I'm thinking of smoking a 6 1/2 lbs turkey breast in my ECB. Any hints on
brining, timing, temps, etc? Does the bird need to go into the oven at the
end to crisp the skin?

Thanks for any advice you can offer...

Peter

Peter Newman wrote:

> I'm thinking of smoking a 6 1/2 lbs turkey breast in my ECB. Any hints on
> brining, timing, temps, etc? Does the bird need to go into the oven at the
> end to crisp the skin?
>
> Thanks for any advice you can offer...
>
> Peter
>
>
Pete, IMHO,
Use TFM brine for sure, let it soak for 3 days, go very light on the
wood chunks! or it will end up tasting like ham. If skin is a big deal
for you, as in you love to eat the skin, and you like it crispy. I'd say
you'd have to finish it in the oven. But if you use TFM brine, the skin
will be spicy unless you leave out all the "hot" seasonings.

Last I heard, breast meat is done at 170 but i'd go to 175 to be safe,
any warmer and it'll start to dry out. I'd go by temp and not time do
to temp swings that can never be guessed at.


--
From: Piedmont, In northern South Carolina! Nestled between the Blue
Ridge Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean! Home to the Catawba Indian Nation!

BBQ USA - A free community group at MSN.com,
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On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 14:48:42 -0600, Piedmont > wrote:

>Peter Newman wrote:
>
>> I'm thinking of smoking a 6 1/2 lbs turkey breast in my ECB. Any hints on
>> brining, timing, temps, etc? Does the bird need to go into the oven at the
>> end to crisp the skin?
>>
>> Thanks for any advice you can offer...
>>
>> Peter
>>
>>
>Pete, IMHO,
>Use TFM brine for sure, let it soak for 3 days, go very light on the
>wood chunks! or it will end up tasting like ham. If skin is a big deal
>for you, as in you love to eat the skin, and you like it crispy. I'd say
>you'd have to finish it in the oven. But if you use TFM brine, the skin
>will be spicy unless you leave out all the "hot" seasonings.
>
>Last I heard, breast meat is done at 170 but i'd go to 175 to be safe,
>any warmer and it'll start to dry out. I'd go by temp and not time do
>to temp swings that can never be guessed at.

I disagree with the above. Overnight brining has proved to work OK
for me, but if you wish to go longer, so be it. As to crisp skin, I
rinse off the bird and the lat it sit uncovered in the fridge for
another 12 hours to 'dry off the surface. I then paint it with olive
oil, apply herbs/seasonings and go to the BBQ. This gives us a moist
bird with crispy flavour full skin..

Harry

"Harry Demidavicius" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 14:48:42 -0600, Piedmont > wrote:
>
> >Peter Newman wrote:
> >
> >> I'm thinking of smoking a 6 1/2 lbs turkey breast in my ECB. Any hints
on
> >> brining, timing, temps, etc? Does the bird need to go into the oven at
the
> >> end to crisp the skin?
> >>
> >> Thanks for any advice you can offer...
> >>
> >> Peter
> >>
> >>
> >Pete, IMHO,
> >Use TFM brine for sure, let it soak for 3 days, go very light on the
> >wood chunks! or it will end up tasting like ham. If skin is a big deal
> >for you, as in you love to eat the skin, and you like it crispy. I'd say
> >you'd have to finish it in the oven. But if you use TFM brine, the skin
> >will be spicy unless you leave out all the "hot" seasonings.
> >
> >Last I heard, breast meat is done at 170 but i'd go to 175 to be safe,
> >any warmer and it'll start to dry out. I'd go by temp and not time do
> >to temp swings that can never be guessed at.
>
> I disagree with the above. Overnight brining has proved to work OK
> for me, but if you wish to go longer, so be it. As to crisp skin, I
> rinse off the bird and the lat it sit uncovered in the fridge for
> another 12 hours to 'dry off the surface. I then paint it with olive
> oil, apply herbs/seasonings and go to the BBQ. This gives us a moist
> bird with crispy flavour full skin..
>
> Harry

I second Harry's good advice and suggest you not take breast meat above 165
degrees or risk drying out. I often place my brined turkey in front of a
fan for an hour before cooking, which also helps dry the skin out.

Jack Curry

I just put my bird ( after brining and bathing ) in the fridge uncovered
overnight to dry it out. Cook till the breast meat is 155 and put it in a
475' oven to crisp skin and bring the breast temp to 161 or so. Then let sit
for 20 or 30 minutes.



Lew/+Silat

"Lew/+Silat" > wrote:
> I just put my bird ( after brining and bathing ) in the fridge uncovered
> overnight to dry it out. Cook till the breast meat is 155 and put it in a
> 475' oven to crisp skin and bring the breast temp to 161 or so. Then let
> sit for 20 or 30 minutes.
>
Sounds like a sound plan, Lew. Looking forward to hearing how it turns out.

--
Nick, Cogito, ergo armatum sum


Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops! You are not forgotten. Thanks.

