How To Smoke A Turkey Breast Complete Tutorial
Smoked turkey breast perfectly combines lean and healthy white meat with a rich smoky flavor. Although this process requires patience, it is all worth it in order to achieve the perfect balance of moisture, tenderness and smoky flavor.
How to Smoke a Turkey Breast for Perfect Results?
Perfectly smoking turkey breast requires proper control of marinating, temperature and time. To make restaurant-quality smoked turkey breast at home, the key lies in the following steps:
First, do a good job of marinating. Marinate the turkey breast with salt, sugar and spices for 8-12 hours. Use 15 grams of salt and 5 grams of sugar per 500 grams of meat, and add black pepper, rosemary and thyme for seasoning. When marinating, put the meat in a fresh-keeping bag, seal it after squeezing out the air, and put it in the refrigerator.
Temperature control during smoking is very important. The temperature should be stabilized between 90-95 degrees. A thermometer can be used to monitor to ensure that it does not overheat. This temperature can keep the meat moist and fully cooked. Too high or too low a temperature will affect the taste.
In terms of time, about 500 grams of turkey breast takes about 2-3 hours of smoking. Measure the central temperature of the meat with a thermometer. When it reaches 72 degrees, it can be taken out of the oven. When smoking, pay attention to the addition of sawdust. It is recommended to choose fruit sawdust, such as apple wood and cherry wood, which can bring a light fruity aroma. Soak the sawdust in water for 15 minutes before use, so that more smoke will be generated when burning.
How long does it take to smoke a turkey breast?
Smoking a turkey breast takes about 2-3 hours, which is the most basic time. However, in actual operation, the specific time needs to be adjusted according to the size and thickness of the meat. For example, for a 500-gram package of turkey breast commonly found at home, this amount of time is sufficient.
The smoking process is divided into three stages: In the first hour, smoke slowly at 90 degrees. At this time, the main purpose is to let the smoky fragrance penetrate into the meat. In the second hour, the temperature rises to 95 degrees. This stage is the key to truly cooking the meat thoroughly. In the last half an hour, maintain it at around 93 degrees, so that the meat can be more tender. Insert a thermometer into the thickest place and measure. When it reaches 72 degrees, it is considered completely cooked.
In actual operation, several details should also be noted: When the indoor temperature is low in winter, the overall smoking time should be increased by 15-20 minutes. If the meat block bought back is particularly thick, for example, more than 3 centimeters thick, for every additional 200 grams, half an hour more should be added.
How do you keep a turkey breast from drying out when smoking?
Preventing turkey breast from drying out mainly depends on three links: marinating, temperature control and moisture retention. When smoking at home, the most feared thing is that the cooked meat is so tough that it is difficult to chew. Mastering these key points can be avoided:
The proportion of seasonings during marinating is very important. Use 15 grams of salt and 10 grams of sugar per 500 grams of meat, and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours to allow the meat to fully absorb the seasonings, so as to lock in moisture. When marinating, put it in a fresh-keeping bag, squeeze out the air and then seal it, but do not put it in the freezer.
The temperature during smoking must be stably between 90-95 degrees. If it is too high, the meat will become tough. Put a small dish filled with water at the bottom of the smoking box to maintain humidity. Pay attention to replenishing the water at any time.
Use a brush to dip some olive oil and brush the meat every half an hour. This can not only maintain moisture, but also make the skin more shiny. When brushing oil, move quickly. Do not open the smoking box for too long, otherwise if the temperature drops too much, it will have to be adjusted again. After smoking is completed, wait for the meat to cool completely before cutting, so that the soup will not be lost.
Do you wrap a turkey breast when you smoke it?
Smoked turkey breast can be directly placed on the smoking rack without wrapping. This is how I usually do it at home. Let the smoky aroma directly touch the meat, and the skin can also be roasted just right.
There are two situations where wrapping can be considered: one is for particularly thin slices of meat, those less than 2 centimeters thick. Wrap them loosely with tin foil and leave some small holes for the smoke to enter, so that it will not be too dry; the other is that if you want to retain moisture in the last half an hour, you can wrap it with tin foil. At first, I always thought that wrapping it up would be better. Only after trying did I know that this would not achieve the smoking effect.
If wrapping, only use food-grade tin foil. Never use plastic wrap. Plastic wrap will melt when heated and is not safe. Now supermarkets and online there are special smoking papers. They have better air permeability than ordinary tin foil. A pack costs about 20 yuan and is more reassuring to use.
What not to do when smoking a turkey?
The biggest taboos in smoking a turkey are baking it quickly at high temperature and frequently opening the lid to check. I made these mistakes when I did it for the first time. As a result, the meat was dry and tough, completely wasting good ingredients.
When marinating, don't put too much salt and spices. This is a common misunderstanding. Excessive marinating will destroy the taste of the meat. 15 grams of salt is enough for every 500 grams of meat. I used to think that putting a lot of seasonings would be more fragrant, but in fact it has the opposite effect. The marinating time should not exceed 12 hours, otherwise the meat will be too salty.
When smoking, never wrap it with plastic wrap and don't put too much sawdust. Too much sawdust will produce thick smoke and make the meat bitter. The number of times of opening the lid to check should be controlled within 3-4 times, and each time should be at most 10 seconds, otherwise the temperature will fluctuate. Now I observe through the glass cover and only open the lid for inspection when really necessary.
The last point is not to cut the meat in a hurry. The freshly baked turkey breast should be cooled for 15 minutes before cutting, so that the meat juice will not be lost. When cutting, follow the grain, otherwise the meat will appear rough.
Do you smoke a turkey covered or uncovered?
When smoking a turkey, the lid must be covered. This is the most basic requirement. Every time I smoke, I strictly control the number of times the lid is opened throughout the process, keep the temperature stable, and let the smoke fully wrap the meat.
The main function of the lid is to control the temperature between 90-95 degrees, and at the same time concentrate the smoke and prevent rapid loss of moisture. I use a glass cover with a thermometer, so that I can observe the smoking situation at any time. I can see the internal state without opening the lid, and the burning situation of the sawdust is also clear at a glance.
During the entire smoking process, the lid can be opened at most 3-4 times, and each time should not exceed 10 seconds. The first time is to confirm whether there is enough sawdust, which is about 30 minutes after the start; the second time is to test the central temperature, usually after 1 hour; the last time is to confirm the degree of doneness, to see if the color of the meat is uniform and whether the surface is shiny.
