WTH?????

[MichChef]

I found this reply to a post asking how to heat up a smoked turkey for Thanksgiving on the Taste of Home magazine forum. I've always read that smoking with cedar is a no-no ......right? Does anyone here smoke with cedar?



"My family operates a meat locker and butcher shop with a smoke house connected to it. Every year we smoke around 70 turkeys before thanksgiving. The previous posts say that a smoked turkey is always fully cooked. This may not be the case. The ones we make are only half way cooked, and require a baking time of around 3-4 hours at 300 to 325 degrees. The turkey has intense smoky flavor, but still requires you to bake or roast it. I would assume that many smaller smokehouses don't fully cook the turkey at the risk of over heating and toughening the meat. I know it is just hard to judge when 70 plus turkeys are all fully cooked when some will be closer to the smoker than others we use cedar chips and sawdust. Your turkey may be fully cooked, but I suggest using a meat thermometer, and to make sure the very center of the meat is at least 175-185 degrees. Any more than this will cause the proteins to tighten and the meat to become tougher."

[Jimh]

all I know is I bbq my trout and salmom on a water soaked cedar plank and it gets smoldering pretty good. The flavor it gives the fish is fantastic.

[Slanted88]

Done the same as Jim....Have also put a pork loin on the plank...It was dern good.

[MichChef]

Yeah, I've heard of the plank thing, but it was my understanding that meat is just cooked on it and it's not there to create smoke. These people say they use sawdust so I'm presuming they're burning it to make smoke.

[Fishawn]

Hmmm....... I'm from the land of Cedar & know nobody that uses it as the primary source of smoke, hobby smoker or Pro..... Great for Planking though..... Maybe we are missing out

[Texas-Hunter]

PLEASE Tell me you called them out!!!!!

[Carm]

Where was the turkey farmer/smoker located? There are lots of regional uses of the word "cedar", some of which aren't true to type...there's a "white cedar" near here that is really a cypress. Some "cedars" are more akin to hardwoods.

I agree with you at first hearing, but the local vernacular may differ from what you're thinking. Generally, cedars and cypress aren't smoking woods.

BTW, the punch line in an old joke, you throw away the fish and eat the plank.

[Whisky Fish]

I have no idea I also thought cooking with pine was a no-no, turns out that pine is what makes a black forest ham, black. Maybe there are no no-nos with wood, cept maybe pressure treated I think I'll stick with the tried and true tho. Love my oak and hickory.

[erain]

I also agree with the traditional woods theory... but had heard of cedar before, i think in the BF hams. anyway just trying to think with an open mind, i go to Wikipedia....(dang Rich, arnt you on the board there or something LOL) anyway now i aint gonna say nothing if someone uses cedar after reading this... cause its got to be a step up!!!

from wikiipedia, bottom of 2nd paragraph. boy i sure hope no one is having some Icelandic smoked sheep for thanksgiving dinner


"In Iceland dried sheep dung is used to cold smoke fish, lamb, mutton and whale, resulting in a unique and rather strongly smoked flavor."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_(cooking)

[massive meat pipe]

I was under the impression that woods such as pine and cedar create a toxic smoke from the pitch in them and could potentially make you sick.

[Mark R]

I have no idea I also thought cooking with pine was a no-no, turns out that pine is what makes a black forest ham, black. Maybe there are no no-nos with wood, cept maybe pressure treated I think I'll stick with the tried and true tho. Love my oak and hickory.

It's specific pine that grows in Europe. If you use our regular pine (Pinus virginiana) your food will taste like turpentine. I have accidentally made this mistake, inedible fish!

[DDave]

"In Iceland dried sheep dung is used to cold smoke fish, lamb, mutton and whale, resulting in a unique and rather strongly smoked flavor."

Yeah, I'll bet it is unique all right. I guess I'll have to take their word for it.

Dave

[MossyMO]

from wikiipedia, bottom of 2nd paragraph. boy i sure hope no one is having some Icelandic smoked sheep for thanksgiving dinner

"In Iceland dried sheep dung is used to cold smoke fish, lamb, mutton and whale, resulting in a unique and rather strongly smoked flavor."

Hhmmm, have a pasture full of buffalo dung.....

[Mark R]

Hhmmm, have a pasture full of buffalo dung.....

The Indians used it for cooking and camp fires......
Ya got any Bison for sale?

[MossyMO]

Ya got any Bison for sale?

Sure do Mark. My Father in law raises them and I live next to the pasture also. Shipping is generally the killer in mail order transactions though.