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[elenis]

Hello all.
I am hoping with the collective knowledge we have on here that someone will have made what I am hoping to make and can tell me how it is done. We had Thanksgiving this past year at my sister-in-law's place and my father-in-law didn't want to have me smoke a turkey and then bring it with me so he ordered a smoked turkey from a restaurant up that way. I believe they must have cured the turkey before they smoked it because the turkey had ham like properties, and my father-in-law ended up loving it. Have any of you made kind of a hammy tasting turkey before? It seemed to have the salt and texture of a ham. He absolutely loved it and I would be very interested in trying to recreate it. Normally I just do smoked turkey by spatchcocking the turkey, rubbing it inside and out and run the smoker for 2 hours at 225 before cranking it up to get crispy skin and to cook it through before it gets dry. Thanks for any suggestions.

[smokin soon]

Never heard of doing a whole bird like that, but you search "Disney Turkey Legs" for a general idea.

[Bar-B-Lew]

Maybe they had a cure in the brine.  I know there is a rub out of Kansas City that I have used on ribs in the past that made them taste hammy.  It was by Cowtown.  Not sure how that would work on a turkey though with the rub profile and it would not penetrate the thicker turkey like it does a thin baby back rib.

[Canadian John]

 Could it have been injected? I don't think a rub/seasoning would be able to change a flavor profile that much. Brining perhaps? My curiosity wheels are turning.

[BigDave83]

I have never done a whole bird, but have used tenderquick on breast meat from turkey and chicken. It ends up as a ham tasting product. I brine cure pork buts for pulled have i do inject the brine also and they brine for 3 weeks for me some do them in less time. I o on the lower end of the Cure 1 and that is why I go longer for the cure/brine.
 

I use Pops Brine. easily found when doing a google or whatever search.

I use icing buckets from the local bakery and with a gallon of brine I can get 2 butts in it and weight them down and put lid on and in the garage fridge. Depending on the size of your turkey those buckets may work.

The Breast meat I used was from bone in breasts that I deboned. I have not tried to wet brine them as i had good results with the tenderquick, i have wet brined turkey legs and done them.

[BigDave83]

I hope this is allowed it is just to help you maybe find some answers, not endorsing any other sites.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&sxsrf=ALeKk03_P0zvSC_J3AX2SCJdyfM-OxlkOw%3A1583762046468&ei=fkpmXoSbHPqLytMP97eU2A8&q=curing+a+whole+turkey&oq=curing+a+whole&gs_l=psy-ab.1.1.0l3j0i22i30l6j0i22i10i30.2953.9817..12834...3.4..0.151.1487.13j4......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j35i39j0i273j0i67j0i131.Qb2po0UcI5I 

Apologize if this violate any rules and understand if it gets deleted.

[dk117]

Never heard of doing a whole bird like that, but you search "Disney Turkey Legs" for a general idea.

This place has been quiet lately and I miss a few days and come back to my favorite topic being discussed. 

Of everything (both good and bad) I've ever cooked on a pellet pit, the consistently rave reviews and requests for more are always turkey legs.  Both on PH and PF I've posted a few times about it and described the result as hammy or "Disney Turkey Legs."

Yes I brine, double what most folks do time wise (4 to 5 days no biggy at all), and my secret ingredient that oddly upsets some purists is liquid smoke.    Never bothered with pink salt, and when doing breast, never considered the outcome hammy.  Only the gigantic tom drumsticks, hammy, consistent, easy.

[elenis]

Thanks for the answers so far all. I had seen the pop's curing brine on a different forum when doing some googling, but I wanted to see if folks here had done it, before trying some random recipe from another forum. I had read about the turkey legs specifically on Steven Raichlen's site, but this was a whole turkey. I was thinking of starting off trying a breast, but have no idea how long it would have to cure to get that texture.

[BigDave83]

If you decide to use pops brine, get an injector needle, you can get something at Tractor supply or similar place the largest syringe and the longest needle they have. Last time i bought them it was  under 10 bucks. you will wan to inject some of the brine into the thickest part of the breast.