Smoke'n

[BUGLEMAN]

I tried the rosmary chicken/turkey recipie (I can fish not spell) from the Lure Jensen smoking book. It was good. It is mostly apple juice and rosemary.

1/2 c salt I went light on the salt
1/2 c sugar try brown sugar
1 qt apple or cranberry juice
1 tbsp rosemary (I used a big sprig from the garden)
1 tbsp sweet basil
Honey for basting

It says to use apple chips (of course) up to 3 panfuls for 30 min/lb then put in oven at 300 for 15 min/lb. Baste with honey last hour of cooking.

It was yummy.

[ 12-02-2001: Message edited by: BUGLEMAN ]</p>

[Nookie Monster]

Thanks BUGLEMAN, it looks like a good recipe.
Took the birds out after ten hours of smokeing. Very delicious, very moist and rich tasting. If the rivers don't clear up I think I will do some more.

[Nookie Monster]

Yesterday afternoon I put some turkey hind quarters and some Cornish game Hens in a brine. This morning I started smokeing them with apple and hickory wood at 175 degrees.
Has anyone ever smoked turkey before? How do you make your brine, what kind of wood do you use, how hot do you smoke and for how long?
I have a bunch of Holiday parties coming up and I would like to offer some food that is a little unique. Any information would be appreciated.

[Terry H]

Hay - Nookie I've been smoking turkeys , chicken , wild ducks etc. for 25 years , here's what i've found .
I've tried a whole bunch of different brines and several years ago settled on one . Look for a product called Mortan's Sugar Cure . this stuff works great on anything you want to smoke . Open the box and find the small spice pack , throw this little bugger away , strong taste I don't care for . Now , if you are going to smoke something rhat is thick through [ turkey ,etc. ], mix enough of the MSC in water untile a raw egg [ in the shell ] will float in the brine . This trick was shown to me by an uncle who was a trapper in Montana , has something to do with the specfic gravity of salt water . Then I add about 10 to 20% plain water . This brine tastes right to me , but mess with it until it's OK for your taste. Now put the birds or what ever in , submerged for 12 to 24 hours , length of time is'nt critical after 12 .
I have always used a large charcoal bbq , and built a pile of coals as far away from the bird as possible , Then just add pans full chips and after several hours start checking the internal temp . The meat when cooled and cut , has a pink quality this is from the brine . as long as the internal temp hits 165 - 170 it should be done
This MSC is also great on fish .
But , on fish I use it dry . I'll take a , say 10 to 12 lb. fish , leave the fillet whole . On each side I'll sprincle about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the mix and rub it evenly all over . The next morning I'll wash of the surface and pat dry . These can be smoked on the bbq , watch the temp real close , low and slow is way better than hi and fast . By doing them on the bbq you can leave the sides whole , makes for an impressive presentation . I think the leftovers would last several days , but I've never had any left to find out .
Good Luck - let me know how it turns out .
Terry :tongue: :tongue:

[TideWater]

You need to kick the temp up a notch. 250 - 300 for birds. Get an instant read thermometer to determine when done.


Here's where the pros hang:

http://64.21.3.48/rbjb/rbjbboard/

[Nookie Monster]

Forgot about the sugar cure. I grew up in Montana and used it for sausage and jerky. Good idea. I wonder how a little sugar cure combined with some of the ingredients of BUGLEMAN's recipe would turn out.
My favorite recipe for pork loins is 4 smoke habanero peppers crushed and added to a 12 oz bottle of blackberry pancake syrup. Makes one of the best hot/sweet glazes I have ever tasted.