I used to be a Turkey Hater. Many years ago, my weak attempt at roasting a turkey resulted in an overcooked, dry, tough mess. Since then, I stuck to making hams or side dishes and let others have a go at the turkey. But earlier this year, I got a smoker. This smoker has treated me very well, cranking out delicious, tender foods with amazing ease. This year I would make a turkey again. And it would be good.

Smoked Turkey.

I know that not everybody has a smoker, but there are some things anyone can take away from this post to get a vastly superior turkey. The single biggest thing you can do to improve your turkey is also the easiest and involves no real work. Make a brine.

I’ve spoken about brines before and about how they are probably the single biggest thing you can to do improve poultry. As Kyle has had a bit more experience cooking and brining turkeys, I turned to him for advice. Over the years, he has found that longer brine soaks are essential to getting flavorful, juicy turkey. I dissolved 3 gallons of water with 3 cups of salt and 1.5 cups of brown sugar and let the turkey soak for 24 hours.

You can also take advantage of this long soak to add some flavors to the turkey. Nearly anything that dissolves well into water can be added. I have seen recipes call for honey, apple juice, vegetable stock, pepper, and/or herbs. Personally, I wanted to let the smoke flavor shine, so I did a basic salt and sugar brine. If I was going to oven roast it, I would have been sorely tempted to give it a soak in apple juice.

Apart from the brine, the rest is fairly simple. I trussed the turkey to help it keep its shape during the cooking. Rather than try to explain it here, I’ll point you to a video clip of the always informative Alton Brown with instructions on how to tie it. It’s almost easier than it looks.

Now, the last step between you and dinner is carving. Don’t let this intimidate you. Personally, I find carving slices directly from the turkey to be a bit cumbersome. It is impressive if you do it right, but I found it easier to cut it apart in the kitchen and place all the slices on a serving plate. I’ll point you to a Food Network article showing the method that I used. Cook’s Illustrated has a good video, but a membership is required to view it.

I had a bit of a dilemma when it came to the gravy. As I was smoking the bird, I wouldn’t have any drippings (which can provide most of the flavor). I worked around this by using the giblets to their fullest extent. I first seared them to create a fond on the bottom of the pot, then added a few vegetables for more flavor. Deglazing the pot with a bit of wine was important to release the fond and get the flavors back into the dish. I used a combination of store-bought turkey stock and home-made chicken stock to add more liquid. A roux thickened the final product and the tasty giblets were diced and added back in. The gravy can actually be started a few days ahead which helped with time management come the day everything had to come together.

Smokin'!

Gravy
Steps 1-3 can be made a day or two ahead. Makes about 4 cups.
Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Turkey giblets and neck from turkey
1 large onion, unpeeled, cut into large chunks
1-2 carrots, unpeeled, cut into large chunks
1-2 ribs celery, unpeeled, cut into large chunks
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups turkey stock (store bought is fine) or homemade chicken stock
1 Tbsp dried thyme (or Herbs en Provence)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Directions
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the giblets and sear for 3-5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cover and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
2. Add the wine while scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. Add the turkey/chicken stock and the herbs. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.
3. Strain the liquid into a bowl and set aside. Dice the heart and gizzard and refrigerate until needed.
4. Melt the butter in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in flour. Stir constantly until well combined and it smells slightly nutty (about 10 minutes). The color of the mixture should change from nearly-white in the beginning to between a blond or peanut-butter color. The darker it gets, the nuttier it will taste (but it will have less thickening power). I moved to step 4 just as it was passing the blond color to a slightly darker blond. (This is a roux to thicken the gravy.) Meanwhile, reheat the liquid from step 3.
5. Gradually add the liquid to the roux while whisking. Constant whisking is needed to ensure a smooth, thick gravy that is free from lumps.
6. Simmer gravy until thick. Add the reserved, diced turkey bits and serve.

Brine
Makes one gallon. Scale the ingredients as needed. I ended up making about three gallons.
Ingredients
1 gallon water
1 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
Directions
1. Heat about a third of the water in a large pot over high heat. Add the salt and sugar and stir until dissolved. Cool the mixture with the remaining water. You can put water in the freezer or use ice cubes.
2. DO NOT USE THE BRINE WHILE STILL HOT. Chill the brine. Add the turkey to the brine and refrigerate overnight, at least 12 hours. I have had better results when the turkey brined for at least 20 hours. Longer times result in better brines.

