Hi everyone,

The Smoke & Spice cookbook has a recipe called "Worth The Wait Turkey" that
I've been thinking about for Turkey Day. It says to smoke at 200-220 for
1.25 to 1.5 hours per pound... if we're talking a 20 pound bird, that's
25-30 hours!

Has anyone tried this before, or something close? If you have I'd like to
hear how it worked for you, before I commit to setting up that cot next to
the smoker.

4Fires wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> The Smoke & Spice cookbook has a recipe called "Worth The Wait Turkey" that
> I've been thinking about for Turkey Day. It says to smoke at 200-220 for
> 1.25 to 1.5 hours per pound... if we're talking a 20 pound bird, that's
> 25-30 hours!
>
> Has anyone tried this before, or something close? If you have I'd like to
> hear how it worked for you, before I commit to setting up that cot next to
> the smoker.

Ir can be done. First, you might not be happy with the way the skin comes
out at that low a temp. Also, be sure and brine the bird for a day or
two. Brining it allows you to cook to a slightly higher temp without drying,
which means you can cook it enough so the dark meat is done but the
white meat is not ovendone.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

"4Fires" <4firesatcharterdotnet> wrote in message >
> The Smoke & Spice cookbook has a recipe called "Worth The Wait Turkey"
that
> I've been thinking about for Turkey Day. It says to smoke at 200-220 for
> 1.25 to 1.5 hours per pound... if we're talking a 20 pound bird, that's
> 25-30 hours!

No way would I have poultry on for that long. It does not benefit from too
low of a temperature either. IMO, you'd get better results with smaller
birds and much less time.
Ed

I do a 6 hr 20-25 pound turkey in the oven every christmas and thanksgiving
I am going to do one this thanksgiving in my cgriller.

in the oven I fire it up to about 550
season, dress, stuff and truss the bird.
I use a hot cooked bread stuffing in the large cavity
and a hot meat stuffing in the small cavity.

The bird is placed in a large roasting pan and sealed in a tent of foil that is not allowed to
touch it.
I put a meat thermometer into the breast since we don't open the oven for about 4 hours.
it goes into the blast furnace for about 20 minutes then i turn the temp down to 300

at the 4 hour mark - or so - the tent is opened and some basting performed if needed.
usually things look good so the foil is left off for it to get good and browned in the last 1.5
hrs.

The bird is done when it hits temp - forget about wiggling legs or wings always go by internal
temp.
I pull it from the oven and let it sit for about 15 minutes resting on the now very warm oven
top

we lift it from the pan and it goes onto serving platter.
grtavy is made in the pan from whatever stuck in.
MMmmmm... I have been using cornstarch to thicken. works well.

they are always juicy and perfect - and the meat doesnt dry out on the table.

I want to try a similar feat with the Cgriller.
experiments will start first week of November.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

> "4Fires" <4firesatcharterdotnet> wrote in message >

>>I've been thinking about for Turkey Day. It says to smoke at 200-220 for
>>1.25 to 1.5 hours per pound... if we're talking a 20 pound bird, that's
>>25-30 hours!
>
>
> No way would I have poultry on for that long. It does not benefit from too
> low of a temperature either. IMO, you'd get better results with smaller
> birds and much less time.

Ed,

As long as you cook to the right internal temp, cooking a whole turkey
at 225 F comes out fine, wouldn't you say? Except for the skin of course. I do
it all the time and it's not dry.

The main thing is to measure by time, use that as an estimate only.
Cook to the proper internal temp. For a brined whole turkey I cook to 170 F
in the breast and 180 F in the thigh.

As far as size, I normally do 12 - 15 lb whole turkeys because they're
easier to cook. That said, this TG I'm doing a 20+ pounder because
the group I'm serving wants a big bird. It's the spectacle of it
I guess.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 19:37:34 -0700, "4Fires" <4firesatcharterdotnet>
wrote:

>Hi everyone,
>
>The Smoke & Spice cookbook has a recipe called "Worth The Wait Turkey" that
>I've been thinking about for Turkey Day. It says to smoke at 200-220 for
>1.25 to 1.5 hours per pound... if we're talking a 20 pound bird, that's
>25-30 hours!
>
>Has anyone tried this before, or something close? If you have I'd like to
>hear how it worked for you, before I commit to setting up that cot next to
>the smoker.

