Maple smoked wild turkey

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slaymaker

Newbie
Original poster
Dec 24, 2011
9
10
Clarinda, IA
Well I finally got my turkey this last Saturday. 

Cleaned him and prepped the meat that same day and got it in the smoker on Sunday.  I soaked the breast meat in a maple brine overnight.  It consisted of white wine, maple syrup, brown sugar, TenderQuick salt, spices, and water. 

I cut up all the leg, thigh, and wing meat and mixed up a batch of Onion Turkey Sausage, a recipe I found in the North American Hunter magazine several years ago.  Here is the recipe:

Onion Turkey Sausage

3 lbs wild turkey meat from legs and thighs
2 lbs pork butt
3 T salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 T sugar
1 T cracked black peppercorns
1 tsp marjoram
1 T onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 C chopped onion
1/4 C white wine

Chop onions. Saute, and let cool. Chill utensils and grinder attachments. Combine dry ingredients. Cube turkey meat and pork, and sprinkle with dry ingredients. Add chilled onions and wine, toss. Grind mixture through coarse grinder plate, then grind again through medium or fine plate, depending on your preference.

This is good made into patties and fried or grilled. It is also good stuffed into medium hog casings to make rings or links, then smoked with apple wood chips.


Here is a before photo of the breast and sausage before smoking:
 

Before.JPG


 

In_the_Smoker.JPG
 


 

And here is a photo of the finished breast after smoking 3 1/2 hrs at 160 degrees with apple wood, then roasting in the oven for an hour at 300 degrees and basting with maple syrup every 15 minutes.  It turned out AWESOME!! 
tongue2.gif


Done.JPG


I smoked the sausage another 5 hours after taking the breast out of the smoker.  It turned out a little dryer than I hoped, but it still tasted real good.  I tried using TenderQuick salt on this batch... I think I should have stuck with regular salt like I usually do for this recipe, as it usually turns out great.  Learned my lesson... if it ain't broke don't fix it.  :)
 
Congrats on the turkey! I haven't turkey hunted since I moved to CO 3 years ago. I used to take a handful with my PSE / bow each year. 

After you take your breasts out of the brine next time, desalinate / soak in water for an hour and refresh your water a couple times while massaging your meat. It'll pull the salt out. I've been meaning to make a turkey/chicken sausage lately so if I do I'll let you know. 

Looks like a 16-17 lb tom.
 
Thanks!  I never weighted it, but comparing it to past turkeys that I have weighed, I would guess he was between 20 and 21 lbs.  I ended up with about 8 lbs of meat when I got done.

I brined the breast meat in a gallon freezer bag, squeezing and agitating the bag several times.  I emptied the brine and refilled with clear water 3 or 4 times, squeezing it then letting it set for a few minutes each time.  I didn't soak it for an hour, but was pleased with the salt content when I got done.
 
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