Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[4given]

A few weeks ago, I made a post asking if anybody had a recipe for curing and smoking a turkey.  Folks shared plenty of turkey brine recipes but no one had ever cured and smoked one.

Well low and behold! After much searching I found an old post I had made on another forum where I described how I did it and how it turned out. Here is a copy and paste of the post:


Using a 5 gallon white food grade bucket I submerged an 18 pound turkey in 2 gallons of brine containing:

4 oz Cure #1
1 cup Canning salt
1.5 cups white sugar

Left in in the brine for 6 days then rinsed thoroughly and let it dry for 12 hours in the fridge.

4 hours smoke at 150 then turned up the temp to 225 and cooked until the breast was 165. Probably could have gotten away with a little less smoke and cooked at 225 the whole time.  I might try 1/2 cup of cure #1 in 2 gallons of water next time because I was told that It would taste a bit more "ham like". Actually the legs were pretty "hammy" at this concentration so I don't know if it will be better or not. This turned out pretty good!

I am going to put a turkey in the brine tonight after work using the same formula but using 1/2 cup of cure #1 instead of the 4oz I used last time. I'll  be sure to post some pictures and keep you all informed of my progress and the results.

[Bentley]

Seems like a lot of cure.  What is the purpose of curing the turkey?

[4given]

Seems like a lot of cure.  What is the purpose of curing the turkey?

For flavor, texture and color. It will make the turkey like a ham. It is also safer if you are going to smoke it at a low temperature for a long period of time.  You see these smoked cured turkeys for sale during the Holiday season. They are tasty but expensive.

As far as the amount of cure, I bought my cure #1 from the sausage maker website. Here is their  basic  Ham and Bacon brine recipe:

"For a basic bacon or ham brine (not including additional flavor ingredients), mix: 1 gal. water, 4 oz. (½ cup) Insta Cure #1, 1 lb. 5 oz. (1¾ cup) salt, 1½ oz. (2¼ Tbsp.) sugar

[02ebz06]

I just looked on the Cure #1 label and it says 3 oz. per gallon of water for brining.

[Bentley]

I understand the process of curing, I also understand the safety factor.   The safety concern is usually for a long duration smoke, under about 100° and over 12 hours before finally cooking the bird.  Your comment about flavor, texture and color, I understand. The comment about making the turkey like a ham I do not understand, was that just a reference that curing a turkey is like curing a ham?  Or do you want the turkey to taste like a ham?

[BigDave83]

curing does give it a hammy taste, not exactly but it is there. They are very good, if you have never tried one you should.

[4given]

  Or do you want the turkey to taste like a ham?

Yes. The drumsticks will definitely taste like ham. The breast will have a "hammy" flavor as well and the texture will be more firm but not dry.  If you have never had this, trust me it's good. 

[02ebz06]

I like turkey, because it tastes like turkey.

[Conumdrum]

Cured long smoke turkey is really good!   

Yea it's different, like dried smoked squid.  It's good too!

[Bentley]

If they put Turkeys on sale again for Christmas I will try it.  I have had Wood Roasted, Smoked and Cold Smoked bird.  I do not believe I have ever had a Nitrite cured Turkey, so I will reserve judgement till I can try it.  But I am also in the if I want ham I will cook a ham and if I want turkey I will cook a turkey camp.  I do not want my Turkey to taste like ham! 

But I am always up for a new food adventure!

[02ebz06]

If they put Turkeys on sale again for Christmas I will try it.  I have had Wood Roasted, Smoked and Cold Smoked bird.  I do not believe I have ever had a Nitrite cured Turkey, so I will reserve judgement till I can try it.  But I am also in the if I want ham I will cook a ham and if I want turkey I will cook a turkey camp.  I do not want my Turkey to taste like ham! 

But I am always up for a new food adventure!

I buy 2 turkeys at Thanksgiving time as I've never seen them on sale at Christmas time.
Not to say they aren't on sale at Christmas, I just haven't seen them where we shop.

[dk117]

If they put Turkeys on sale again for Christmas I will try it.  I have had Wood Roasted, Smoked and Cold Smoked bird.  I do not believe I have ever had a Nitrite cured Turkey, so I will reserve judgement till I can try it.  But I am also in the if I want ham I will cook a ham and if I want turkey I will cook a turkey camp.  I do not want my Turkey to taste like ham! 

But I am always up for a new food adventure!

I'm going to jump in here only because I was posting about turkey legs way back on the old site 8 or more years ago.   Turkey legs are outstanding with a hammy taste.   I do agree with you on the turkey vs ham if we're talking turkey breast.    This is why I purchase my turkey legs separately (about 1.5 lbs each) vs the breast.   I'd love to hear your impression of cured turkey legs.

DK

[4given]

Got the turkey in the brine tonight. I used 1/3 cup of Cure #1 per gallon as indicated in the Insta Cure #1 container. The rest of the recipe remained the same. Wifey was not fond of the idea of having a 5 gallon bucket in the fridge for 6 days so I just iced it down with ice in a gallon zip lock and a frozen 1/2 gallon milk jug of water. This helps keep the turkey submerged.  I put it out in the garage where it is cool and will change out the ice packs as needed.


In the brine!


Turkey on Ice!


The Cure


Make sure your bucket is food grade!

More pix and commentary in 6 days!

[02ebz06]

If anyone is looking for a bucket. white buckets a Lowes are food grade, blue ones are not.
HD Homer buckets are not.

I use food grade brining bags from Amazon. Roll of 25 for $13.
They are sized for a 5 gal. bucket.

[pmillen]

If anyone is looking for a bucket. white buckets a Lowes are food grade, blue ones are not.
HD Homer buckets are not.

I use food grade brining bags from Amazon. Roll of 25 for $13.
They are sized for a 5 gal. bucket.

Good information, thanks.

I didn't know that there are 5-gallon sized bags.