<SNIP>

My personal opinion is the temperature is too low. Turkey should be
cooked at 300º or above. This gives the appropriate texture to the
skin. OTOH, if you want rubbery skin cook lower.
\
Bruce Cook

>
>The main thing is to measure by time, use that as an estimate only.
>Cook to the proper internal temp. For a brined whole turkey I cook to 170 F
>in the breast and 180 F in the thigh.

<SNIP>

Try 160F and 170 F for a better texture.

Bruce Cook

I give the bird a bath in water with 1/3 cup olive oil mixed in. This helps
keep the bird moist. Next smoke it for 2-3 hours then remove it from smoker
and finish cooking it in a regular over. This provides for a good smoked
bird that is thoroughly cooked!

Cheers,
Jim

4Fires <4firesatcharterdotnet> wrote in message ...
>Hi everyone,
>
>The Smoke & Spice cookbook has a recipe called "Worth The Wait Turkey" that
>I've been thinking about for Turkey Day. It says to smoke at 200-220 for
>1.25 to 1.5 hours per pound... if we're talking a 20 pound bird, that's
>25-30 hours!
>
>Has anyone tried this before, or something close? If you have I'd like to
>hear how it worked for you, before I commit to setting up that cot next to
>the smoker.
>
>
>
>
>
>

Bruce wrote:

> Try 160F and 170 F for a better texture.

I've done it, and for brined whole turkey I prefer 170/180. At the lower temp
the dark meat isn't done enough for my taste. But it's usually not an
issue because most of the turkey I do is not whole.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Hi 4F,

The cooking time "sounds" long. I suggest trying it at least once
before Thanksgiving to work the "bugs" out. (Timing, temp, doneness,
etc.)

If we're voting on personal choice for a turkey, I use "The Fat Man's"
brine, breast temp to 160°F, 200-250°F, pecan for the whole time,
throw away the skin, and rest for 20-30 minutes. As usual, YMMV.

Hope This Helps,

Tom




"4Fires" <4firesatcharterdotnet> wrote in message
...
> Hi everyone,
>
> The Smoke & Spice cookbook has a recipe called "Worth The Wait
Turkey" that
> I've been thinking about for Turkey Day. It says to smoke at 200-220
for
> 1.25 to 1.5 hours per pound... if we're talking a 20 pound bird,
that's
> 25-30 hours!
>
> Has anyone tried this before, or something close? If you have I'd
like to
> hear how it worked for you, before I commit to setting up that cot
next to
> the smoker.
>
>
>
>
>
>

"4Fires" <4firesatcharterdotnet> wrote in message >...
> Hi everyone,
>
> The Smoke & Spice cookbook has a recipe called "Worth The Wait Turkey" that
> I've been thinking about for Turkey Day. It says to smoke at 200-220 for
> 1.25 to 1.5 hours per pound... if we're talking a 20 pound bird, that's
> 25-30 hours!
>
> Has anyone tried this before, or something close? If you have I'd like to
> hear how it worked for you, before I commit to setting up that cot next to
> the smoker.

Have used that recipe several times with excellent results. Not on a
bird that large though. (I've used 12-14 pounders.) As for any brine
as the recipe calls for, you'll inject it overnight adding moisture
and flavor. Stick with it. Use the cheesecloth too as recommended.
Yes, you will be talking jibberish.
Its a super tasting bird.
(As a side thought, I've done this bird on a rotisserie which
substantially cut down on the cooking time. It was done 3 hours
early. . .2PM, and dinner wasn't til 5. Time to panic. . .Stuck it in
an Omaha Steaks foam cooler, loosely covered with foil. The bird
stayed very hot, and tenderized the skin too.) Raves from everyone.
Good luck with it, you won't be sorry.

Pierre

Thanks everyone for all the great posts! I may just have to go ahead and do
this, just to say I did. I think I'll try a little higher temp though. I
usually run my smoker at 230 - 250, which should knock the time down to
about 1 hour per pound. Still gonna need that cot, though... and a
well-stocked cooler!


