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Turkey, Smoked, Brined
Turkey, Smoked and Brined

 

Turkey, Smoked and Brined, we wanted to do something a little different with our bird so we did a savory brine. We have turkey recipes on our web site and this is a nice one. We have Spatchcocked them, wrapped them in bacon, dusted them with chipotle and smoked every one of them.

Talking with folks and reading a bit I thought I would try and brine one. I always thought the hardest part of brining was coming up with a container big enough for the turkey in the brine and trying to fit it into the refrigerator. I scare myself sometimes, why not just put it in an ice chest? Too easy I know but I did it anyway.

Let me tell you this was the best turkey we have ever had. It was packed with flavor, tender and juicy. We did 5 legs with it and they were like a good ham. Patti is already planning one for next week. One of the things I learned about brining is that you can add tons of flavor profiles with different fruits and juices, peppers and spices just about anything you can dream. I did this one with brown sugar, peppers, garlic and onions with some good maple pellet smoke on our Green Mountain Grill.

Patti and I have set one night a week just for us. It’s our date night. We usually put something special on our Green Mountain Wood Pellet Grill/Smoker but sometimes we cook inside. We always eat outside on our patio where it is very comfortable with a rainforest theme.  Wood Pellet Patio Heater, little lights, candles, lanterns and surround sound. We enjoy a little wine, or strawberry margaritas using frozen strawberries for ice, good food, music and sometimes a dance or two…

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They are “How To” BBQ Picture Books

Note: This is one of our 1st. recipes, we are 5 cameras down the road now…

Turkey, Smoked and Brined
A Pellet Grill Recipe

Prep Time: 1 hour, then let brine overnight
Cook Time: 5 hours @ 225 degrees
Grill: Green Mountain Wood Pellet grill
Pellets: Green Mountain’s
Gourmet BBQ Pellet

Ingredients: Turkey, Smoked and Brined

  • 1 Turkey, ours was 13 lbs.
  • 5 turkey legs, (well worth the time)
  • Olive oil

Ingredients: Brine Solution:

  • 2 gallons of water
  • 2 cups of kosher salt
  • 2 cups dark brown sugar (light will work)
  • 1 cup dried crushed garlic
  • 1 cup dried chopped onion
  • ½ cup red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup Pete’s Firehouse Steak Seasoning
  • 1 cup hot sauce, optional (Tabasco, Frank’s or anything like that)

Turkey, Smoked and Brined
A Pellet Grill Recipe 

Directions: Turkey, Smoked and Brined

Take an ice chest your bird will fit in and line the bottom of it with ice packs. For easy clean up put a large trash bag over the ice packs in your ice chest.Place your turkey in the trash bag in the ice chest and go put your brine together.

Turkey, Smoked, Brined
Brine Your Bird in an Ice Chest

 

Turkey, Smoked, Brined
Heat Your Seasonings until Blended

 

Add all your brine seasonings with about a quart of water into a sauce pan. Heat to a low boil. You are melting the sugar and salt while the heat releases the oils from the rest of your spices. When smooth pour your brine solution into the trash bag with your turkey, add cold water to make about two gallons of brine to completely cover your bird.

 

Turkey, Smoked, Brined
Bird in a Bag

 

I tied the bag shut and put the lid on the ice chest overnight. The next day I pulled it out rinsed the turkey and put a light coat of olive oil on it and sprinkled with our rub.

 

Turkey, Smoked, Brined
In The Smoke

Turkey, Smoked and Brined
A Pellet Grill Recipe

Cooking Directions: Turkey, Smoked and Brined

Preheat the GMG to 225* degrees (110c). Give it a few minutes to heat up.

Place everything directly onto the grill and just let it hang out in the smoke and get happy for 5 hours or so. 

When the bird reaches an internal temp around 175* (80c) pull it off, cover it and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.  

U.S.D.A. safe is 165* (72c).

Keep in mind that the meat will continue cooking for another 5 to 10 degrees after you pull it off the grill.

