Smoking A Turkey
Should I Even Consider Smoking A Turkey?
Of course you should! Smoking a turkey is not nearly as difficult and complex a matter as widely believed, and you may be shocked by the results on your very first try. Holidays are a great time for smoking a turkey, but any time of year is the perfect time for enjoying this delicacy, hot or cold. You will need a charcoal smoker, and a bit of apple, cherry, or hickory wood chips to get that perfect smoke going strong during the slow cooking process. Also, you will want to keep your turkey between ten and fourteen pounds, as the cooking times will be too great for a turkey larger than this, and will often end up raw to the middle and overcooked to the outside. Anything below fourteen pounds will do just fine.
Go ahead and heat up your charcoal first, opening the vents to get a good red coal started while you clean and prepare your thawed, fresh turkey. You will want to remove the giblets, which would be the heart, liver, neck, and other innards stuffed into the cavities of the turkey during processing. Trim back any loose skin and fat from the fresh turkey with a knife or some kitchen sheers. Rinse your turkey thoroughly inside and out with cold water and then pat it dry. When smoking a turkey, it is recommended that you season it well before introducing it to the smoker, and again later if you so choose. This will allow the seasoning to penetrate the meat before basting begins.
Yes, when you are smoking a turkey you will have great results from spraying it every 30 minutes with apple juice, and also by placing a drip pan full of apple juice beneath it while it cooks. The more moisture the better during this primitive, slow cooking process. When your smoker has obtained a steady temperature of at least 225 degrees, you are ready to place the turkey into it. Try to maintain a steady temperature between 225 and 250 degrees, as this will cook the turkey most efficiently. Place your wood chips on top of the coals after you have started the turkey, and check often for whether it needs more wood for smoke.
Your basic rule of thumb for smoking a turkey will be a cooking time of about 40 minutes per pound, but don’t be surprised if your turkey is perfect in only 4 hours. Begin checking the internal temperature of the bird at this four hour period, and once the deepest part of the breast reads 165 degrees, you have completed your smoking endeavor. Wrap your finished bird tightly in aluminum foil and let it stand for at least 20 minutes.