Smoking stuffed Turkey ????

[forluvofsmoke]

HAH-HAH!!! You'll probably know before morning if it was mistake, but I'm 100% convinced, based on your times and I/T readings that all is and will be well.

Eric

 

[noboundaries]

This has been a fun read.  Allow me to share a story. 

I grew up eating stuffed turkeys that I now know were thawed and roasted in an unsafe manner.  My mother and her sisters used to thaw turkeys on the counter.  Then they'd wash them extensively.  When ready to oven roast them they'd coat them inside and out with lots of salt.  Finally they'd stuff them and cook them overnight in the oven at 180F, getting up to baste it occasionally.  The finished birds always looked beautiful but the white meat was dry as chalk, requiring copious amounts of gravy.  She her sisters did it that way because that's how their mother did it.  No one died or got sick, which is probably a miracle.   

Once I learned a bit about food safety I won't stuff a bird, but understand it is still done quite a bit.  Frankly I used to love that creamy, moist stuffing, but just can't bring myself to stuff a bird.          

 

[Bearcarver]

I knew you'd be OK when I left last night, Marc.

Therms all reading around 270° should get her done in time.

So as long as you didn't open the door a lot, it would get going once the initial "Cold" of the bird subsides.

One of the things I don't like about the Masterbuilt Analog is they aren't insulated like the MES Digital units are.

One of the things you can do is get a Welders Blanket to lay over it, but don't block any vents.

At least you're down there around Toledo Bend----It gets below ZERO up here.

So how did that Turkey Taste???

Bear

 

[chef jimmyj]

DANG! I missed all the Fun!:biggrin: Putting hot stuffing in kills or at least injures any bacteria in the cavity. Now even though the stuffing temp is dropping, the damage to them critters is done. Cooking at a relatively high temp got the bird heated before any cavity survivors could grow.

Regarding Ray's childhood Turkey....YEP, I think many of us been down that road. The counter, stuffing and low temp was a bad idea but the saving grace was Mom also cooked the PI$$ out of the bird, an IT probably 190+! This knocked out any critters that grew and most if not all the toxins. Additionally, these birds were before over use of antibiotics and hand sanitzer when folks HAD a stronger immune system and a little surviving Salmonella just gave Dad some bad gas...JJ

 

[daveomak]

Here's an article we discussed some time back....    HACCP Stuffed Turkey Study...

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...key-food-safety-haccp-test-study#post_1488477

 

[marctrees]

Bear - Both turkey and stuffing turned out great, 

Will try to post Qview in this thread tonight

DaveOmak - Very good article, I had to read it slowly a few times to soak up most of it, will refer to it again.

Thank you all for responses, Marc

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Dave, thanks for the refresher. I remember reading that one and somehow lost track of it (didn't subscribe or reply), but I have it bookmarked now.

Eric

 

[marctrees]

Update - The two of us spent hours last night swapping positions sitting on the Porcelain Throne.

Tummys (Dunlop bellies in our cases) feeling BADDDDD. 

NOTTTTTTTT. 

All good here. Just wanted to inject some Drama.

           Marc

 

[DGsMIMI]

I know this is dated 2016...but wanted to add my comment for prosperity sake ...and its 2020. what else I got to do!?

My husband loves smoked stuffing and turkey. To elevate the fear of bacteria, I actually bake the the stuffing (and bird if need be) in the oven a little bit after smoking.

I line the cavity with cheesecloth and then loosely stuff the bird (I make a chestnut stuffing). I smoke the stuffed bird. When I can wiggle the leg (I know, so technical...but mostly because of smoking at low temp in cold weather). I take the stuffing out, put in a pan and put in a 350 oven and bake until the top is a little crispy. About 20-30 minutes. Depending on how much time I have, I either put the turkey back on the smoker, break it down and bake the cavity parts (covered in foil), or put the whole thing in the oven (til the juices in the cavity run clear). Turkey has never been dried out. Stuffing has never made us sick.

I have also butterflied (spatchcocked the turkey) placed it on a grate over the dressing/stuffing in a pan and smoked (removed the breast bone or not).

I've also boned the turkey (sans drumsticks) and trussed the stuffed turkey so it looks like a whole turkey. Don't forget the cheesecloth!

Either of the options, the stuffing/dressing and turkey get a short bake in the oven.

Hope this helps someone get that creamy stuffing back on the menu!

Happy Thanksgiving 2020!

 

[daveomak]

You can do it scientifically to insure you won't get sick...

Using a calibrated thermometer, cook the turkey to an internal temperature that coincides with the following FSIS poultry chart... The bird will be pasteurized... If you have stuffing in the bird, check the IT of the stuffing also.. I recommend the 12% Fat schedule as it is the longest time.. and I don't think anyone can measure or guess the %fat in a bird.. Also, I recommend adding 30+ minutes to the time to allow for any miscalculations, to be on the safe side... A 7D (decimal) reduction in bacteria is 99.99999% kill rate...
The only draw back to using this chart is...... There WILL be pink meat from the myoglobin...
The upside is... The bird will be moist and you won't have to drink something after every bite of white meat you chew....