I use a Maverick ProTemp Instant Read Thermometer for checking meat temps.

 

Turkey, Smoked, Brined
Smoked Turkey Legs


Note
: I get a lot of questions about the kind of pellets you can use with a recipe. Keep in mind that a recipe is just an outline. Some you need follow closely like when you are making bread, but most you can do anything you can dream, our favorite way to cook. Feel free to mix and match the pellets until you find a combination you really like. Also you are only smoking at temps less than 250 degrees, anything higher is cooking and there will not be much if any smoke so it does not matter what kind of pellet you are using.

 

Turkey, Smoked, Brined
Looking Good

 

Turkey, Smoked, Brined
Smoked Turkey Legs

 

Turkey, Smoked, Brined
Let’s Eat!!!

Turkey, Smoked and Brined
A Pellet Grill Recipe

About our Recipes

We do our recipes on our patio where we have a lineup of grills, including Green Mountain, Uuni Wood Fired Pizza Oven, Sawtooth, Louisiana, Royall, Memphis, Traeger pellet grills, Char Griller side box smoker, Saber, Charmglow, Char-Broil, The Big Easy, Lodge Sportsman’s, Brinkman and Weber. I call it our “Wall of Grill”. Our grilling styles are healthy and low fat and will fit pelletheads, gas, natural wood and even charcoal purists. Almost any of our recipes can be done on any kind of good BBQ.

The important thing to keep in mind is TIME & TEMPERATURE. You can do our recipes on any grill, even some of them in the oven or crock pot, but, then you lose all the flavors you get from cooking outdoors. But sometimes it does rain.

Remember that a recipe is simply an outline; it is not written in stone. Don’t be afraid to make changes to suit your taste. Take it and run with it….

Live your Passion and Do What You Love,
Ken & Patti

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They are “How To BBQ Picture Books

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Our Thanks To:

Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce
www.countrybobs.com
Maverick Industries, Inc. 800-526-0954
help@maverickhousewares.com

https://www.maverickhousewares.com/ 
Green Mountain Grills LLC  800 603 3398
Email: info@greenmountaingrills.com
https://greenmountaingrills.com
Grill Grates http://www.grillgrate.com/
Smoke Daddy Pellet Pro Patriot
(847) 336-1329

https://smokedaddyinc.com/

Bull Rack System EarthWorks Supply
503-678-7744
http://www.earthworkssupply.com/
Butcher BBQ http://www.butcherbbq.com/
Don Godke’s Downdraft
http://dongodkesdowndraft.com/
BBQPelletsOnline
https://bbqpelletsonline.com
Exmark
Official Mowers of the Backyard Life
https://exmark.com/backyard

Chef of the Future
https://www.chef-ofthefuture.com/

973 780 5895
info@chef-ofthefuture.com
Grandville’s Gourmet BBQ Sauces
Steve 360 943 2861
www.grandvillesbbqsauces.com
The Smoking Wedgie Our Store:
http://datenightdoins.com/store/Smokin-Wedgie-and-Sample-Packs-
Duck Fat Our Store:
http://datenightdoins.com/store/Gourmet-Duck-Fat-Spray-Can-7-Ounce-Free-Shipping-
Loubier Gourmet Seasoning
(888) 568 – 2437 Ext. 700

https://www.loubierbbqbox.com/order-form-page1621271257502

Our Cutlery Provided By: ???

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This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Avatar of Steve Allen
    Steve Allen

    Great info and I like the idea for the cooler. You can also use the “cooler aka ice chest” to rest and travel your turkey after smoking, such as for a pot luck. We pour very hot water in the chest and get it nice and warm. When the turkey comes off the smoker, we wrap it in foil, then warm towels and park it in th pre-heated chest. Easy to carry and if you have a 15 to 45 minute travel ahead – your bird gets to rest and reabsorb juices. Even if you don’t need to travel – it makes for a flavorful bird and is worth doing even if the bird is staying home.

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