Smoked Turkey
I used a vertical water smoker for this recipe. Anticipate about a half hour for every pound of meat. Use a probe thermometer to verify the results. A 14 pound turkey will serve 10-14 people.
Ingredients
1 12-14 lb turkey
several chunks of soaked smoking wood (I used hickory)
Directions
This is pretty easy… Just monitor the temperature.
1. Place the turkey into the smoker. Regulate the heat so that the smoker stays between 200F and 250F.
2. 6-7 hours later, check the temperature of the turkey with a probe thermometer. Measure once in the thickest part of the breast (at least 165F) and a second time in the thickest part of the leg (at least 170F).
3. Remove from heat, cover loosely with foil, and allow to rest for about 20 minutes. Carve and serve.

As an aside… I’m interested in this time-temperature table provided by FSIS for achieving 7-log10 lethality of Salmonella. I could cook this turkey much lower than 165F and get safe results. I don’t suggest people try this without knowing what they are doing, but it would make for an interesting experiment. Low temperatures would be key to getting more tender meat, the trick would be to do it without drying the turkey.

Beef Brisket.

Through my brisket adventures, I learned that good barbecue brisket should have a dark, smoky exterior and a tender interior. Achieving this yummy effect takes several hours in a smoker, and a lot of patience.

The real secret to good brisket lies not in a dry rub or a sauce, but in proper temperature control. Many beginner barbecue-ers fail to understand why “low and slow” became the mantra of pit masters everywhere, but it’s the most important part to cooking the perfect brisket.

Certain cuts meat, like beef brisket, beef chuck roll, pork ribs, and pork butt, are tough due to the amount of collagen and connective tissue in the meat. At the correct temperature, collagen transforms into gelatin and the connective tissue breaks down, making these normally chewy portions moist and tender. Keeping the internal temperature of the brisket in the 180F to 205F range for several hours is ideal for gelatin formation. Many of the cuts of meat listed above are popular for this very purpose. However, if you were to try the same technique with naturally tender cuts, such as a NY Strip steak, the results will not be as pretty.

I really wanted to get a 10+ lb whole, untrimmed cut, but this time, I made do with a 4 lb trimmed brisket flat. You may have to get your butcher to order a full brisket for you. Most grocery stores and butcher shops will place special orders without any extra charge. Either way, a USDA Choice cut is preferred if you can find it.

Barbecue Brisket.

The trimmed brisket flats are not usually ideal for smoking because much of the fat is removed which can cause the meat to dry out during cooking. To counteract this, this cut is generally oven braised in order to retain moisture in the meat. If only brisket flats are available, or your smoking grate is too small to accommodate a whole brisket, you can put a layer of bacon over the meat to help keep it from drying out. Water smokers, such as the one I used, produce steam in the cooking chamber, so the bacon wrapping method isn’t required.

Now that we have our meat selected let’s prepare it and smoke it.

Directions
The way I preped the brisket may surprise some people, but I actually cut away most of the fat. My thought is that the rub and the smoke would have a hard time penetrating through a half inch of fat–especially since the cook time for a 4 lb brisket is significantly shorter than a 10 lb brisket.

With that said, cut away most of the fat leaving 1/8 to 1/4 inch where possible. Apply a generous amount of dry rub to the trimmed meat. Pat lightly with your hands to help keep the rub from falling away.

Dry Rub
Many rubs work, feel free to make additions or changes to this blend. Simply mix everything together and place in a shaker.
Ingredients
1 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon powdered garlic
1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (a bit less, actually)

Wrap the rubbed brisket in foil and return it to the refrigerator.

Four to eight hours later, load your smoker with your choice of wood. Like the pulled pork recipe, nearly any hard wood will do. I used all hickory again because it was what I had on hand. Once the smoker is lit, remove the brisket from the fridge and apply a little more dry rub. Put the brisket in the smoker, fat side up.

The target temperature of your smoker should be around 225F to 250F. As stated above, the internal temperature of the meat should be in the 180F to 205F range. This is ideal for gelatin conversion, and will ensure that the meat stays tender. Cooking time will vary, but a good rule of thumb is 1 to 1- 1/2 hours per pound of meat.

Some recipes recommend turning and basting the brisket. I skipped this for three reasons. One, the smoker I was using was a water smoker. This meant that the smoking chamber was very moist, and dry meat is not a likely result. Two, opening the smoker would have released all that precious smoke. And three, once open, the smoker would have lost a lot of heat and it would have taken some time for the temperature to stabilize in the correct range again. Because this was a small brisket, I felt it best to allow for a longer exposure to smoke and not to disturb the cooking process.

Once the brisket is cooked (mine took 5 hours) remove it from the smoker and wrap it in foil. Place this in an insulated cooler to retain the heat. A 15-30 minute rest will allow the juices to re-distribute. After resting the meat, remove it to a cutting board and use a large chef’s knife to cut the beef, across the grain, into thin strips for serving.

Sliced barbecue brisket.

