Smoked Turkey is a Great Alternative to Roasting This Thanksgiving

Smoking has been popular for a very long time – it’s a great way to cook.  If you want to try smoked turkey this Thanksgiving, you’re in for a treat.  In addition, the right recipe will make the process pretty easy, though you still need to take care when preparing your Thanksgiving meal this way.  Smoking is a good cooking method, but it has to be done right.

You first need to have a good smoker, as well as a good hardwood.  Apple or cherry is best, though oak will also serve here.  You also have to have a very good meat thermometer.  You will need your smoker at about two hundred and forty degrees and you should cook your turkey for about thirty to forty minutes per pound.  Also, you need to avoid very large birds – a fifteen-pound turkey should be fine.  It will take about fourteen hours to smoke this size Thanksgiving turkey.

You should put the turkey in the smoker with the breast facing upward.  Place a roasting pan underneath it to catch the drippings for use later on.  Calculate how long you need to leave the turkey in the smoker, based on the weight of your Thanksgiving bird.  Make sure that you check the smoker’s temperature every hour, as well. Turn the turkey about halfway through. 

When your Thanksgiving turkey is ready to come out, insert your meat thermometer in the thigh – it needs to read one hundred and sixty-five degrees or higher.  Take a second reading from another location.  If it’s not at the right temperature, keep cooking.  When it is finally done, allow it to rest for about twenty minutes before carving your Thanksgiving bird. You’ll love the tasty smoked flavor.