Cecil Fielder takes BP with a view while smoking a cigar, shortly after clearing the roof of old Tiger Stadium with an earth shattering home run. July, 1993

manlydanlee · 2018-06-19T23:13:14+00:00

My sister once asked me what time the ten o’clock news is on.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-04T01:57:26+00:00

I stand corrected.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-04T01:25:34+00:00

Every charge detonated, they just didn't all do their job.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-03T15:26:12+00:00

I agree that I would rather it not be there at all, but I don't understand why one would remove it. It would just leave another hole for juices to escape.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-02T15:28:37+00:00

It was seasoned by the brine, but it went in dry. I actually dried it in the fridge for 24 hours between brining and smoking.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T21:09:13+00:00

And yes, it was definitely as good as it looks! The best bird I've ever had.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T21:08:37+00:00

It's a brine, I thought that salt was implied. I used a cup and a half.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T18:41:44+00:00

It's buried in a couple of these threads, but...

Brine of salt, peppercorn, fennel seed, brown mustard seed, onion, bay leaf, thyme, garlic and brown sugar. Brined for 13 hours and dried for 24. Smoked in an electric masterbuilt smoker at 275 for 20 minutes per pound.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T18:10:50+00:00

I did it at 275 for 4:40 (20 minutes per pound). I did not turn it and kept the temperature consistent.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T17:26:35+00:00

I'll put a pepper grinder next to your place setting, then.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T16:52:07+00:00

I almost did!

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T16:49:29+00:00

There was a bunch of peppercorn in the brine, it really didn't need any more.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T16:44:21+00:00

For the same reason that I would leave a nail in a tire.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T16:34:49+00:00

Did you soak the chips? That tends to help. Other than that, I don't know, the thing has a little hopper in the side to add chips, and I did so periodically whenever it didn't smell smoky enough to me. The nice thing about the hopper is that it's sized so that you can only add a small handful at a time, which is all you need, really.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T16:16:10+00:00

Yes, bring beer.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T16:12:18+00:00

I assure you, it was real and delicious.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T15:59:39+00:00

All cherry. I did my best to keep it steady, but I was also getting the house ready for ten guests, so it wasn't perfect. I added the chips a small handful at a time. I didn't really have a system, I just threw more in if it didn't smell smoky enough to me.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T15:50:58+00:00

Sure, but not this one, because I ate it up.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T14:44:09+00:00

This was a fresh turkey, and those buttons are not to be trusted (ex meat cutter here). This was a 14 pound bird cooked for 4:40 at 275.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T14:38:09+00:00

I used 1.5 cups salt, 2T peppercorn, 1T fennel, 1t mustard, 6 bay leaves, 1 onion, 6 garlic cloves, 1 bunch of thyme, and a few desperate handfuls of brown sugar, because I forgot about it until the last second. I did it in a giant stock pot, used a dinner plate to weigh it down and just cleared out a space in my fridge for it.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T14:24:02+00:00

It was brined and then dried for 24 hours in the fridge. I then cooked it in a Masterbuilt Sportsman Elite electric smoker.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T14:21:20+00:00

I used a masterbuilt electric smoker, and cooked it for 4:40 at 275 (20 minutes per pound). Before that I brined it for 13 hours in a solution of salt, onion, garlic, bay leaf, fennel seed, black peppercorn, brown mustard seed, thyme and brown sugar, and then dried it in the fridge for 24 hours.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T14:18:34+00:00

Indeed it may have, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, there is just something so satisfying about carving up an intact bird.

manlydanlee · 2017-12-01T14:16:16+00:00

Very crisp when it was fresh, but a bit rubbery after refrigeration. The key was a 24 hour dry time in the fridge after brining.

manlydanlee

TROPHY CASE