People do not tend to cook or smoke turkey very often and for this reason they stick to either putting it in the oven to roast or deep fry it. However, the flavor and taste of a smoked turkey can not be matched by any other method of cooking. In this article we will find the ways on how to smoke turkey perfectly with some tips and tricks.
The first step in smoking a turkey begins with getting the right turkey. It should be fresh and preferably free from any injections and solutions added to it. The added brine can alter the cooking time and temperature requirements. If you are going to use a frozen turkey, it should be properly defrosted. If the turkey is up to 20 pounds in size, it will take very long time smoke and also increase the risk of contamination. A turkey of 12-16 pounds is ideal.
You can smoke the turkey indoors or outdoors, but you should ensure that you have a good meat thermometer before you begin. Over smoking can dry out a turkey and hence a good watch should be kept on the thermometer.
How to Smoke Turkey:
You should keep the turkey in brine or a flavored liquid to marinate for at least 24 hours in a refrigerator. Once this is done, remove it and wash it thoroughly. The marination in brine helps the turkey to remain moist during the smoking process.
Do not stuff the turkey or truss it. Using only aromatics for stuffing will ensure that there is air flow and adequate heating. You can use herbs, orange and lemon rind inside the turkey. Juices or other liquids from the stuffing can cause cooking time to be hampered.
You should also ensure that the roasting pan used to hold the turkey does not have any liquid. This will cause the turkey to become soggy. You can place a dish of water in the grill at least 3-4 inches away from the turkey.
Get the electric smoker heated to 325°F and place the turkey for smoking. Smoke the turkey for one hour with a cover on. Turn the turkey after an hour and cooked covered for 45 more minutes. You can collect any dripping in a tray. You can also lightly baste the turkey with butter and sprinkle pepper.
The temperature at the turkey breasts should reach 160°F and 170°F at the thighs. Keep checking the temperate every 10-12 minutes and remove from heat once this temperature is reached. It should take around 2 hours for a 12 pound turkey to cook.
It should be cooled off on a rack for 20 minutes before carving. Also ensure that you do not check the temperature at the bones, since they tend to heat up faster than the meat. The darker meat needs to cook longer; hence the temperature should be higher at the thighs.
You can make the sauce of your choice with the drippings and other ingredients.
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