I brined a turky breast (two halfs 2.6 kg total) for 4 days in a 10 % salt
brine. Hot smoke at 190 F. till internal temp is 160.
result was to salt and the meat to dry.

did the same with 1.5 kg ham. the result was good. maybe because of the fat,
the brine does not penetrate as easely

Good luck

Adriaan

"Peter Newman" > wrote in message
k.net...
> I'm thinking of smoking a 6 1/2 lbs turkey breast in my ECB. Any hints on
> brining, timing, temps, etc? Does the bird need to go into the oven at
the
> end to crisp the skin?
>
> Thanks for any advice you can offer...
>
> Peter
>
>

I brined a turky breast (two halfs 2.6 kg total) for 4 days in a 10 % salt
brine. Hot smoke at 190 F. till internal temp is 160.
result was to salt and the meat to dry.

did the same with 1.5 kg ham. the result was good. maybe because of the fat,
the brine does not penetrate as easely

Good luck

Adriaan

"Peter Newman" > wrote in message
k.net...
> I'm thinking of smoking a 6 1/2 lbs turkey breast in my ECB. Any hints on
> brining, timing, temps, etc? Does the bird need to go into the oven at
the
> end to crisp the skin?
>
> Thanks for any advice you can offer...
>
> Peter
>
>

I smoked a whole turkey (16 lbs) yesterday for a Boy Scout event. Brined it
for about 24 hours, in about 3/4 cup of salt (I ran out!) and same amount of
brown sugar. I would have done a real recipe, but time got the best of me.

Pulled it out of the brine yesterday at about 7:00 am, rinsed it off well,
and took it to the event. I split the backbone, but didn't lay it flat
(wouldn't fit in the smoker that way). On the fire at about 7:30. Smoked it
in my ECB until about 12:20p, breast at 165, and the skin was crispy and the
bird was a big hit. The breast meat was perfect, the ladies doing the turkey
serving said it was easily the juciest of the bunch we cooked.

-John O

A. Kesteloo wrote:

> I brined a turky breast (two halfs 2.6 kg total) for 4 days in a 10 % salt
> brine. Hot smoke at 190 F. till internal temp is 160.
> result was to salt and the meat to dry.
>
> did the same with 1.5 kg ham. the result was good. maybe because of the fat,
> the brine does not penetrate as easely
>
> Good luck
>
> Adriaan

Harry and Kesteloo,
For what its worth category: I do TFM brine on tiny chicken breast about
every 6 weeks, year round. Always soak for 3 days. Perhaps my taste buds
are shot but it's never gotten to salty. But to each his own.

Peace and Love, Piedmont

"Harry Demidavicius" > wrote in message
...
> I disagree with the above. Overnight brining has proved to work OK
> for me, but if you wish to go longer, so be it. As to crisp skin, I
> rinse off the bird and the lat it sit uncovered in the fridge for
> another 12 hours to 'dry off the surface. I then paint it with olive
> oil, apply herbs/seasonings and go to the BBQ. This gives us a moist
> bird with crispy flavour full skin..
>
> Harry

I agree Harry. Plus think about using cheese cloth for the first couple of hrs.


--
__________
ht_redneck

For email replies, remove an l

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 06:12:57 GMT, "Tyler Hopper" >
wrote:

>"Harry Demidavicius" > wrote in message
.. .
>> I disagree with the above. Overnight brining has proved to work OK
>> for me, but if you wish to go longer, so be it. As to crisp skin, I
>> rinse off the bird and the let it sit uncovered in the fridge for
>> another 12 hours to 'dry off' the surface. I then paint it with olive
>> oil, apply herbs/seasonings and go to the BBQ. This gives us a moist
>> bird with crispy flavour full skin..
>>
>> Harry
>
>I agree Harry. Plus think about using cheese cloth for the first couple of hrs.

I've done that before too, Tyler. That weird nerdy looking guy on
Food TV [Good Eats, I think], recommended it. It leaves an
interesting pattern on the bird.

Harry

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 06:12:57 GMT, "Tyler Hopper" >
wrote:

>"Harry Demidavicius" > wrote in message
.. .
>> I disagree with the above. Overnight brining has proved to work OK
>> for me, but if you wish to go longer, so be it. As to crisp skin, I
>> rinse off the bird and the let it sit uncovered in the fridge for
>> another 12 hours to 'dry off' the surface. I then paint it with olive
>> oil, apply herbs/seasonings and go to the BBQ. This gives us a moist
>> bird with crispy flavour full skin..
>>
>> Harry
>
>I agree Harry. Plus think about using cheese cloth for the first couple of hrs.

I've done that before too, Tyler. That weird nerdy looking guy on
Food TV [Good Eats, I think], recommended it. It leaves an
interesting pattern on the bird.

Harry

On 22-Nov-2004, Harry Demidavicius > wrote:

> On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 06:12:57 GMT, "Tyler Hopper" >
> wrote:
>
> >"Harry Demidavicius" > wrote in message
> .. .
> >> I disagree with the above. Overnight brining has proved to work OK
> >> for me, but if you wish to go longer, so be it. As to crisp skin, I
> >> rinse off the bird and the let it sit uncovered in the fridge for
> >> another 12 hours to 'dry off' the surface. I then paint it with olive
> >> oil, apply herbs/seasonings and go to the BBQ. This gives us a moist
> >> bird with crispy flavour full skin..
> >>
> >> Harry
> >
> >I agree Harry. Plus think about using cheese cloth for the first couple of hrs.
>
> I've done that before too, Tyler. That weird nerdy looking guy on
> Food TV [Good Eats, I think], recommended it. It leaves an
> interesting pattern on the bird.
>
> Harry

My roaster chicken (6.5#) was done pretty much like Tyler and Harry describe.
I brined monday night through wednesday. I dried it off and let it set naked in
the fridge all wednesday night. Basted it with butter and honey mix on Thurs
morning and roasted about two and a half hours to 165° in the thigh. Start temp
was 425° (20Min) and finished at 350°. First excellent skin I have produced.
Whole bird was otherwise moist and very tender. No stuffing was used. Hound's
brine rules. Despite warnings about saltiness that I have read, no such thing
occurred. There was no objectionable salty taste to my bird. I suspect that many
would have added salt at their plate. I found it to be perfect to my taste as is.

--
Brick(DL5BF, WA7ERO, HS4ADI)


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