The exterior of my brisket had a wonderful, dark crust (otherwise known as a bark) from the smoke and the rub that contrasted nicely with the tender, smoky meat hidden beneath. The only disappointment was that I did not get the pink smoke ring characteristic of well-smoked meats (though all the flavor was there).

Store leftovers well wrapped and reheat individual servings over medium-high power in a microwave or entire briskets in a 225F oven.

Time is essential because barbecue is slow cooked to dissolve and soften the connective tissues and fats in the tougher cuts of meat traditionally used (like pork butt). Smoke from hardwood trees like hickory, mesquite, oak, apple, and maple are used to impart flavor to the meat.

Pulled Pork Barbecue

About a week ago we looked at how to smoke in a charcoal grill. This is possible for cuts of meat, like ribs, that do not require many hours of cooking time. For a cut like pork butt, it’s best to use a smoker. The smoker will allow for a longer cooking time, better heat control, and  good smoke penetration.
For this smoking session, I bought a 7 pound pork butt, borrowed a smoker, made some North Carolina style vinegar-based sauces, and had a selection of Sticky Fingers sauces available.

There are a few different strategies when it comes to smoking a pork butt. I wanted to use the simplest method possible to let my friends compare the sauces so I just put the pork in the smoker and didn’t touch it for 14 hours. What did I get as a result of using the easiest, least intensive method of cooking? Fantastic pulled pork and a group of happy, well-fed friends.

Variations on the cooking method include brining, using a dry rub, and basting. I skipped all these optional steps to keep the preparation simple and the flavors consistent. A brine would have altered the texture, a dry-rub would have altered the flavor, and opening the smoker to baste the pork would have let the smoke out. The purpose was to compare the sauces, not to experiment with different preparation and cooking styles.

The most popular sauces were the eastern North Carolina ketchup and vinegar sauce, the Sticky Fingers Carolina Sweet and the Sticky Fingers Habanero Hot. If you haven’t tried the vinegar-based sauces before, it’s worth making a batch. I have included two NC styles of barbecue sauce after the pork recipe.

Basic Barbecue Pulled Pork
Makes about 10 servings
Special equipment needed for this recipe: a smoker.
Almost any hard wood can be used. Wood from fruit trees, like apple or cherry, is popular as it lends sweetness to the meat. Hard woods, like hickory or mesquite, will result in a strong wood flavor. I used all hickory.

Ingredients
1 6-8 pound pork butt (either bone-in or boneless is fine, mine was bone in)
This is also commonly called a Boston butt, shoulder blade roast, or pork shoulder.

Directions

1. Rinse the pork and pat it dry. Remove most of the fat cap from the top –don’t worry, there will still be plenty of fat within the meat to keep it moist as it cooks. You don’t have to be very thorough removing the fat, much of it will render out of the meat.
2. Load the smoker with wood chips, wood chunks, or natural lump charcoal as directed by the manufacture’s instructions. If your smoker has a water tray, fill this with water, beer, or soda to impart extra flavor to the meat. I used about 1/3 beer and 2/3 water.
   

   Barbecue Pork Butt

3. Put the meat in the smoker with the fat cap facing up. Adjust the heat so that the smoker stays in the 225-250F range (internal meat temperature should peak at 190F). Cook the meat at least 8 hours. I let mine cook for 14 hours. I’ve seen some people smoke their pork for almost 24 hours. The key here is to cook the meat until it is tender, not just until it is cooked through. The extended cooking time ensures that the connective tissue softens and dissolves.   
   

   Get some friends to do the work pulling the pork.

4. Once you are satisfied with your cooking time, remove the meat from the smoker and let it rest on a plate tented with foil for 15-30 minutes. If it looks dark brown and crusty around the outside, you’ve done all well. That “outside brown”, as it’s called, is arguably the best part of the barbecue and should be well mixed in to allow everybody to get some.
5. To pull the pork, use forks or tongs to separate the meat. For chopped pork, pull it loosely and chop with a large knife.
6. Apply barbecue sauce and serve. Or leave the meat ‘dry’ and provide a selection of sauces to try.

Trays of Pulled Pork. They dissappeared quickly.

Eastern North Carolina Barbecue Sauce
This thin, liquid sauce made with vinegar and ketchup is representative of eastern North Carolina. This one was preferred of the two NC sauces.

Ingredients
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
1/3 cup ketchup
1/8 cup hot sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons salt

Directions

1. Combine everything in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Western North Carolina Barbecue Sauce
This thin, liquid sauce made with primarily vinegar is representative of western North Carolina.

Ingredients
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions

1. Combine everything in a small bowl.
2. Mix well and allow ingredients to blend for about 4 to 8 hours.

Memphis style dry ribs.

