let's talk turkey

john said:

The problems: they were kind of mushy, the ones I rubbed with the black So Fla were unedible. The garlic ones were edible.

What I have learned from this:

1. Do not marinate chicken boobs (what about chicken quaters? or is it chicken in general?)
2. Rubbing them a couple hours before cooking in enough
3. Know you seasoning and meat before you rub it!

Thanks guys.

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first... yes u can marinade.. just be careful..

They were mushy cause ya marinaded in oil and salt.

Salt opens up the cells in the meat. Its Brining, not marinading. When the cellss open up, they absorb whatever is around them, thats why brined birds are so juicy, and take on the flavor of the brine, they absorbed the moisture into the cells. Add some flavor, like maple syrup and ya got great bird.

Oil tends to break down fat. Try soaking a piece of fat in oil over night, and the next thing ya got is mushy, nearly dissolved fat. I left a steak in oil and garlic over night and it turned into pat-tay(however you spell that).

so, you double wammy-ed. You opened up the cells to absorb.. so they absorbed oil and the chicken started dissolving. hence.. Mush.

I always marinade bonless boobs, for an hour, no more, in wishbone italian dressing, and a little additional garlic and oregano. Usually, i'll vcook them on the warming rack of my grill. make the grill hot, like 500 degrees, then put the boobs on the top warming rack and turn the burners down to low. they cook in about 20-30 mins and stay juicy.


If Im doin alot, and BBQ anyway, I'll do them in the HONDO(read.. your new Klose), done in about an hour, cook close to the heat side.

In the bandera I cook them, 3nd from bottom rack, no water pan, no more than an hour for thick ones. Turning once and spray often.

I did a 22 lb Butterball turkey last year sitting on a cast iron "Chicken Rocket" full of apple Juice and a sitck of butter with foil still on it (slows down melt) stuffed into the neck cavaity above the breasts :roll: . Sprayed with apple juice, honey and soy. It was great. Pics are on the old site. :shock:

This year I am going to modify the Bandera by adding the rotissary from my old grill and won't waste the time to brine because frozen Butterball turkeys don't need it, it is part of their proceesing.

I've made turkey in the bandera a few times. My approach has been to keep it simple. I usually buy about 8lb turkeys w/o the wings & legs...so mostly white meat. Last time all I did was shake garlic pepper on the bird just before putting it in the smoker - turned out great. My trick is to wrap the bird in a cloth, then baste the cloth with water as you cook, keeps the bird nice and moist. If you want golden skin, just remove the wrap for the last hr. I have an injector, but have yet to use it.

I've made turkey in the bandera a few times. My approach has been to keep it simple. I usually buy about 8lb turkeys w/o the wings & legs...so mostly white meat. Last time all I did was shake garlic pepper on the bird just before putting it in the smoker - turned out great. My trick is to wrap the bird in a cloth, then baste the cloth with water as you cook, keeps the bird nice and moist. If you want golden skin, just remove the wrap for the last hr. I have an injector, but have yet to use it.

Had the turkey breast last night from this weekends WSM "bake"

It was awesome. Left it wrapped in foil, heated in an inch of water in a casserole dish for an hour.

Nice and moist.

Tonight we plow into a pork loin from that same Q

You ever do butts or just a loin type of guy ? Got a butt in the freezer looking for a excuse to break in that Dream Land Sauce.

I have never tried a pork butt. I certainly want to, but I can't seem to find them.

Fark, I can't even get a briskett.

willkat98 said:

I have never tried a pork butt. I certainly want to, but I can't seem to find them.

Fark, I can't even get a briskett.

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If you ever go South of Sprinfield it should be easy to get, hell southeren part of the state is all hog farms, at leaset 23 years ago.

Um the recipe is posted.

Put it up there a few weeks ago (I think)

We had country style ribs once, ended up with country style POOPIE. Had to chew and chew until it turned into cud.

Country ribs are butts cut in to strips. talk to the butcher about buying before they cut them up, In my area they come cryovac packed one whole butt to a pack. local stores cut them into country ribs and triple the price. Whole cryovac butts .69-.99 lb,
country ribs 1.99-2.79 lb.
Gary

Thanks Gary. I'll do that.

Can't wait to get rid of the Cud Mod

Turkey -- I've cooked lots of them. We wait till they go on sale for .99/lb and buy a bunch of them. Most of the time I throw them straight into the Bandera, Weber, Hasty Bake. Plain or marinated they should come out good. Somewhere I learned to do them bone side down.

Pork Butts -- Bill do you have a Sam's Club around you? I buy mine there by the case. Usually Excel brand, 2 to a cryo and they run 7 - 10 lbs each. The price varies alot but I have never paid more than about $1.15/lb. Usually its 70 to 80 cents/lb.

A good smoked turkey is the very reason that I do not own a fryer. Fried turkey is too much trouble and does not taste as good to me as smoked turkey. However some people really like the fried gobblers. I guess that is why they make chocolate and vanilla.

I guess that is why they make chocolate and vanilla.

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Great analogy! I like both!

Pork Butts -- Bill do you have a Sam's Club around you? I buy mine there by the case. Usually Excel brand, 2 to a cryo and they run 7 - 10 lbs each

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How many to A Case ?

on average

i think i'm gonna inject one and fry it this thanksgiving day
might smoke a briskit (second try i'm gonna stick to butts till i get them just right)

How many to A Case ?

on average

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Carl,
The cases I get from Sam's come with 5- 2 to a cryo packs each for a total of 10 butts to a case.
StL Mike

I got Sams. Guess I need to join up.

I'm doing 1 whole bird in the fryer, 1 whole bird in the WSM, and 2 or 3 turkey breasts in the Bandera.

Fill up the rest of the space with wibs and loins, and wings.

Got 23 guests so far.

Wings will be off at Noon, wibs at 2, then the turkey glutony starts at 5.

Oh yeah, hope to get a pot of beans in there too