# Smoked Turkey Necks



## foamheart (Feb 13, 2014)

Smoked turkey necks is like oxtail to me, its a very rich hearty meal that the supper market still has not realized yet. Its comfort food! Since we are having these cold snaps this year (finally!) I am pulling out some of the old go to's and adding a twist.

First I gotta tell you, I nearly fell over, Turkey necks are cryopacked. This means I am sure they prices will go thru the roof soon. Too sad.













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__ foamheart
__ Feb 12, 2014






While the smoker heated to 275, with the vents closed, and the AMPS in the lighting Stage I added some gizzards to the necks in a bowl. I added Lea & Perins, Malt vinegar, Tony's "More", and a touch of oil. A simple quick marinade. 30 mins later the box is at 275, I have the AMPS puffing like a locomotive, I add the meat, open the vent full, pull the chip loaded out an inch, and we have SMOKE!













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__ foamheart
__ Feb 12, 2014






30 mins later I shut the vent by half, and reduce the box temp to 180. I check it again after 30 mins to ensure the lose of the high temp did not cause a draft loose in the box. 2 hours later I pull the meat. Yes, I could have just used the chips for this but now I use the AMPS just so I can ensure I can. BTW notice how nice its sits on the grate sitting upon the reloader enclosure ensuring quality air flow.













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__ foamheart
__ Feb 12, 2014






Inside, I am just slicing and dicing,chopping and grinding and peeling. Did I mention I sharpened the knives last night? Hey, its just extra protein right? There's shallots, onions, celery, carrots, bell peppers, parsley, garlic and ginger.

I had originally planned to throw it all in a roaster and braise it. Phone rang, family problems, and forget it.  Doh!













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__ foamheart
__ Feb 12, 2014






What to do,what to do...... My Mom was born long before microwaves and having two kids and being a special needs educator she was quite handy with a now near forgotten cooking method. Notice the pan, Its a pressure cooker. 15 mins. in the pressure cooker was like and hours and a half in the oven.













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__ foamheart
__ Feb 12, 2014






Looks at that caramelization from a pressure cooker! We are talking fall of the bone turkey necks and fork tender smoked gizzards! I make a great gravey and mashed potatoes, fresh corn on the cob, a salad, and............













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__ foamheart
__ Feb 12, 2014






I am getting old, earlier I had boiled some macaroni and was going to make a macaroni and baby green pea salad. That was when the phone rang. Goofy me comes back and makes Mac & Cheese. Hey its my favorite thing and I wasn't thinking and just started throwing it all together. I know none of ya'll are goofy like that but I seem to be doing more and more of these silly things. What will I ever do when I get old?













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__ foamheart
__ Feb 12, 2014






Here it is out the oven, This is when the pictures ended as the neighbors (that's plural) knocked on the door cause they smelled the and since it was cold and they didn't have electricity thought they would come over and visit. I am just no count. I slide the Mac & cheese into the corner of the counter behind the reefer and fed them the turkey necks and gizzards. They also wondered and asked about when the quart jars would be ready for sampling! Its ok, long as they didn't get my Mac & cheese!













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__ foamheart
__ Feb 12, 2014






I think sometime while they were here a mouse got into it, that's my story and I am sticking too it!













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__ foamheart
__ Feb 12, 2014






Sorry for no Bear pictures, but I am just not to the point where I will say, gee wait I want a picture of that food first.....LOL  Its just not a warm fuzzy comfortable feeling yet.

So there ya are, smoked gizzards and turkey necks braised in Grandma's microwave. The broth that wasn't turned into gravy is was rich I kept thinking about Moklie's ( BTW I am sorry man, my mind just can not wrap around the spelling of your name and I so apologize!) Dish were he doubles the broth and returns half to the freezer everytime, well this was that good.

Nothing fancy, just good warm rich delightful meal.

Thanks for checking it. Hope you decide to give it a try, even though I know many folks have issues with innards, its a really hearty and delicious while inexpensive meal.

PS I chuckled the hold time I was cooking, thinking I should try and bone out the necks, but I knew I could never keep up with SnorklingGirl!


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## disco (Feb 13, 2014)

That looks terrific, Kevin. I bet you gobbled it up. Please don't hate me.

