Turkey leg questions

[cvaglica]

Hi - I smoked some turkey legs today, and they reached IT of 165 in 2 hours. Does that seem too fast to you? I was expecting closer to 4 hours. So...I've pulled them, wrapped them in foil and a towel, and put them in a cooler. How long can they safely stay in the cooler before serving? I was planning to serve dinner around 6:30, so they would need to sit in the cooler for almost 3 hours. Is that unsafe?

Thanks for your advice!
Claudia

 

[pops6927]

were they fresh or cured?

 

[cvaglica]

I brined 3 of them overnight in Tip's brine, and I just seasoned the other 3. I wanted to see how much difference the brining makes in the flavor.

 

[raptor700]

Yes, 3 hours in a cooler would be unsafe for (non Cured) poultry.

 

[mr500]

Hi - I smoked some turkey legs today, and they reached IT of 165 in 2 hours. Does that seem too fast to you? I was expecting closer to 4 hours.

One thing I have learned, mostly from here, is that IT tells the story and not time. If your thermometers are on target, and you probe the meat in the right  spot, I feel IT rules hands down.

With that said, I also perform the boiling water 212 Deg.  test with my probes at every single smoke. I do not want to take chances when I am cooking for 20 people. This is just my .02.

Mike