For dry ribs, it’s not strictly necessary to have a smoker to achieve perfectly good barbecue. You can get excellent results with a standard grill and some soaked wood chips. The reason a grill can produce such good results is that, compared to pulled pork, ribs are cooked hotter and faster–350F for an hour or two instead of seven, twelve or even eighteen hours for pork shoulder (aka pork butt). The one shortcut you can’t take is on the smoke. Without smoke, it’s not barbecue, it’s just grilling.

A plate of dry ribs.

Looks good doesn’t it? The only complaint I heard was that I didn’t make enough! Detailed instructions to making your own barbecue on a grill are after the jump.

I want to thank Sticky Fingers for sending me some dry rub to use on my first attempt at Memphis style ribs. Over the next week expect a full write up on their sauces and their dry rub.

The recipe makes enough for 4, 6 if you serve lots of side dishes.
Cooking time is between 2-3 hours.

Ingredients
2 baby back pork ribs (Also sometimes called “loin back ribs”, though loin back ribs are normally a bit bigger and meatier.)
dry rub mixture (I used Sticky Fingers dry rub, but see below for a recipe to make your own.)

Also needed
natural lump charcoal (Remember that this meat will be bathed in smoke, if you use self lighting charcoal the meat will be exposed to all the chemicals in the briquettes–not good.)
wood chips (Any natural hardwood, like hickory can be used)
Heavy duty aluminum foil

Instructions
The day before
Fortunately, there is not much preparation with baby back ribs. It’s mostly just meat and bone. The one thing that should be done is to remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs. Removing the tough membrane will allow for better smoke penetration and make eating the ribs easier.
Turn your racks so that the underside of the ribs (the concave part) faces you. Use a butter knife to lift and pull up part of the membrane. Then grip the membrane with a paper towel (it will be too slippery to grasp with your fingers) and gently pull upwards to peel it off. It should come off in one piece. If it tears, just use your butter knife to lift the membrane and start again.

Insert the butter knife under the membrade to seperate it from the ribs.

Grasp the membrande with paper towel and pull to remove it.

It should lift off in one piece.

If there are fatty bits or loose tissue at the ends of the ribs, you can trim these with a knife. You can also use your butter knife to remove any extra fat. This isn’t strictly necessary as most will render out during the cooking process anyway.
Liberally apply the rub over both sides of the ribs. Don’t be shy about it, this is the only flavoring you are going to use. Wrap in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerated over night.

Dry rub applied (liberally).

Day of barbecue
Soak several large handfuls of wood chips in water for at least an hour (I’d guess about 4 cups of chips). Place them onto a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil and fold the foil to make a pouch for the chips. Use a skewer or a fork to poke lots of holes in the top of your foil pouch. I split my wood chips into two pouches.

Hickory wood chips for smoking.

Use the foil to make a pouch for the chips.

Use a skewer to poke holes in the top of the foil.

While the wood chips are soaking, start your grill. If using a gas grill, turn on only one burner on low heat. If using charcoal, pile 10-15 briquettes in a pyramid and light them. Make sure any bottom grill vents are fully open. Once the coals have white ash over them, spread them on the very edge of the on side of the grill.
Set the foil packet over the metal v-racks of your gas grill, or directly on top of the coals. Place the ribs on the opposite side of the grill from the foil packet and close the grill lid. If your grill lid has a top vent, position it so that the vent is opposite the foil packet (to encourage the smoke to be drawn across the rib racks).

The ribs after an hour.

After 15 minutes, you should see plenty of smoke coming out of the grill vents.

Leave the grill alone for 60-90 minutes. No peaking! The smoke will escape.Your grill thermometer should register between 325-350F during the cooking time. Check the ribs after they have been smoked for at least 60 minutes in this temperature range. You can test the tenderness of the meat by giving one of the bones a pull, if it gives a bit without too much effort, the meat is ready. Remove from the grill, sprinkle a bit more dry rub on it, and serve.

During my attempt, I was a bit light handed with the coals in the beginning and after about 45 minutes, I realized that my coals were almost spent. I removed the first foil wood-chip packet and added more coals. Once these coals lit, I put my second packet of wood chips on the grill. In my eagerness, I overdid it a bit with the second batch of coals and my grill got a bit hotter that ideal. I ended up with ribs that had a bit more char than I wanted. Mind you, they were delicious, there was no harm done. They were not burnt at all. Some even said they preferred it this way, crispy and smoky on the outside and tender through the meat.

Homemade dry rub
To make your own dry rub, combine the following ingredients:
1/2 cup table salt
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1 tablespoon powdered garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground celery seed
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder

Cross section of the rib, the pink/red color is caused by the smoke.