Disco


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## leah elisheva (Feb 13, 2014)

Just amazing!!! It's so fun to see something different!!!! Beautiful! And happy Thursday!!!!!!!!!!!! Cheers! - Leah


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## dirtsailor2003 (Feb 13, 2014)

Mmmmm!!!! I would've hidden the Mac and Cheese for myself too!!!!


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## snorkelinggirl (Feb 13, 2014)

Hey Kevin,

Love it!  Dark meat on a turkey is one of my favorite things. I love braised turkey legs, but I never thought of using the neck in the same fashion....always just tossed it into the stock pot.  So great idea!

The whole meal (including the VIP mac-n-cheese) looks incredibly tasty, and just perfect for a winter day.

Thanks for sharing!
Clarissa


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## raastros2 (Feb 13, 2014)

Smoked turkey necks! One of my faves growing up....
Cajun comfort food will never get old huh foam


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## pc farmer (Feb 13, 2014)

Looks great Foam.   I have been throwing necks away.


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## woodcutter (Feb 13, 2014)

Broth worth its weight in gold. Nice job on the Mac and Cheese too!


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## tr00ter (Feb 13, 2014)

That meal looks great Foam!  I don't think I could talk my family into a meal of innards though................well maybe the kids..


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## cappyr (Feb 13, 2014)

Smoked turkey necks have long been a favorite down here in Cajun country.  They are for sale in all grocery stores and are added as seasoned meat for beans and gumbos for years.  The local seafood shop boils them in seafood b oil and sells out of them first every day.  Sadly the local supliers have caught on and my buddy 'smokin Sam'  told me the cost for a case of necks has more than doubled, forcing him to charge more for them and he can't keep up.  Fraid the cat's outa the bag Foam.


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## foamheart (Feb 13, 2014)

Disco said:


> That looks terrific, Kevin. I bet you gobbled it up. Please don't hate me.
> 
> Disco


Its a Mouse and I am sticking to that story! I knew mac and cheese had to be bad for you cause it tastes sooooo good!


Leah Elisheva said:


> Just amazing!!! It's so fun to see something different!!!! Beautiful! And happy Thursday!!!!!!!!!!!! Cheers! - Leah


Thank you Leah, now if I could just learn to plate like you can.


dirtsailor2003 said:


> Mmmmm!!!! I would've hidden the Mac and Cheese for myself too!!!!


Thanks Case.....Had there been kids I might have reconsidered and shared, maybe not....LOL I shared everything else! We drank a quart of pineapple liqueur! I like pineapple, but that was just too much!


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## foamheart (Feb 13, 2014)

SnorkelingGirl said:


> Hey Kevin,
> 
> Love it! Dark meat on a turkey is one of my favorite things. I love braised turkey legs, but I never thought of using the neck in the same fashion....always just tossed it into the stock pot. So great idea!
> 
> ...


Turkey necks have been a big deal here for a long time. But usually you see them in an onion gravy served over rice. Braised, smoked, boiled or steamed there is much more meat there than you realize. I was really expecting at least twice that many when I got them.  I realized I had to cook something with them and gizzards just fit. That's something else we never see anymore. Around Thanksgiving you used to see big containers of turkey gizzards. I can see where we are going soon it is going to be a pill twice a day. LOL


raastros2 said:


> Smoked turkey necks! One of my faves growing up....
> Cajun comfort food will never get old huh foam


Yes Sir, and you knew exactly where you fit in the family hierarchy by who got the big ends and who was stuck with the little ones....LOL


c farmer said:


> Looks great Foam.   I have been throwing necks away.


To give you a good idea as to how I was brought up, one years bouchiere (we didn't call it that then),and pig roast (the last year got so big was 4 massive hogs plus the other meats), Pop recorded a pigs squeal. He was thought it so funny to walk around to his guests saying he used everything on the pig, he even saved the squeal.


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## foamheart (Feb 13, 2014)

Woodcutter said:


> Broth worth its weight in gold. Nice job on the Mac and Cheese too!


Thank ye thank ye...... Some days broth is outstanding, most days broth is just good.... Its a cosmic thing I think.


Tr00ter said:


> That meal looks great Foam!  I don't think I could talk my family into a meal of innards though................well maybe the kids..


