10 Perfect Pairings for Your Thanksgiving Turkey
- Alton Brown's Best-Ever Green Bean Casserole.
- Guy Fieri's Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes.
- Bobby Flay's Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta.
- Lynn Crawford's Cheddar Cheese Biscuits.
- Ree Drummond's Cranberry Sauce.
- Ricardo's Roasted Root Vegetables.
- Ina Garten's Sausage and Herb Stuffing.
It's time we all admit that
turkey's kinda lame.
Here are some big, impressive, delicious pieces of meat you should definitely make for Thanksgiving, instead of turkey:
- Roast Duck with Plums.
- Garlic Rosemary Prime Rib Roast with Horseradish Cream.
- Roasted Capon with Sage Stuffing.
- Jamie Oliver's Best Roast Leg Of Lamb.
The best meats to smoke are fatty cuts like beef brisket, pork shoulder and ribs. Although the smoking process can dry out some types of meat, the high fat content of brisket and pork shoulder help keep them moist, tender and delicious.
Once you have prepped your turkey, you are ready to begin smoking:
- Place turkey in the pan, breast-side up.
- Insert the meat thermometer deep into the thigh, being careful not to touch the bone or joints.
- Run your smoker at 240 degrees F (115 degrees C).
- Allow 30 minutes of cooking time per pound of meat.
We recommend reheating smoked turkey in the oven at 250 degrees F until warmed through. It's important to reheat smoke turkey slowly at a low temperature so that it is reheated without becoming dry.
Smoke at 225 to 250 degrees F (110 to 120 degrees C) for 10 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C) when measured in the thickest part of the thigh. Baste the bird every 1 to 2 hours with the juices from the bottom of the roasting pan.
Place a handful of smoking chips over the warm coals and place the bird on the top grill grate, above the drip pan. Cover the grill. Smoke for 5-6 hours. Pour ½ c of chicken broth into the cavity every 2 hours, as needed if the bird looks dry.
What Wood Not toUse for Smoking
- Softwoods. Avoid wood from conifers such as pine, redwood, fir, spruce, cypress, or cedar.
- Wood Containing Toxins. A number of trees and shrubs contain toxins that are harmful to humans and should not be used for smoking.
- Lumber Scraps.
- Chemically Treated Wood.
- Painted or Stained Wood.
- Moldy Wood.
- When in Doubt.
In truth, soaking your wood chips and chunks isn't necessary and here's why. Wood chips and chunks that have been soaked have to get rid of any moisture before they can produce smoke. There is not enough moisture to produce significant steam or smoke, however, it will produce delightful flavor on your food.
Generally speaking, any wood that is hard and free of resin (or sap) is good for making smoke. If the tree makes fruit or nuts you enjoy eating, then the wood is typically good for smoking. Some wood, of course, makes better smoke than others.
Conventional wisdom says that elm, eucalyptus, and sycamore are also unfit for smoking. Likewise, any green wood — that is, freshly cut wood that hasn't been properly seasoned (dried) — will contain too much moisture and sap, making it burn unevenly and sometimes imparting an unpleasant flavor.
Each type of wood has its own unique properties that it passes on to the meat while smoking. In fact, the only types of wood you shouldn't use in smoking meat is cedar or any kind of softwood such as pine because of how resinous they are.
Apple has a very mild with a subtle sweet, fruity flavor. This smoking wood is ideal for poultry, beef, pork (especially ham), game birds, lamb and some seafood.
Cedar is a conifer, Conifers should not be used for smoking. However Cedar planks are safe to smoke or grill on. Planks for grilling, untreated cedar, Hickory, alder, or maple.
Newer studies suggest that eating smoked meats may lead to cancer even outside the gastrointestinal tract. A 2012 study, for example, linked smoked meat consumption with breast cancer. In subsequent decades, it has become clear that smoking isn't the only problematic cooking method.
If these smoker recipes don't peak your tastebuds, I don't know what will!
- Bacon Explosion. Let's start with bacon…
- Sweet and Sticky Chinese BBQ Pork. This yummy deliciousness is Korean BBQ at its best!
- Smoked Mac and Cheese.
- Applewood Smoked Chicken.
- BBQ Smoked Ham.
- Smoked Lobster Tails.
- Smoked Prime Rib.
- Smoked Turkey.
The Best Meats to Smoke for a Beginner
- Beef. Chuck Roast. A chuck roast is a smaller type of meat than a brisket is.
- Poultry. Turkey. A bird has a different type of meat, and a turkey might be the best option to smoke.
- Lamb. Shoulder.
- Sea Food. Salmon.
Meat smoking is best in the range of 200 to 220 degrees Fahrenheit. To be safe, most meats need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees and poultry to 165 degrees. However, to get real tender barbecue you want a higher final temperature, say around 180 degrees.
There is no time limit on smoke absorption. The ring stops growing when the meat hits about 170°F and myoglobin loses its oxygen retaining ability, not 140°F. Salt has little to do with it.
Can I smoke pre-cooked meats? Yes, you can. The reason you might want to do this is so you don't have to worry about food temperatures, as well as the fact that you will have a much shorter cooking time. If you do decide to smoke pre-cooked meat, make sure that it wasn't smoked before it reaches your grill.
What is the Easiest Meat to Smoke?
- Smoked Sausage.
- Smoked Pork chops.
- Smoked Fish fillets.
- Smoked Steak – thick cut.
- Smoked Turkey – breast or thigh.
- Smoked Chicken – breast or thigh.
Wrapping the meat in foil will limit the amount of smoke on the surface of the meat thus yielding a better color and flavor on the final product. It also adds moisture and speeds up cooking time. Wrapping should be done about half way through the cooking process or when internal meat temp is 150-160 degrees.
The 40 140 rule is an easy to remember rule for food safety temperatures. 140°F is the internal temperature that meat must meet within 4 hours. It's just as important that temperatures are maintained in reverse when storing food. Food needs to go from 140°F to the lower 40°F within 2 hours of refrigeration.
There is no time limit on smoke absorption. The ring stops when the meat hits about 170°F and myoglobin loses its oxygen retaining ability, not 140°F. Salt has little to do with it. Some people think it does because it is right below the surface and that is where the spices and smoke flavors live.
Because smoking uses low temperatures to cook food, the meat will take too long to thaw in the smoker, allowing it to linger in the "Danger Zone" (temperatures between 40 and 140 °F) where harmful bacteria can multiply. Defrosted meat also cooks more evenly. Never thaw food at room temperature.
The short answer: Yes, it is possible to do and you can still turn out some delicious barbecue in the process. Whether you are smoking or barbecuing multiple pieces of the same type of meat or different types of meat, there are some things to keep in mind to make sure everything goes smoothly.
The optimal conditions for smoke flavor are low, smoldering temperatures between 300 and 400 °C (570 and 750 °F). This is the temperature of the burning wood itself, not of the smoking environment, which uses much lower temperatures.
A good rule of thumb is to use about two ounces of wood and adjust from there. Always keep the inlets and exhaust dampers at least slightly open and be careful how you close the inlet damper or the fire could smolder and give off some bad tasting smoke. If the smoke smells bad the meat will taste bad too.
Yes you can but pay attention to the warnings of cross contamination especially with chicken.
