 | PM |  | | Quote | | | Reply | | | Full Topic | |
| Joined: | Tue Jun 7th, 2005 |
| Location: | San Jose, California USA |
| Posts: | 10621 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Mana: |  |
Now, to start! We started with 2 12lb turkeys from Safeway Select. Organic birds with no brine and the neck/giblets stored inside.
The birds were brined for 12 hours in the following brine (stolen *cough* borrowed and modified by Boojum from a honey brine for chicken)
1 gallon water
1lb (16oz) honey
1lb (160z) salt
6 Bay Leaves
10 cloves garlic
1TB Sage
8oz Olive Oil
Put all in bag, put turkey in bag, leave in fridge 12 hours.
Remove Turkey from brine (discard brine).
Insert into cavity of turkey the following:
1 carrot, cut into 2 inch segments
1/2 medium purple onion, cut into thirds
2 bay leaves
Vargr's Turkey Sprinkle. Mix the following ingredients in the following ratios and sprinkle onto the birds to dust
1.5 Smoked Spanish Paprika, Sweet (From Spice House)
1 Crushed Rosemary
1 Thyme
1 Marjoram
1 Celery Salt
1 Granulated Garlic
.5 Black Pepper
Put turkeys into Smoker. We ran the smoker at between 200 & 225 (it wouldn't go hotter because of the cold/wet weather.. which might I add was moderately miserable to stand in) Smoke with 50/50 Hickory/Cherry wood.
Every hour (or so) check the birds and spritz with Vargr's Spritzer (recipe follows) to prevent drying.
Vargr's Spritzer to keep moist:
4oz honey
1 cup very hot water
1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
3TB Soy Sauce
At this point the Turkeys had heated to 135F after 4 hours in the smoker. We took them out of the smoker and put them into roasting pans. Vargr put 1/2 cup of his spritzer and 1 cup very hot water into the bottom of each roasting pan. Covered with tinfoil and then placed in preheated 325F oven.
Leave in oven until Turkey heat reaches 165F deep in the breast meat, it took roughly 2 hours in my oven.
Remove turkey's from oven (but leave covered in foil) and leave on counter to finish cooking. They will continue to heat up to 170ish. We left them to rest about 1/2 hour.
Remove Turkey's from roasting pan and carve into slices. Much yummies for the future. Take liquid from bottom of roasting pan and place in containter for making turkey gravy.
Last edited on Mon Nov 21st, 2011 12:25 am by boojum
| Close Window | |