Smoked Turkey
This recipe is so easy, you'll be surprised it took you so long to try it. You only need a few simple ingredients, a smoker, and a way to cut the turkey in half. Honestly, cutting the turkey may be the hardest part, but I'll show you how we do that. All you need is a husband with a Sawzall.
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Method
Cooking turkey is one of those birds that can intimidate many people, we found that our favorite way was to smoke it! To ensure that all parts got done, and none overcooked, we tried cutting the bird in half. Cutting in half also helped speed up smoking time.
Ingredients
1 Turkey, cut in half *see pictures below
Brine
2 Gallons water
1 1/2 cups canning salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Worchestershire Sauce
3 TBSP minced garlic
1 TBSP black pepper
Aromatics
1 LG Onion
Smashed garlic cloves
2 tsp Rosemary
2 tsp Thyme
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Directions
1. Pour half a gallon of water in a stock pot, add remaining brine ingredients to the water and let it simmer until dissolved. Add remaining 1 1/2 gallons of water to a food grade 5 gallon bucket, and add the hot brine. Ensure the brine is only warm to touch before adding the turkey.
2. Cut the turkey in half and rinse. We just used a sawzall. ;)
Before starting the cut, Mike measured and marked where he wanted the cut to be.
Being careful to ensure the blade doesn't slip, he carefully cut through.
After you cut through, thoroughly rinse both halves to ensure any bone fragments are rinsed off.
3. Put the turkey in the bucket of cooled brine, and let it sit in the fridge overnight. You may need to add a little bit more water to cover, but ours was a big 23 lb bird.
4. After 8-10 hours. Take the turkey out of the brine and thoroughly rinse with water. Put the turkey in a roasting pan and add your aromatics in the cavity of the bird. Tie it up with culinary string, not tight enough to close it shut but a little bit loose to let more heat in.
Isn't that some beautiful yellow fat?
5. Smoke at 225° until done! 165° for breast and 180° for thigh. We used hickory wood in the smoker. Splitting the bird helps it to cook faster than an unsplit bird. This 23lb hen took 8 hours. Upon it being done, we took the meat off the bone, and put it in a crock pot covered with some of the cooking juices to ensure it didn't dry out for our family Easter celebration.
Contact
Katrina Kruse
If you would like to put down your name for a turkey this season. Please let me know! Nothing compares to the flavor that pastured poultry brings.
260-494-5333