Turkey Breast Questions

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blackhawk19

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Jun 20, 2007
1,778
27
Troy AL
I would like to do a breast for a few meals and slice the rest for sandwiches, all I can find around here have up to a 15% solutions added and some are self basting. Are these OK to smoke and would you still brine them? dang I wish we had a butcher shop. I'm going to ask my Butcher friend at the Piggly Wiggly grocery store if he can order one all natural if that's what ya'll say I need
 
With that high a percentage it is pretty much brined already. If I did use a brine I'd cut down on the salt in the solution as well as the length of time in the brine, maybe just a few hours and made sure I'd rinse it off real well.
 
Since it is just my wife and I, we usually opt for a boneless breast by Butterball. I have never brined them and have driven the neighbors crazy on many occasions.
 
as it gets closer to turkey day...........should start seeing some fresh, never frozen field birds.........i have smoked YEARS ago some bonesless breasts.........like 23 years ago.........heheheh......telling my age now........and they turned out GREAT..........yum...........


so maybe, wait for the fresh ones to show up at your local grocery store.......

d8de
 
if your asking me........no clue..........back then didn't even THINK bout temps and thermometers........just times that my brinkman ecb said to cook em


d8de
 
Blackhawk..
I did one last weekend and just took another one out of the smoker now...
They both had a 10% solution...so I did not brine them....all I did was let them swim in a half gallon of apple cider for about 3 hours, for a little flavor...evoo...salt.. pepper..bells seasoning...smoke at 275*...till internal of 165* measured in the thickest part of the breast...let rest, covered tightly with foil for about an hour...you'll have the most tender..juicy, turkey breast anyone would want...if the wife liked it...it had to be good...Good Luck...
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If they are packed in solution I usually still brine for a few hours but with very little salt. I also inject them and it gets my favorite spices in there.
 
Blackhawk, I did two turkey breasts last weekend. They were frozen, but with no solution. No need to brine if you've already got it in there. I thawed, then brined mine with a mixture of 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup sugar per 4 qts of water for 4-6 hours (got that from Cooks Illustrated). I then took them back to the butcher who deboned it and then shot it through a Jet Netter and bundled it nicely. I rolled it in a rub that Debi had on her site called Best Poultry Rub. I smoked with Apple wood for about 4 1/2 hours until it hit 170 then let it sit for 30 mins. My family said it was the best they've ever tasted and my kids are using it for sandwiches as I write this. The key is to find a butcher who has a jet netter. It's all the difference.
 
Blackhawk, I did two turkey breasts last weekend. They were frozen, but with no solution. No need to brine if you've already got it in there. I thawed, then brined mine with a mixture of 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup sugar per 4 qts of water for 4-6 hours (got that from Cooks Illustrated). I then took them back to the butcher who deboned it and then shot it through a Jet Netter and bundled it nicely. I rolled it in a rub that Debi had on her site called Best Poultry Rub. I smoked with Apple wood for about 4 1/2 hours until it hit 170 then let it sit for 30 mins. My family said it was the best they've ever tasted and my kids are using it for sandwiches as I write this. The key is to find a butcher who has a jet netter. It's all the difference.

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Works good if you cut off the meat, cut it into strips about 2 x 1 x 3, sprinkle it with a packet of knox gelatin, garlic powder, onion powder and whatever else you like (I like canjun spice) stuff it into a 2,3 or 4 inch casing and smoke it. Great lunch meat for sandwiches! Sometime I thow in a few handfuls of a mild shreded high temperature cheese.
 
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