Thank you, You know I started learning to eat as a kid too! Small world!  It really was good, although would have been much better braised vice pressure cooked.


CappyR said:


> Smoked turkey necks have long been a favorite down here in Cajun country.  They are for sale in all grocery stores and are added as seasoned meat for beans and gumbos for years.  The local seafood shop boils them in seafood b oil and sells out of them first every day.  Sadly the local supliers have caught on and my buddy 'smokin Sam'  told me the cost for a case of necks has more than doubled, forcing him to charge more for them and he can't keep up.  Fraid the cat's outa the bag Foam.


What's the deal Lucille? I guess we need to figure out a Cajun recipe for tripe or melt, everything else is taken! I never thought crawfish would get above .20 cents a lb.


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## snorkelinggirl (Feb 13, 2014)

Off topic, but I just got distracted by your new signature lines.

There is definitely a story behind why you have aliases of "Uncle Goldie" and, more importantly, "Pooh Pah".  :ROTF

I think you owe it to us to share that story.


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## foamheart (Feb 13, 2014)

Uncle Goldie was from the military, there was Phineas, Franklin, Red, Uncle Goldie, and we all worked for Fat Freddy's Cat. Since two of use had red hair and bright red beards, I lost the draw and became Uncle Goldie instead. I know you can not cleared for anything more than that. I'd have to shoot you. Besides I am not sure if there are still active arrest warrants out there in some places, definitely restraining orders.. LOL

Pooh-Pah, I had a very citified girlie girl lady friend, I had a very young new God-Daughter, in Cajun a god father is a parrain (pronounced Pa-ran). 

The lady friend had no idea what people were saying and somehow brought the "Happy Days" dad into it, because he was the Grand Pooh Pa of the leopard lodge on the TV show. I had just joined a lodge at the time so it was an easier assoc than you would think.

Everyone is trying to get my God daughter to say Parrain, and Meg, my lady friend said "pooh pah" one time. It stuck! I now have 4 god sons and 3 god daughters stretched all over the country and they, their family's and my family all call me "Pooh Pah".

I was the Parraine that bought each kid for their third birthday a complete "band box" full of instruments from drums, cymbols to sliding whistles. All the boys got footballs, all the girls got shiney tap shoes except one who wanted army boots. LOL.... So I am "the" Pooh Pah.

All basically harmless.


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## jeepdiver (Feb 13, 2014)

Well not sure I would say he is actually a Cajun but no one would touch Drum until Paul Perdone covered it with so much spice no one could tell what it was, then all the fancy city folk started eating it.  And while I am not a Cajun I've been eating crawfish since they were around 20 cents a pound and you had to d4ive over from Mississippi and catch them from the rice fields yourself.   I would sure go wadding for them again (well I'm taller now so probably wouldn't be wading) if I could get them that cheap.  I also remember 10 cent oysters and big fish bowl glasses of beer for a buck.  Damn guess I'm getting older than I care to admit.


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## moikel (Feb 13, 2014)

I love this style of food,it's just so honest ,regional & authentic.
My tag s Moikel because that's how I sounded to people when I was in Canada. 
I answer to Michael or Mick,I just converted that to Moikel because I was to lazy to create  another handle.
I think th principle of freezing then reusing as a concentrated base would work a treat.
I think it would be a great building block for any braise or pasta sauce.
I
 Have just got back from the oyster shacks so that's my lunch!


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## foamheart (Feb 13, 2014)

JeepDiver said:


> Well not sure I would say he is actually a Cajun but no one would touch Drum until Paul Perdone covered it with so much spice no one could tell what it was, then all the fancy city folk started eating it. And while I am not a Cajun I've been eating crawfish since they were around 20 cents a pound and you had to d4ive over from Mississippi and catch them from the rice fields yourself. I would sure go wadding for them again (well I'm taller now so probably wouldn't be wading) if I could get them that cheap. I also remember 10 cent oysters and big fish bowl glasses of beer for a buck. Damn guess I'm getting older than I care to admit.


Yeppers, but the 10 cents oysters were only as long as you drink that high priced beer in the bar. Just grab a sack from on the side of the road on the way home. On the half shell till ya were full, then shuck the rest in the bowl, usually fired later.