"4Fires" <4firesatcharterdotnet> wrote in message
...
> Hi everyone,
>
> The Smoke & Spice cookbook has a recipe called "Worth The Wait Turkey"
that
> I've been thinking about for Turkey Day. It says to smoke at 200-220 for
> 1.25 to 1.5 hours per pound... if we're talking a 20 pound bird, that's
> 25-30 hours!
>
> Has anyone tried this before, or something close? If you have I'd like to
> hear how it worked for you, before I commit to setting up that cot next to
> the smoker.
>
>
>
>
>
>

I just did my first turkey on the Kamado. I cooked it at 340 for 3 1/2 hrs
over Kamado Lump. It was stuffed with hot stuffing and it was exactly as
I do it inside. Best bird ever. A mild smokey flavor, could have been a
little more, but tasty none the less.And juicy, tender meat. bird was
11.3#s.I know where the thanksgiving turkey is being cooked. Frees up the
oven for everything else, Hooray!!
Nanzi

"4Fires" <4firesatcharterdotnet> wrote in message
...
> Thanks everyone for all the great posts! I may just have to go ahead
and do
> this, just to say I did. I think I'll try a little higher temp though. I
> usually run my smoker at 230 - 250, which should knock the time down to
> about 1 hour per pound. Still gonna need that cot, though... and a
> well-stocked cooler!
>
>
> "4Fires" <4firesatcharterdotnet> wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi everyone,
> >
> > The Smoke & Spice cookbook has a recipe called "Worth The Wait Turkey"
> that
> > I've been thinking about for Turkey Day. It says to smoke at 200-220
for
> > 1.25 to 1.5 hours per pound... if we're talking a 20 pound bird,
that's
> > 25-30 hours!
> >
> > Has anyone tried this before, or something close? If you have I'd like
to
> > hear how it worked for you, before I commit to setting up that cot
next to
> > the smoker.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>

"Olde Hippee" > wrote in message
...
> I just did my first turkey on the Kamado. I cooked it at 340 for 3 1/2 hrs
> over Kamado Lump. It was stuffed with hot stuffing and it was exactly as
> I do it inside. Best bird ever. A mild smokey flavor, could have been a
> little more, but tasty none the less.And juicy, tender meat. bird was
> 11.3#s.I know where the thanksgiving turkey is being cooked. Frees up the
> oven for everything else, Hooray!!
> Nanzi

Here's my take on doing turkey's in the pit. On the package, the cooking
instructions say to cook at 325° for 20 minutes a pound. That's what I do. I
do probably 75 turkey's Thanksgiving and Christmas combined. I don't stuff
them.

--
Big Jim

www.lazyq.com

Big Jim typed:
> "Olde Hippee" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I just did my first turkey on the Kamado. I cooked it at 340 for 3 1/2 hrs
>> over Kamado Lump. It was stuffed with hot stuffing and it was exactly as
>> I do it inside. Best bird ever. A mild smokey flavor, could have been a
>> little more, but tasty none the less.And juicy, tender meat. bird was
>> 11.3#s.I know where the thanksgiving turkey is being cooked. Frees up the
>> oven for everything else, Hooray!!
>> Nanzi
>
> Here's my take on doing turkey's in the pit. On the package, the cooking
> instructions say to cook at 325° for 20 minutes a pound. That's what I do.
I
> do probably 75 turkey's Thanksgiving and Christmas combined. I don't stuff
> them.
>
> --
> Big Jim
>
> www.lazyq.com

That's about what I do, maybe a little lower at first, and up to 400+ just to
crisp the skin at the end, *but* I'm only doing 1 at a time.
The only time I stuffed a smoked turkey, the stuffing absorbed too much smoke
and was inedible. The turkey was good, though.

BOB

On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 16:28:26 GMT, "Big Jim" >
wrote:

>"Olde Hippee" > wrote in message
. ..
>> I just did my first turkey on the Kamado. I cooked it at 340 for 3 1/2 hrs
>> over Kamado Lump. It was stuffed with hot stuffing and it was exactly as
>> I do it inside. Best bird ever. A mild smokey flavor, could have been a
>> little more, but tasty none the less.And juicy, tender meat. bird was
>> 11.3#s.I know where the thanksgiving turkey is being cooked. Frees up the
>> oven for everything else, Hooray!!
>> Nanzi
>
>Here's my take on doing turkey's in the pit. On the package, the cooking
>instructions say to cook at 325° for 20 minutes a pound. That's what I do. I
>do probably 75 turkey's Thanksgiving and Christmas combined. I don't stuff
>them.

I've been K'ing turkeys in my #7 for years. [350F - stuffed - roughly
20 mins/lb plus 20 mins for a nice tender juicy bird.] I polder them
& remove at 145F at the breast - they rest out to about 155 when
tented.
Samantha and the Famdamily will not permit the oven to be used for
turkey if the K is available.

Harry