Best Tasting Turkey Ever!

We prepared two of our recently butchered turkeys yesterday and the results were nothing short of amazing. I am not especially fond of turkey meat myself, but this particular combination of things has produced a flavor, texture and moisture that rivals any other meat in enjoyment. I even found myself nibbling on leftovers today!

Whats the secret combination that produced this near perfect result?  I think the whole point is "combination". I have tried any one or two of these before and produced good but not outstanding results.  It does take all of these to make a turkey guaranteed to please the most discriminating guests.

1. Pasture raised heritage turkey processed at approximately 9 months of age.
      There are three important aspects here... Pastured means they get naturally foraged food with little to no corn based supplement.  Heritage breed means these are not altered by breeding nor genetics to overproduce meat on the bird's frame in a ridiculously short period of time. Nine months is what it takes for these birds to accumulate not only enough meat but to develop enough of the healthy fat to keep the meat tasty and healthy.

2. Brine in salt and sugar
     Brineing is the perfect method for preparing turkey. Simply defrost the bird, place it in a clean plastic bucket with  the brine mix and cover for 1 to 2 days.  When finished remove and rinse the bird for cooking.  The brine is a simple mix of 1 gallon water, 1 cup sea salt, 1 cup brown sugar, and a tablespoon of thyme.  Make as many of these as required to completely cover the bird. If the bird tried to float, I take a brick in a plastic bag on top to keep it under. Be sure to use enough ice so that the mix is below 40 degrees.  Place the bucket in the fridge or outside if its cold. I like to use a one of those big 5 or 10 gallon drink coolers with the spout. They are perfect side, food grade plastic, and insulated.

3. Slow cooking over wood fire
    To cook I use a smoker that takes wood pellets. My preference is hickory or mosquite wood.  In the morning  bring the smoker up to about 300 degrees, place the birds in for maybe an hour, then turn down to only smoke for the rest of the day. keep the internal temp of the smoker around 200 degrees. An hour or two before meal time check the meat with a thermometer. If its not above 170 degrees in the thigh and breast, turn up the temp to finish cooking. Also pull a leg partly off to make sure the juices run clear.

If you follow these directions, I can guarantee a finished product that will astound you. Who knew turkey could taste this good!