Rob,
I did this recipe in 2010 and my 70 year old mother said it was the juiciest best tasting turkey she has ever had. I think the turkey i used was about 17#. And yes, it was my mother talking but I ate it too and it was pretty darn good. 2 years later I tried it again with just OK results the only difference was the second time I was given a turkey and it was frozen not fresh. Let me tell you it makes a HUGE difference. The temperature seemed a little low to me for a nice crispy skin but it did turn out good. Maybe my smoker thermometer was off who knows, maybe someone else has an idea. Regardless here it is:
[h1]Smoking Turkey [/h1][h3]How to Prepare the Turkey[/h3]
Prep the turkey next. Remove the giblets and the neck from the body cavity and the neck cavity of the bird. Remove the excess fat from the edges of the skin. Leave as much of the skin on the bird as possible. It protects the meat from drying as it smokes. Rinse the turkey in cold, running water, making sure to
clean the body cavity as well as the outside surfaces.
Another important step of preparation is to separate the skin from the breast. Be very careful that you don't tear the skin as you pull it free. Slowly work it loose with your fingers, from the rear to front, and then down the sides toward the legs. Doing this allows the brine to reach the breast meat.
Rinse and Dry
After removing the bird from the brine, rinse it in cold, running water. Make sure you clean the body cavity in addition to the outside surface. Position the bird upright, as if it were dancing, in the
kitchen sink to drain. You want most of the water to drain from the body cavity. After five to ten minutes, pat the turkey dry with a towel to ready it for seasoning. Be careful if you use paper towels…they can melt onto the turkey flesh, and the resulting mess can be difficult to remove.
The Curing Rest
For the best texture and flavor, let the turkey rest uncovered in the
refrigerator for twelve to twenty four hours. This gives the salt and brine flavorings time to distribute evenly throughout the turkey. It allows the salt time to modify the proteins, which will improve the texture and moisture retention.
Seasoning The Turkey
The brined turkey can be seasoned with a dry mix of spices and herbs, or with a wet rub. I use a dry mix in the cavity, but I prefer to use a
wet rub on the outside surfaces of the turkey. I believe it adheres better, plus the oil in it improves the moistness and color of the smoked turkey. To make a wet rub, mix vegetable or olive oil into the dry ingredients until you have a thin paste.
The trick to seasoning a brined turkey is to get the flavors under the skin. Remember when you separated the skin from the breast before brining? You were preparing it for seasoning at the same time.
Again, carefully lift the skin and coat the meat with some of the wet rub. Try to completely cover the exposed flesh. Pull the skin back into place after you've seasoned the bird. I use a couple of toothpicks to hold the skin in place, since it shrinks as it cooks. You don’t want the meat uncovered as it smokes.
Season the outer surface of the turkey with the remaining wet rub. Get into all the nooks and crannies…under the wings and legs. Next, flavor up the inside of the turkey with dry spices. Try this great
turkey dry rub recipe I found at the website
BBQ-FYI.com. After seasoning, I loosely truss the legs together with a length of butchers' string. Now it's ready for the smoker.
[h2]Smoking The Turkey[/h2]
Get your smoker up to 225 degrees Fahrenheit before you put in the turkey. Oil the grate to prevent sticking. Maintain a temperature of 225 to 250 degrees throughout the smoking session. I like my smoked turkey to be kissed with a combination of oak and apple smoke, about half and half. Use two or three fist sized chunks, spaced throughout the session…you don't want it to be overpowered with smoke flavor. Normally, it will need to smoke from 30 to 40 minutes per pound. Baste the turkey with a little melted butter a few times as it smokes.
When the thick part of the thigh reaches 170 degrees, and the breast about 160, it's time to remove the turkey. The temperature will rise after removing it from the smoker. When the breast reaches 150F, cover it with foil to prevent it from being overcooked.
All that remains is to cover the smoked turkey with a foil tent, and let it rest for at least one-half hour, breast side down, before slicing. This allows the juices and smoke flavor to evenly disperse throughout the flesh as it firms up.
