Mar 27 2013
I finished smoking my turkey pastrami and it is in the fridge for overnight before slicing. I thought I better write this up before I forget some of it!
The only turkey breasts I can get here are frozen and all seem to have 20 % solution added to enhance, pre brined. Two fellow forum members from Lets Talk BBQ advised me it’s hard to un-brine; I agreed but I decided to do an overnight soak anyway for a test.
Monday I put the thawed breast in water and added about 1 tsp. ground coriander seeds, 1 tsp. ground pepper, 1 tsp. mustard seeds, 1 tsp. juniper berries and 2 Tbs. brown sugar and in the fridge overnight. I was hoping to remove some salt and get some flavor added.
Tuesday I rinsed the breast and drained while I made up the rub. I used a recipe by Steven Raichlen for a guide. The breast was 3 lbs. but came with a gravy pack, I threw away, so it was about 2 ½ lbs. It was in a mesh stocking. I knew when it was done I would peel off a lot of good seasoning but decided to leave it on. It would have been better to remove it and retie but I was too lazy!
Rub
1 Tbs. cracked coriander seeds
1 Tbs. whole coriander seeds
1 Tbs. cracked 4 peppercorn blend
1 Tbs. dried garlic flakes
1 Tbs. coarse Celtic grey salt
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. mace
I put all the rub I could get on it pressed it in and then in a 1 gallon bag and vacuum sealed. It went back in the fridge for overnight.
It was finally a nice day today; I got my smoker cleaned up a ready to go. I filled my amazen tube with apple wood pellets and lit. I got the turkey on at 12:45 and did 1 hour of cold smoke. I turned the smoker on and let it on smoke mode about 15 minutes. I had the breast on a rack so set it over a pan, added 2 cups of water to it and went to 225 deg.
I put my temp probes in and kept edging the temp up. I ended up at 300 deg. for the last 20 minutes when it hit 165 deg. IT. I wrapped in saran wrap and the foil and placed it in my microwave to rest for an hour. I then cooled it some more and then in the fridge. I can’t wait to slice and taste tomorrow! It had the most fragrant smell, while cooking, of anything I have ever smoked.
Cook time was 1 hour of cold smoke and total hot cook was 2 hours 45 minutes.
The Turkey
Seasoning added before covering with water to soak
My rub
Vacuum sealed
Cold smoking with amazen tube smoker
After one hour of cold smoke
At 150 deg. IT
Ready to wrap and rest
Mar 28 2013
After lunch I sliced up the turkey after resting in the fridge overnight. It turned out pretty good even though I lost a lot of the good crust taking the net sock off.
Sliced up
There are not many blogs out there dedicated to cooking on a pellet smoker. I have been cooking, grilling & smoking over 35 yrs now. I recently bought a Traeger Lil Tex Elite pellet smoker & have cooked on it over six yrs. now. I would like to share recipes & info I have gained from cooking on it. Update 2014: I have plenty of recipes here for the pellet smoker so I am now including other outdoor cooking and some of my indoor cooking too.
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