JohnnyVanWinkle
Knows what a fatty is.
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2017
- Location
- Gainesvi...
Is anyone else going with combo smoking and deep frying their turkey this year? The technique, if you haven't tried it, is affectionately known as smo-fried.
Have done it once with good results. Here's this year's tentative plan with one fresh breast, and one 12.5 fresh turkey. Neither has been pre-injected.
1) Brine the bird, and the breast. Don't brine if your turkey is pre-injected, or cut the brine strength of time way back. For the breast I'm using Oakridge Game Changer brine. Since I don't have enough on hand for both, the full turkey will get a dunk in Alton Brine's simple brown sugar salt brine, along with some orange peel. Haven't decided whether to add a bag of thyme and rosemary into the brine, too.
2) After drying, I'll get as much Simon and Garfunkel poultry rub under the skin of each. Debating whether to cut out the backbone on the breast before smoking, or after. Thoughts anyone on whether this could enhance smoke penetration? Also debating whether to cover the skin with rub, too. I always rub liberally on the skin anytime other than deep frying but find much of it seems to come right off when submerged into the oil. Does anyone else skip the rub on top of the skin when deep frying?
3) The breast will go on the Yoder YS640 with 100% hickory for a few hours at 180 along with an Amazen tube. I smo-fried the full turkey last time but am thinking about skipping the smoke stage for the bird to let the family compare both methods. Thus, the breast will be smoke fried and the bird just deep fried.
3) Each will go into the Butterball Electric Fryer with 100% peanut oil until breast temp is 155. Alton Brown pulls at 151 and claims internal temp will rise another 10 when resting. I like a finished breast temp of 160 and thigh 170-180 so am a little antsy pulling at just 151. I've always gone by a rule that meat will rise another 5 after pulling off the smoker. Haven't deep fried enough to know if the intensity of the hot oil will instead cause a full 10 degree rise?
What's great about smo-fried poultry is great crispy skin along with the terrific smoke flavor. The extra steps can be a bit go extra effort so I don't do smo-frying often but it really can kick up your Thanksgiving feast to the next level.
Have done it once with good results. Here's this year's tentative plan with one fresh breast, and one 12.5 fresh turkey. Neither has been pre-injected.
1) Brine the bird, and the breast. Don't brine if your turkey is pre-injected, or cut the brine strength of time way back. For the breast I'm using Oakridge Game Changer brine. Since I don't have enough on hand for both, the full turkey will get a dunk in Alton Brine's simple brown sugar salt brine, along with some orange peel. Haven't decided whether to add a bag of thyme and rosemary into the brine, too.
2) After drying, I'll get as much Simon and Garfunkel poultry rub under the skin of each. Debating whether to cut out the backbone on the breast before smoking, or after. Thoughts anyone on whether this could enhance smoke penetration? Also debating whether to cover the skin with rub, too. I always rub liberally on the skin anytime other than deep frying but find much of it seems to come right off when submerged into the oil. Does anyone else skip the rub on top of the skin when deep frying?
3) The breast will go on the Yoder YS640 with 100% hickory for a few hours at 180 along with an Amazen tube. I smo-fried the full turkey last time but am thinking about skipping the smoke stage for the bird to let the family compare both methods. Thus, the breast will be smoke fried and the bird just deep fried.
3) Each will go into the Butterball Electric Fryer with 100% peanut oil until breast temp is 155. Alton Brown pulls at 151 and claims internal temp will rise another 10 when resting. I like a finished breast temp of 160 and thigh 170-180 so am a little antsy pulling at just 151. I've always gone by a rule that meat will rise another 5 after pulling off the smoker. Haven't deep fried enough to know if the intensity of the hot oil will instead cause a full 10 degree rise?
What's great about smo-fried poultry is great crispy skin along with the terrific smoke flavor. The extra steps can be a bit go extra effort so I don't do smo-frying often but it really can kick up your Thanksgiving feast to the next level.
