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Planning a Turducken for Thanksgiving...Couple of questions

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smokeymoake

smokeymoake

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Oct 21, 2014
174
32
Buffalo, NY
I ran a search, but am wondering something. I've done several chickens and a couple whole turkeys, both of which I have brined overnight prior to smoking. All came out great.

The butcher that prepares the Turducken gives several custom stuffing options. You get it cook ready all tied up nice.

My main question is to brine or not. If I don't it's ready to cook. If I do brine then they will debone everything, I can brine then re assemble, layer and tie up.

Is the brining that important? I'm certainly not one to do my own deboning. Or get the birds deboned. Brine and reassemble?

Thanks
 
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If this is your first rodeo so to speak, I'd go ahead and get it ready to go. The assembly part is kind of a pain to get everything together and into a turkey shape. The first one I did I did everything from scratch and it was a somewhat harrowing experience. Fun and TOTALLY worth it, but not the easiest thing I've ever done.
The duck should contain enough fat to self baste it so as long as you do your part (IE: DON'T OVERCOOK IT!!!) it should be fine without brining. Shoot for 155 in the center mass and then rest for 30-40 minutes. Something that dense will easily coast 10 degrees during the rest period. Also, I'd go for 300-325 pit temp. That is gonna be one dense, heavy lump of meat and stuffing, all of which will have been exposed to outside air, surfaces in the processing plant, the butchers hands etc... No sense letting it languish in the temperature danger zone (40-140) any longer than necessary.
 
Check and check.....
icon14.gif
 Mdbum...
 
Thanks Boatbum. I wasn't planning on doing this from scratch.

OK so I have the Turducken ordered. This is from a locale butcher that makes them up custom. IE pick your own stuffing blend. Everything they sell is awesome. We decided on a cornbread, bacon, apple, smoked gouda blend.

My issue was about brining. Being this is all wrapped up ready to cook. I bought an injector and figured I can shoot it up liberally.

Any thoughts on concoctions?
 
Ask the butcher to brine the parts before assembly.  I'm sure it won't be free, but he may do it.

Don
 
The best injection I've found for poultry is Cajun Injector's Creole Butter. I've made my own concoctions and tried other brands but nothing I've made or tried can match the flavor of Creole butter.
 
Last year I made a Turducken from scratch. The hardest part was trying to get everything tied together.  If you try to dis- and reassemble the turducken, it'll be a lot like getting everything back into an electronics box after you've taken it out. You'll probably get kinda close, but it'll never be as pretty as it started.

Is it possible to ask the butcher to brine your turkey and chicken overnight before making yours?
 
hoffmaba said:
Is it possible to ask the butcher to brine your turkey and chicken overnight before making yours?
Click to expand...
donr said:
 
Ask the butcher to brine the parts before assembly.  I'm sure it won't be free, but he may do it.

Don
Click to expand...
I think that would be a tall order, It's a very busy place, the kind of place you always have to take a number no matter what time of day it is.

I've done a few Turkeys and some Chickens, both of which I have brined. I bought this injector  the other day and think I will be fine. How bad could it be? With the duck being so rich and me shooting up the rest, I'm pretty sure we will like it.

I'll give a full accounting come Thanksgiving!

I do appreciate the replies though
 
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Where did you find a turducken in Buffalo-who was the butcher?  I would love to buy one for Christmas.  Sounds like you found the right one to customize it for you.  Were you happy with it?
 
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