Get Ready For Turkey Day!

I can hardly believe that winter is just over a month away...and that we are slipping into the holiday season with Thanksgiving coming up next Thursday here in the good ol' U. S. of A. I must be havin' a lot of fun because time sure is going by fast. Or maybe I'm just gettin' old ;-)

This issue of the BlueSmoke Gazette is dedicated to that wonderful fowl that Benjamin Franklin proposed to be the national bird...the turkey. It's time to buy that Thanksgiving bird and get it ready for the smoker. Let's proceed...

In This Issue You'll Find

• The Smoked Turkey Tutorial
• How To Make Turkey Brine
• Turkey Brine Recipes
• Recipe: Smoked Thanksgiving Turkey
• Cooking Thermometers-A Must-Have Tool
• Recipe: Smoked Turkey Breast
• Wet or Dry Turkey Rub Recipe
• Super Smoked Turkey Legs
• My Wish To You

How to Smoke a Turkey

The Smoked Turkey Tutorial provides an in-depth look at how to go about making the perfect smoked turkey. You'll learn about...

• Choosing the right turkey
• Making brine
• Prepping the turkey
• Brining turkey
• Rinsing and drying the turkey
• The Curing Rest
• Seasoning the turkey
• Smoking the turkey
• The Post-Smoking Rest

Visit the Smoked Turkey Tutorial for the rest of the story.

The perfect smoked turkey needs a good soak in a high quality turkey brine before it goes into the smoker. For the best tasting smoked turkey, it takes more than just quickly mixing the brine and dropping in the turkey. Read about it in How to Make Turkey Brine.

This collection of some of my favorite Turkey Brine Recipes will give you a few ideas on how you'd like to flavor your Thanksgiving bird.

Granted, this recipe takes some shortcuts, but it still produces a tasty smoked turkey. The brine contains brown sugar for a sweet flavor. The recipe can be found at Smoked Thanksgiving Turkey.

Monitoring the temperature of smoking meat is important, and especially important when smoking fowl. To be safe, the thigh of the turkey has to reach 180 degrees Fahrenheit in order to be completely safe to eat. Visit Cooking Thermometers to learn more.

If you prefer white meat over dark meat, and many do, smoking whole, bone-in turkey breasts is a good option. And they smoke in much less time than a whole turkey.

This recipe for smoked turkey breasts uses a cranberry-apple juice brine for flavoring.

This is the Turkey Rub Recipe that I used on my 2005 smoked turkey. It's not too spicy, but has a little powdered ginger for some added zing!

For snackin', a turkey leg is the way to go. It's convenient because it has a natural, built-in handle. Give this Smoked Turkey Legs recipe a try for something to snack on while the big bird is smoking.

My Wish to You

For some, Thanksgiving is about good food and great fun. For others, it's a time for family get togethers, and rekindling old friendships. And for many, it's a time to express thanks for the many blessings enjoyed throughout the year. Whatever your idea of the holiday may be, I sincerely hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving celebration.

Best Regards,

Bill Purtee