If you are old enough to remember 20 cent crawfish, your probably old enough to start realizing those days are long past. I still like Pappy's idea, lets go get our own! Anyone have some grand kids to come do the work? LOL


Moikel said:


> I love this style of food,it's just so honest ,regional & authentic.
> My tag s Moikel because that's how I sounded to people when I was in Canada.
> I answer to Michael or Mick,I just converted that to Moikel because I was to lazy to create another handle.
> I think th principle of freezing then reusing as a concentrated base would work a treat.
> ...


Moikel you would have been a great coonazz. Maybe we should start some adopted coonazz registration papers for you. Lunch of Champions!

Just be careful about the oysters these days. Since the hurricane a few years back, I am getting defective oysters. My last dozen only three of them worked.


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## snorkelinggirl (Feb 13, 2014)

Foamheart said:


> Uncle Goldie was from the military, there was Phineas, Franklin, Red, Uncle Goldie, and we all worked for Fat Freddy's Cat. Since two of use had red hair and bright red beards, I lost the draw and became Uncle Goldie instead. I know you can not cleared for anything more than that. I'd have to shoot you. Besides I am not sure if there are still active arrest warrants out there in some places, definitely restraining orders.. LOL
> 
> 
> Pooh-Pah, I had a very citified girlie girl lady friend, I had a very young new God-Daughter, in Cajun a god father is a parrain (pronounced Pa-ran).
> ...



Harmless, but completely awesome.  You've got the best stories, thanks for sharing them!!


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## snorkelinggirl (Feb 13, 2014)

Moikel said:


> I love this style of food,it's just so honest ,regional & authentic.
> My tag s Moikel because that's how I sounded to people when I was in Canada.
> I answer to Michael or Mick,I just converted that to Moikel because I was to lazy to create  another handle.
> I think th principle of freezing then reusing as a concentrated base would work a treat.
> ...



Not to hijack Pooh Pah's, I mean Kevin's, thread.  But just had to respond to this.  I just said "Michael" out loud using my best (i.e. terrible) Australian accent, and there it is: Moikel.  I feel like I just had my Road to Damascus moment. 

Between Pooh Pah and now this, my evening can get no better. Thanks all.


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## moikel (Feb 14, 2014)

Ah yes oysters,I am at Greenwell Point famous for its oysters.  I love them & it's Valentines Day! So we had a bottle of champagne with them.
Aussie accent a funny thing when combined with slang,we were isolated relatively for a long time & there's only 25 million of us.  I said in (Canada ) " that mans cooking would kill a brown dog"(bad) Canadians completely flummoxed but laughing just the same.


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## eman (Feb 16, 2014)

To the point now where if i can't go catch my own crawfish i don't eat them. The size of market crawfish has gotten so small the last few years , to me it's not worth it.

 talked to a buyer last season and his word were .As long as folks will buy small crawfish we will sell small crawfish.


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## foamheart (Feb 16, 2014)

eman said:


> To the point now where if i can't go catch my own crawfish i don't eat them. The size of market crawfish has gotten so small the last few years , to me it's not worth it.
> 
> talked to a buyer last season and his word were .As long as folks will buy small crawfish we will sell small crawfish.


 But don't you find that the small ones are so much nicer on the thumbs that those big swamp devil mud bugs? They really tear my thumbs up these days, yeah the ponds have much smaller but I can eat them twice as fast.

LOL.. I know I'd probably die in the swamp were I to try running nets all day, not to mention running cages. LOL


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## jeepdiver (Feb 16, 2014)

Foam I can't belive you get sore thumbs eating crawfish.  I thought that was just rookies.  Pop the head pinch the tail and the meat pulls right out with your teeth.  Works much better on big ones than small


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## foamheart (Feb 16, 2014)

JeepDiver said:


> Foam I can't belive you get sore thumbs eating crawfish. I thought that was just rookies. Pop the head pinch the tail and the meat pulls right out with your teeth. Works much better on big ones than small


 What teeth?  Pull and twist, suck the head or use a finger nail to get the butter. Crack the first ring and remove, pinch and pull. Time honed efficiency.

That's why those pond crawfish seem like a good investment to me. I have just grown into a weenie baby!


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