Buckwheat (dltaylor@novell.com)
Fri, 1 Dec 1995 08:35:15 -0700
This is what I've been waiting for...The KCBS on the Internet.
I suppose this takes the place of www.barbeque.com that was mentioned
in one of the past newsletters?
Anyhow, I have a gas smoker (with water pan) that hold about two
turkeys in. I have tried different ways of smoking turkeys and
wonder if any of you out there have a "favorite" way
of smoking them. I have tried injecting a garlic/oil mixture into
the meat, I have tried soaking the turkey in a salt/water mixture
overnight, and I've tried just nothing smoking it without any
preparation. I always wrap my turkeys in cheesecloth and spray
my turkeys every 1-2 hours with apple juice. (Personally I don't
think this affects the taste much since I don't eat the skin.)
I have used mesquite, hickory and peach wood. I'd like to know
of your favorite way of doing a turkey.
Do you put anything inside the turkey cavity?
Do you inject anything into it?
Do you smoke with a special kind of wood?
Do you put a special mixture in the water pan?
Do you use cheesecloth and spray every so often?
Do you put a paste on the skin overnight before smoking?
I'll be happy to share any more of my thoughts on this subject
with you if you'd like to swap ideas. Usually I smoke my turkeys
for 24 hours and the meat literally falls off the bones. Were
it not for the skin holding it together, it would all fall into
little pieces. It seems though, that only the dark meat and meat
on the outside has the "smokey" flavor that I crave.
Any hints?
Thanks, you guys are great!
Buckwheat
Lone smoker in Utah...
Stokin (www5203@dukepower.com)
Tue, 5 Dec 1995 12:10:15 -0700
The smoke penetration question is a good one that relates to the
other meat groups as well. I have discussed this with a chemistry
professor, have read about it, talked about it with pro cooks,
and tried some things myself. If you can get a smoke ring that
is deeper than about an inch you are doing pretty well. Smoke
penetration questions do not have clear answers. This is partly
because the cooking process is extremely complex, and if you can
master it then you are an artist.
In practice there is clearly a tradeoff in achieving the smoke
flavor you are looking for: if you want more smoke flavor then
you risk drying out the meat. The more intense the smoke is and
the longer the exposure time, the more smoke flavor will penetrate
the meat. A dry surface collects more smoke particles than a wet
surface in the same amount of time. While the meat is getting
the flavor you want it is also drying out.
To compromise the situation of flavor vs. tenderness, I would
recommend not using the cheese cloth, leave on the skin to prevent
over drying, smoke the meat heavily for a few hours with wood
chips, then wrap the meat tightly in aluminum foil to keep it
moist until it is finally done.
Hope this works for you.
Good Luck!
krkrjack (krkrjack@teclink.net)
Wed, 20 Dec 1995 17:58:51 -0700
Just bought a New Braunfels Smoker, the indirect type with a separate
heat chamber, have smoked ribs and brisket so far, turned out
very. Want to a smoke a turkey and a ham this week-end for Christmas,
can you help with temps, times, and tips, etc.?