Cooking Temps

[Steveb_sandy]

I go to an outdoors forum here in Utah, and they have a recipe section. One of the topics was cured smoked turkey. The bird is cured in a Tenderquick brine for 3-4 days, then smoked. I had a problem with the smoking temps recommended, 3 hours at 120 with no smoke, then 5 hours at 140 with smoke, then 160 until the thigh hits 152. I mentioned that wasn't not enough to get it out of the danger zone, but the response back was it's cured, so it doesn't matter. What is right? I'd rather err on the side of safety and cook the bird above 275. Thanks

[Mikey]

To me that almost sounds like the regiment for sausage
I'm like you and would prefer to err on the side of safety. I get my
birds past 140 degrees in 4 hrs or less and 275 degrees gets the job done.

[curious aardvark]

well, technically they are correct. Though whether 3 days would be enough for the cure to fully penetrate the turkey thighs is debateable. For a piece of meat that big I'd personally cure for longer.
An with any kind of poultry i'd always take it to at least 160.

But I suspect that like sausage this whole long slow temp adjustment thing isn't strictly necessary. So I'd cook at 275 till it hit 160.
All the long slow cooking will do is dry the turkey out - which negates the point of brining it in the first place and undercooking it so that it's still moist doesn't make much sense.

So no, I don't think that process is 100% safe - simply because I'm not convinced it's long enough curing time.
Plus at no point is it hot enough to crisp the skin. That's going to be like extra chewey leather.

[Richtee]

I'm with CA... unless it was injected with cure... I'd want more time. Given a proper cure..sure..it would be safe. It would suck... but it would be safe.

[Steveb_sandy]

I looked at the directions again, and it is injected in the thighs, wings and breast. Overall, the brine sounds good, but the times didn't seem right.

[Richtee]

I agree..they are NOT right. For a decent meal anyway. But if the bird was injected with a curing brine it's likely safe.

[curious aardvark]

yep, safe and chewy with really horrible skin.

Cure by all means - I've deboned and cured turkey legs and they were pretty good.

But cook it hotter and faster for crispy skin and better tasting bird

[tadowdaddy]

This sounds terribly awful tasting. I'd go for a higher temp cooked bird myself.

[PreacherRodgers]

For turkey don't worry about going hot. 275* - 325* Will give good skin and color. Happy Thanksgiving

[blues_n_cues]

why cure a turkey anyway unless you're grinding it for sausage?

[Richtee]

why cure a turkey anyway unless you're grinding it for sausage?

Actually...give it a try sometime even a chicken. Gives it a slightly different flavor...more like a lunchmeat. Pretty interesting..and good.

[devo]

The only reason to cure a bird these days is to give it a different taste. Unless you get a farm fresh bird they are all brined from the big producers, check the labels you might be surprised. As for the high heat smokers not everyone has a smoker that can reach past 250°F. I know my small bradley will not so I finish in the oven if I want crisp skin. Crank the heat as high as I can get it and wait till the IT of 165°f and off to the oven for 10 minutes @385°f. Done many a turkey this way and everyone in my family is still kicking

[Richtee]

The only reason to cure a bird these days is to give it a different taste. Unless you get a farm fresh bird they are all brined from the big producers, check the labels you might be surprised.

I was differentiating between a "plain" brine and a cure... the cure will also change the flavor... and also would give you danger zone protection.

Yeah..almost all "bagged" birds are injected with a brine/solution. I bought an all natural that was bagged, but was NOT injected...they are out there, but you have to look/ask for them. Of course...your best bet it hit a farm if ya can...

[blues_n_cues]

Actually...give it a try sometime even a chicken. Gives it a slightly different flavor...more like a lunchmeat. Pretty interesting..and good.

like green beans are good?

I don't do lunchmeat,spam,chipped beef from a jar,vienna coctails,tofurkey,turkey bacon..nope..just can't do it.

[tenacious bee]

Just about every morning the wife and daughter have that shriveled processed pre cooked micro wave bacon while the son and I have fresh bacon from the butcher. I've used Vienna sausage for catfish bait.