey pointers! Roger

mnhog,
glad i helped a little.
you have given me a lot of ideas so i feel good bout mine helping you
jack

Howdy guys,
Long time no nothing.
I have a few tips for the Turkey smoking.
Brining is a fine idea. Turkey can take ALOT of smoke. IF one chooses not to brine then a good rub under the skin and in the cavity left on for a minimum of 12 hours will put a slight cure on the meat--makes ALL the difference in the world. Stuffing aromatics in the cavity is a GRAND idea. Best ones we have found are celery, green apples, onions and garlic. They will steam into the meat---it does make a difference. Remove any of those stupid pop up things before you smoke them. Pull turkeys between 155-160 internal temp not 170.
Jack, hey buddy! I hope all is well and that the turkey recipe that I gave you is working for you as well as it is us. I have hooked up with the most notable caterer in town and have standing orders with them and have been providing for their foo-foo parties VERY frequently, too.( making more on the birds than with the restaurant!) By this time next year we MAY have a deal with ALL the local organic farmers and stores in the area and beyond--our BBQ place may be heading into a new direction---checking on USDA regs and so forth. I'll call you soon.
Godd luck to you all and hopefully this info will help someone. ANy questions post a reply or PM me.
Zeb

zeb!!!!!!
man i apologize!!! been as busy as a one armed paper hanger.
to give you an idea was going to take the saturday after thanksgiving off just to rest but last saturday my fec broke the auger shear pin at 4 am. still made the farmers market and had one of our best days ever.
if i can't find a jack that will fit under the fec to fix the pin problem i will only have to unbolt and take out of the rig my 22 cu ft reefer and the 7.2 cu ft freezer.
ah the joys of mobile
will ring you next week on your cell.
had to change my cell number will explain why.
but sure am glad you got it running great!!!!
jack

Putting salt on the outside of the turkey draws the moisture up in the bird without drying it out. That was what my grandmother said. I think it's an old way of brining without getting the brining solution down into the meat. I guess it's just what you like best. Of course, my grandmother did all this with moon signs so that affects things a lot!
Peggy