Finding myself with nothing to do tomorrow (except watch
college football all day), I headed out to WalMart after lunch
today and picked up a couple briskets (13.1 and 14.5 lbs @
$1.28/lb) and a turkey (22.7 lbs @ $.58/lb). Need to practice
up for Thanksgiving on the new pit. At least that's what I told
SWMBO and she bought it for the time being.

She must have been to the sewing/craft/furniture store this week
and didn't tell me yet because she was awfully agreeable.

I'm going back to basics with the brisket this time. One will
be salt and pepper, the other will get something more, don't
know what until I start throwing it together in the morning, but
paprika or garlic or onion powder are likely candidates. I
think the turkey will get a salt/pepper rub and some
quartered onions and apples in the cavity.

And don't worry about the football, I think I can still squeeze
in about 4-5 games while feeding wood to the pit.

--
George B. Ross is
remove the obvious bits for email
Why is it that being a good boy and being good at being
a boy don't require the same set of skills? - anonymous

On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 22:05:30 GMT, I needed a babel fish to understand
"George B. Ross" > :

> a turkey (22.7 lbs @ $.58/lb). Need to practice
>up for Thanksgiving on the new pit. At least that's what I told
>SWMBO and she bought it for the time being.
> I
>think the turkey will get a salt/pepper rub and some
>quartered onions and apples in the cavity.

I am curious about the turkey smoking... do you have some sort of
contraption to stand it up ala beer butt chicken? or do you just
lay it down on the rack on its back? Also, do you Brine it like with
chicken due to the extended cook time or does the turkey have enough
fat / juices to last the cook time without being dry?

thanks..
"I fear that all we have done is awakened a sleeping giant, and filled it with
a desire for vengeance. "
-- Adm.Yamamoto, after the attack on Pearl Harbor

Lewzephyr wrote:

> On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 22:05:30 GMT, I needed a babel fish to understand
> "George B. Ross" > :
>
>
>>a turkey (22.7 lbs @ $.58/lb). Need to practice
>>up for Thanksgiving on the new pit. At least that's what I told
>>SWMBO and she bought it for the time being.
>> I
>>think the turkey will get a salt/pepper rub and some
>>quartered onions and apples in the cavity.
>
> I am curious about the turkey smoking... do you have some sort of
> contraption to stand it up ala beer butt chicken? or do you just
> lay it down on the rack on its back? Also, do you Brine it like with
> chicken due to the extended cook time or does the turkey have enough
> fat / juices to last the cook time without being dry?

The past few times I've smoked turkey, I spatchcocked it then brined it
with either Hound's or TFM's brine.

--
Aloha,

Nathan Lau
San Jose, CA

#include <std.disclaimer>

Lewzephyr wrote:

> On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 22:05:30 GMT, I needed a babel fish to understand
> "George B. Ross" > :
>
>
>>a turkey (22.7 lbs @ $.58/lb). Need to practice
>>up for Thanksgiving on the new pit. At least that's what I told
>>SWMBO and she bought it for the time being.
>> I
>>think the turkey will get a salt/pepper rub and some
>>quartered onions and apples in the cavity.
>
> I am curious about the turkey smoking... do you have some sort of
> contraption to stand it up ala beer butt chicken? or do you just
> lay it down on the rack on its back? Also, do you Brine it like with
> chicken due to the extended cook time or does the turkey have enough
> fat / juices to last the cook time without being dry?

The past few times I've smoked turkey, I spatchcocked it then brined it
with either Hound's or TFM's brine.

--
Aloha,

Nathan Lau
San Jose, CA

#include <std.disclaimer>

Fred wrote:

> On Fri, 05 Nov 2004 16:56:58 GMT, Lewzephyr >
> wrote:
>
>>Also, do you Brine it like with
>>chicken due to the extended cook time or does the turkey have enough
>>fat / juices to last the cook time without being dry?
>
> I have brined before. Turned out good. Make sure you will like the
> flavors you incorporate into your brine and practice first to get to
> know the amount of brining time you like. You can easily overdo it.

Oh I almost forgot - don't try to brine an already brined turkey. A lot
of the frozen turkeys you see out there are "enhanced" (injected) with a
salt solution. They won't take any more flavor from a brine. If you're
going to brine, use a fresh bird.

--
Aloha,

Nathan Lau
San Jose, CA

#include <std.disclaimer>

Fred wrote:

> On Fri, 05 Nov 2004 16:56:58 GMT, Lewzephyr >
> wrote:
>
>>Also, do you Brine it like with
>>chicken due to the extended cook time or does the turkey have enough
>>fat / juices to last the cook time without being dry?
>
> I have brined before. Turned out good. Make sure you will like the
> flavors you incorporate into your brine and practice first to get to
> know the amount of brining time you like. You can easily overdo it.

Oh I almost forgot - don't try to brine an already brined turkey. A lot
of the frozen turkeys you see out there are "enhanced" (injected) with a
salt solution. They won't take any more flavor from a brine. If you're
going to brine, use a fresh bird.

--
Aloha,

Nathan Lau
San Jose, CA

#include <std.disclaimer>

Lewzephyr ) opined:

> On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 22:05:30 GMT, I needed a babel fish to
> understand "George B. Ross"
> > :
>
>> a turkey (22.7 lbs @ $.58/lb). Need to practice
>>up for Thanksgiving on the new pit. At least that's what I
>>told SWMBO and she bought it for the time being.
>> I
>>think the turkey will get a salt/pepper rub and some
>>quartered onions and apples in the cavity.
>
> I am curious about the turkey smoking... do you have some
> sort of contraption to stand it up ala beer butt chicken?
> or do you just lay it down on the rack on its back?
> Also, do you Brine it like with chicken due to the extended
> cook time or does the turkey have enough fat / juices to
> last the cook time without being dry?
>
Lew,
I usually brine in The Fat Man's Brine, but in this case it was
a frozen turkey with "up to x%" flavor enhancing solution (sic)
already injected, so it is unlikely the brine would have done
anything for the flavor. When the bug hits to Q, I take what I
can get.

As for position on the smoker, I had the turkey, breast up, legs
pointing away from the firebox for a while, then rotated the
legs towards the firebox for the second half of the cooking.
Rubbed with peanut oil, black pepper and kosher salt. Basted
with italian dressing at the halfway mark and 30 minutes before
being done. It was yummy, but you needed an extra glass of
water later in the day from the salty brine. I should have
left off the kosher salt in the rub. My wife used some of the
turkey to make Huntington Turkey, a baked pasta dish, and it was
extra good with the smoke flavor. The turkey was on for 8 hrs
at 225-275F, although a few times the pit got up to 350-400F,
still learning the new pit nuances.

From this smoke session, I served 2 lbs of turkey, froze 7 lbs
of turkey in food saver bags and 10 lbs of brisket for quick
servings during the upcoming holidays and handing out to family
and friends. The brisket was fatty, even for brisket and the
yeild was a bit lower than usual.

I've got some pictures of the briskets and the turkey that I'll
put up on my website in a few days.

--
George B. Ross is
remove the obvious bits for email
Why is it that being a good boy and being good at being
a boy don't require the same set of skills? - anonymous

Lewzephyr wrote:
>"I fear that all we have done is awakened
>a sleeping giant, and filled it with a desire
>for vengeance. "
=A0=A0>=A0=A0-- Adm.Yamamoto, after the attack on
>Pearl Harbor

I believe this Yamamoto quotation was a Hollywood fabrication for a
movie about Pearl Harbor. It has been discussed at length on
soc.history.war.world-war-ii, and none of the historians, or anyone
else, has been able to verify a source, other than the movie.