Smoked Turkey broth: Trash or Treasure?
 

Smoked a Turkey last weekend, in water, beer, celery, onion, carrots, lemon and seasoning. The meat was good with leftover opportunities galore. Bones/Carcass into a crock pot with everything that had been in the pan or in the bird. 24 hours later strained the broth and refrigerated. Tastes smoky, like it needs salt, with a bit of bitter. Typically we make soup from our bone broth, but I've never done it with something so "stout".
Wondering if anyone has experience with a "smoked broth". Was thinking maybe a smoky tomato bisque or some kind chili. Do I have treasure? Trash? Or something in between?

Use it to make Turkey BBQ. I usually pick up a few packs of turkey thighs and add them and the drippings in my IP and shred the turkey thighs for BBQ sammiches. No red sauce though...yuck.



Plain 'ol hamburger bun, some thin sliced red onion, and a spoonful of Heinz dill relish. Yum.

Smoked broth to me is treasure. Usually there's only a hint of smoke and I find it works well in gumbos, chilis, stews, hearty soups, flavorful sauces and the like. It even plays well with a tomato bisque giving it a roasted flavor without needing to roast the tomatoes.

I'll also reduce it so that when cold will have the consistency of jello. Toss some of that in a mug, add salt then microwave and drink. Yum.

Thanks, turkey BBQ sounds good, IMO thighs are the best part. Other broths I've made prior seem to stand on their own but this one is on the edge of off putting when tasted "straight".

Thank you Joe, I'll definitely try it in soup. I have plenty so I'll try the reduction as well. Just tasted it again and I think the salt is the missing link that led me to think it was somehow not good. Probably a tomato bisque or a hearty vegetable soup considering the need to consume our perishables.

I use smoked pork broth in my pork butt injection, maybe smoked turkey broth would work as an injection for smoked turkey?

That is interesting and sounds wonderful! Seems I could get more smoke flavor in the meat, raise the temp and speed the cook.

You might want to pick up a 32oz of Kitchen basics Turkey Stock to "cut" the drippings if they are too strong. I use my Timberline which a lot of BBQ guys say pellet smokers are light on the smoke flavor. I find pellet smokers perfect for smoke smell, and flavor. So whatever you are using to smoke your turkeys, use the drippings with caution and dilute with turkey stock. That brand i suggested usually runs $3.49. You can freeze whatever stock/drippings you don't use. I save chinese takeout containers for this very purpose. And i save drippings/stock for the following Thanksgiving.

Great advice, thank you!

Yes on a flavor bump. Not sure if injections can raise the temp (?) or speed up the cook. I'm not sure if the broth should be an adder to a lite brine (slightly salty), or if it should be paired with some butter and something like apple juice.

Depends on how smokey the broth is. Liquids can get over smokey. They trap smoke molecules easily and can reduce down, getting increasingly concentrated.

Sorry my comment was hasty and unclear. I was thinking I could cook the bird at constant higher heat, reducing total cook time while getting a comparable smoky flavor throughout the bird (This assuming one gets more smoke flavor when cooking, at least for part of the cook, at a lower temp).

That makes sense, it is definitely a strong broth.

Tried it again. Has some very stout flavor that I think can add some interesting notes if I don't overdo it. Kind of like fish sauce or anchovy paste. Pairing as you suggest seems spot on. Thanks

I've used smoky broth and meat jelly from pork, beef, and chicken to as the cooking stock in my pots of beans, both red and pintos. I think it adds a nice depth of flavor. My family agrees.