Smoked/Cured Turkey

customweld

Good morning,
I just signed up here, but have been ordering from Waltons for years. I’m wanting to do a smoked/cured turkey for Christmas. How have you been doing the cure process?

bullbeery

customweld said in Smoked/Cured Turkey:

Good morning,
I just signed up here, but have been ordering from Waltons for years. I’m wanting to do a smoked/cured turkey for Christmas. How have you been doing the cure process?

craigrice

bullbeery if you type cured turkey in the search it will have some links to cured whole muscle meat / turkey myself i have used a recipe for a dry rub that you put on the night before then wrap it in plastic hold till morning then rinse but don’t pat dry let sit till a pellicle forms then I smoke for 2-3 hrs. then finish in the oven to IT.

johnsbrewhouse

1 cup of Kosher salt in 1 gallon of water, add any herbs and spices to the mix you may want, submerge the bird and cover, refrigerate overnight. Drain and rinse, let dry, then season with what you are going to season it with, watch any salt, don’t go overboard, then smoke away. That’s my method.

akdave

2 Quarts apple juice and brine mix for the injected brine and use 2 quarts water and brine mix for the soaking brine. Stir in Tender Quick and Brown Sugar mix well.

Brine Mix for 2 quarts liquid
3/4 Cup Tender Quick
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

Mix one batch of the injected brine and that is enough for a 22lb turkey. Inject all parts of the turkey using 3/4 of injection brine mix, especially legs, thighs, and breast. The brine will turn the dark meat to turkey ham and keep the white meat very juicy. Place injected turkey in a mesh smoking bag if you are going to hang it in the smoker and then place the turkey in 2 unscented plastic bags that will encase the turkey in brine mix. A clean 5 gallon bucket is great for holding the turkey while in the brine. Place the turkey in the bags breast down in the bucket and pour the rest of the injection brine in the chest cavity. Fill the space between the bucket and the bags with water so the bags conform the the turkey body reducing the amount of soaking brine needed. Add the water brine mix to the chest cavity till the turkey is completely covered and tie bags closed. It usually takes 2-3 batches of soaking brine to cover the turkey. Let turkey set in brine for 24 hours at 35-40 degrees. . Place turkey in smoker at 140 Degrees for 4-5 hours with smoke and then turn temp up to 200 degrees and cook till internal temp is 165 degrees usually about 6- 8 hours. It is very important to ensure you reach the 165 degree internal temperature in the thickest part of the bird for your safety!! You can put the turkey in your oven if your smoker will not get hot enough to finish cooking. You can use any type wood for smoking, alder, maple, hickory or cherry. Refrigerate the finished turkey as you would a normal cooked turkey.

akdave

The recipe I posted for smoked turkeys is over the TOP, it turns the dark meat to ham and all the meat is SOOO juicy, you will not regret trying this recipe