Want information on Texas smoked turkeys? Learn how to make Texas smoked turkey at home in your smoker…
While smoked turkey is not easy to make it can be done if you have a good smoker at home. To start with you should prepare a few days before you want to smoke the bird.
Preparing the Smoker for Texas Smoked Turkey
You’ll need to soak some hickory wood chips or some mesquite woodchips for half an hour. In order to smoke the turkey you will require about 1 pound of coals for each pound of meat. Keep adding more coal to maintain the heat at 400°F.
The soaked hickory or mesquite woodchips should be added at intervals in small quantities so that you do not overpower the turkey with the flavor of smoke. The idea is to gently create a subtle flavor of smokiness without overpowering the natural flavor of the meat. It normally takes two consecutive attempts with charcoal to create the perfect Texas smoked turkey.
Normally you cook smoked turkey in the same way as you would briskets, however without wrapping them in foil. Do not cook for more than 2 hours but make sure you reach 2 hours at least. If you cook more than that the meat will be too dry and lose all its moisture.
If you’re cooking a beef roast on top of the smoker rack then place the turkey at the bottom and let the drippings of the beef fall on the turkey to season it with the juices. Make sure there is a pan right at the bottom with a little water to maintain moisture and to collect the drippings of turkey fat.
Retain Moisture in Your Texas Smoked Turkey
To ensure that you make a succulent and moist turkey you should soak it in a brine solution overnight. The turkey will end up slightly saltier than normal turkey but the meat becomes succulent and moist because of the brining technique.
In a large bucket make the brine solution and dip the turkey breast in facing downwards to completely immerse it in the solution. Leave it in the refrigerator or chiller for 8 to 16 hours. The next morning you should remove it from the water and discard the brine solution. Wash the turkey thoroughly to remove all traces of salt. Pat it dry with paper towels and then you can use it to cook a Texas smoked turkey.
The Cajun Method for Preparing Texas Smoked Turkey
If you want to follow the Cajun method for preparing Texas smoked turkey then you will need to place certain spices and vegetables in a water pan down below. These normally include chopped bell pepper, parsley, garlic and mint, along with Worcestershire sauce and a little liquid smoke which is all added to the water pan at the base.
You can even stuff the vegetables inside the cavity of the turkey breast. Why not inject Worcestershire sauce into the turkey meat for extra flavor? This will ensure a thoroughly flavored bird with succulent and moist meat and a subtle smoked flavor.
