Thanksgiving in June? Why Not?

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foamheart

Gone but not forgotten. RIP
Original poster
OTBS Member
Its 8 months since and its 5 months till, so I say once a year just isn't enough!

Got a 14 lb bird, actually 2 of 'em. When delivered I note its has and 8% enhanced sticker on it so I can forget the cure. I was wanting to try Pop healthy turkey.  LOL.. Maybe come Thanksgiving. I didn't see the point in injecting, so I washed it, dried it, and placed it in the reefer (of course that was after a day of thawing).

This AM @ 8:30, I fired up the smoker checked it working and allowed it to heat up to 220. I lit an AMPs of Hickory and cherry for that nice red color. Went back in to prepare the bird.

Having allowed a good pellicle to form, I massage it, sprinkle the inner cavity with some rubbed sage before filling with apple slices. I turn under the wings, tie its legs so it couldn't run away. Place in the smoker and reduce the temperature to 200 degrees. Low and slow!

I easily hit 140 in 4 hours, and actually smoked the bird for 8 hours at 200 degrees.

Here's that bad boy at 4 hours.


Here's after 8 hours


Can you see that clear juice in that pan? You should see inside! Look on that slanted cutting board!


I had to stop slicing an allow some of the juices to get out of my way.


Enough Turkey! So its Thanksgiving, what turkey would enjoy the day alone? So this week I have made both biscuits and cornbread and allowed to sit out and get stale. You know the biscuits and the cornbread have to be just right to make good dressing.


In the dressing, onion, celery, salt, pepper, parsley, sage, and a pinch of rosemary & thyme. Since I didn't boil a hen like usual, I used Swanson's broth.... ok, ok, I didn't have any in the freezer for some reason a brisket is in its place. LOL

Abbra Ka Dabbra, pesto chango, **POOF**


And to my great surprise, a pan of giblet gravy appeared next to it on the stove.


Add a little salad and green beans and it is a meal..... OMW I almost forgot the cranberry sauce. Some one had to put it in the freezer 'cause it was in the pantry and everyone knows canned jellied cranberry sauce is so much better cold.

I am sorry I have made all kinds of cranberry sauces and tasted north south east and west and I am just a redneck I guess, I like the Oceanspray jellied cranberry sauce.

White meat?


Dark meat?


That's Thanksgiving in June! (Did I forget the turkeys were .79/lb??)

On more shot of that beautiful bird!! Tender and moist! You don't need hot and fast to cook a bird juicy! And all that smoke flavor it absorbs............


One more thing, this turkey was cooked perfectly. can you see the non-popped turkey auto timer??

Great meal, I wish I could share with you all.

Thanks for checking out my smoke, low and slow with beautiful color, juicy and delicious with nothing added.

Sorry was in a hurry so I forgot the good Dixie china tonight.
 
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Looks great Kevin, wish I had a spare bird in the freezer! Normally do but we used all the freebie ones we got at the holidays already!
 
Hello Foam my friend.  Turkey and cornbread stuffing?  What can I say?  Great "how to" AGAIN!  I have introduced the English bride to cornbread stuffing.  She requests it several times a year.  Ya just beat a winning recipe.  Just FYI Foam.  She loves:  turnip greens, beet greens, swiss chard, Tx. style pinto beans, spanish rice, breakfast tacos, collards with pepper vinegar, hush puppies, ETC..  Girl didn't know what she was missing!  Thanks for posting!  GREAT job!  Keep Smokin and Postin!

Danny
 
I will take a plate of the dark meat, Foam.

How was the skin?

Oh,  
points.gif
 for a great post and great food.
 
Foam nice and tasty looking bird you have done there.I am with you all the way cold cranberry sauce out of the can.The only time I like Mayo is on a turkey and cranberry sauce sandwich.

Dan
 
Looks great Kevin, wish I had a spare bird in the freezer! Normally do but we used all the freebie ones we got at the holidays already!
LOL..... My freezers are getting way outta hand these days since I have started coming to this site! I only have three freezers and they are all packed full.

Thanks for the compliment my friend. BTW did you note the cherry with hickory blend. I was expecting it to be a hassle but it burned well.
 
Hello Foam my friend.  Turkey and cornbread stuffing?  What can I say?  Great "how to" AGAIN!  I have introduced the English bride to cornbread stuffing.  She requests it several times a year.  Ya just beat a winning recipe.  Just FYI Foam.  She loves:  turnip greens, beet greens, swiss chard, Tx. style pinto beans, spanish rice, breakfast tacos, collards with pepper vinegar, hush puppies, ETC..  Girl didn't know what she was missing!  Thanks for posting!  GREAT job!  Keep Smokin and Postin!

Danny
Danny, I could marry a woman who didn't like those things, but she would have to be really good at something else !! I don't know, I think I would fear a woman that didn't like pinto beans, she'd probably kick puppies!
 
What is wrong with me! What would Thanksgiving be without.........................................

You guessed it, I just forgot about it, Sorry.


Baby Sis made a pecan last week for Pop, its his favorite. Father's day don't ya know. So that left me with a Pumpkin Pie!! My Pop, first year of marriage made comment once about a pecan pie that my Mom made which hadn't set up. He said, "Honey its ok, if you just keep trying you'll get just as good as your mother at pecan pies."  It was the last one she made for him. So every year for our birthdays he'd bribe us to tell Mom we wanted a pecan pie instead of a birthday cake. LOL We did it for him all our lives.......ROFLMAO  So now my Sister or I make 'em for him since Mom passed away.

I like pumpkin almost as much as a sweet tater pie. I put a dollop of gingered whipped cream on each slice when serving but sorta silly to get ahead of one's self with whipped or clotted creams.
 
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I saw that. I never have a problem with cherry even at a 100%. Of course I am using the tube. Even during the summer though I nuke the pellets for a minute or so spread out in a shallow pan. Put em in the tube torch them and TBS for hours!
 
 
I will take a plate of the dark meat, Foam.

How was the skin?

Oh,  
points.gif
 for a great post and great food.
Thank you sir, the skin was great! It wasn't crunchy, or rubbery, it was simply what I'd expect as a smoked turkey skin which had been smoked low and slow.

I liked its, and the smoke flavor was amazing and hung in the air (as well as on my hands
thumb1.gif
), I loved it!
 
 
Foam nice and tasty looking bird you have done there.I am with you all the way cold cranberry sauce out of the can.The only time I like Mayo is on a turkey and cranberry sauce sandwich.

Dan
Thanks for the compliment. It was a nice bird and exceptionally so because it was all pre-done by the factory, I didn't expect the end result.  

That's why I made the turkey. I was wanting turkey breasts to smoke for sandwich meat. You should see how expensive that pressed stuff is! No turkey breasts available so I just got turkeys, besides I got the dark meat this way also!

I saw on TV somewhere a place that takes the dressing and makes it into a waffle, used the waffle to make a turkey and cranberry sauce sandwich. I know that has got to be killer!!!
 
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Thanks for the compliment. It was a nice bird and exceptionally so because it was all pre-done by the factory, I didn't expect the end result.  

That's why I made the turkey. I was wanting turkey breasts to smoke for sandwich meat. You should see how expensive that pressed stuff is! No turkey breasts available so I just got turkeys, besides I got the dark meat this way also!

I saw on TV somewhere a place that takes the dressing and makes it into a waffle, used the waffle to make a turkey and cranberry sauce sandwich. I know that has got to be killer!!!
I was never much on the stuffing but I would try a sandwich made like that.

Dan
 
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