WHAT WAS I thinking

Forvols

Forvols

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I got 49lbs of turkey in my fridge, 20lb whole turkey, 15lb whole turkey and 2 7lb turkey breast. Breast are thawed and will be used for TG along with a 15lb ham. The 2 whole turkeys are thawing and will cook probably Sunday. Plan is inject and rub then smoke the 2 breast use for TG, vac seal leftovers(if any). The 2 whole turkeys will rub and probably inject(not sure yet) and those will be vac sealed after cutting up. May debone one and wrap it all up tight and with butcher string then smoke and vac seal freeze a couple of hours and slice on the meat slicer for sandwich meat. Ohh and use all the carcasses and necks gibblets veggies spices and make stock to put up.. What you guys think any recommendations.
 
Since you're only using (2) breasts for Thanksgiving, here's what I'd do:

Don't inject the whole turkeys. I would butcher each one into pieces: (2) legs, (2) thighs, (2) wings, and cut the whole two-sided breast off, leaving the skin. SAVE THE CARCASS. Brine the pieces over the weekend, not the carcasses. If you have a scale, weigh the pieces and calculate your brine.

Smoke the pieces. You don't want to spend your whole day babysitting two smoked turkeys. You can cook the pieces half the time.

While the parts are smoking, I'd take the two carcasses you carved off and put them in a pot with a large chopped up onion, a bay leaf, and a few cloves of chopped garlic. Make a stock.

After your pieces are done smoking and you've carved meat off the bones, throw the bones in your stock pot.

You may want to consider deep frying some of your smoked pieces. Maybe pull them before they're really cooked, and save them. Crisp up the skin in the fryer.
 
I am going to take off the legs, thighs, and wings from the 20 and 15lb. Debone the thighs, smoke the legs and wings. Make turkey roast with the thigh meat. The 15lb breast I was going to debone pound out do a Cajun rub roll and tie up then vac seal over night. Next day smoke the turkey along with a whole pork loin. Slice the turkey for sandwich meat, same with some of the pork loin and vac seal. 20lb breast leave whole and do a garlic herb injection and cook in the roaster oven then debone and vac seal.

Will use a smoked carcass, 1 raw carcass, thigh bones, neck and gibblets along with carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, black peppercorns for the stock pot. Then freezer bag the stock and freeze or can..still not sure on which route for that.

3 Things I have never done.

1. Made stock
2. Made lunch/sandwich meat
3 Debone a turkey

* I have done 3 on whole chickens, same aspect just bigger for a turkey. I also have smoked ALOT of boneless skinless chicken breast probably the same again on paying attention to not overcook and dry out a turkey breast. So not troubled with that.
 
So I worked up the turkeys. Ended up putting all the wings/legs/thighs in a brine over night. Cooked one breast in the roaster oven. Deboned the other applied Cajun seasoning rolled up and tied into a roast, then vac sealed. I also deboned the thighs and after brining rolled and tied those also. Worked up a full center cut porkloin and 5lb sirloin tip roast. The smoker was FULLL.. I injected the roaster breast with roasted garlic and herb injection. Any way some pictures. I also have the back etcc on the tray with wings legs and thighs(will use back thgh bones etc for stock)
 

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TAFKAP --- Thanks


And the pre smoke picture the vac bagged items is the rolled Cajun seasoned breast meat, will slice for lunch meat(hopefully I got it tight enough to hold together)
 
Well of the 3 never have done:

1. Made stock --- I used 1 carcass, neck, gibblets, thigh bones added celery, carrots, onions, garlic, tyme, salt, pepper. Covered with water and boiled and boiled. ended up with 6qtrs 4 frozen and 2 in a pot to make turkey veggie soup tomorrow.

2. Make lunch meat---- I used two deboned rolled seasoned and vac sealed turkey breast. Opened bags and smoked the next day...came out great...and a sirloin tip roast seasoned and smoked again came out great.

3. Debone a turkey---so easy I will never buy another just bone in turkey breast or deboned turkey breast...and you got all the other parts to make stock for less cost than just a bone in or deboned turkey breast.


All in all pretty pleased with first run results.
 
Nice! It's fun too see conversions like this....especially about stock.

I'm struggling right now to make a venison stock that's worth eating. But smoked chicken or turkey stock, perfecto
 

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