Help me avoid seppuku this Thanksgiving.

November 21, 2011 11:38 AM

I need to cook a 16-18lb bird and a 19lb sirloin, and I want to do it with fire, but I'm not sure my plan is a good one.

My original plan was to grill roast the turkey, following this America's Test Kitchen recipe, and adding the ice-the-breast trick to compensate for the larger bird than they use (and wing (HA) it on the skin). As for the sirloin, I was going to smoke it much like this.

I have a smoker and a grill, but the turkey won't fit in the grill with the lid closed. The smoker is big enough to accomodate both of the animals, but I'm very wary of over-smoking the turkey, and I think, but I'm not sure that 350-375 is about what the Test Kitchen recipe would be using. So maybe I could position them to maximize smoke on the sirloin, and minimize it on the turkey?

I'll use the oven if absolutely necessary, but if I do that will cause other logistical problems (dressing, breads, whatever surprise dishes guests might bring) that I'd just have to sort out.

Please advise. What parts of this plan will bring disaster?

Also, how long should I expect a sirloin of that size to take at that temperature?

posted by cmoj to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

Cant write much now but the big problem you're going to need to solve is cooking the inside without destroying the outside. Sous-vide followed by a sear sounds like a perfect solution, if you don't want to risk smoking.
posted by TheNewWazoo at 12:16 PM on November 21, 2011

Is it an option to pull the turkey out of the smoker and finish it in the oven? Or perhaps just wrap it in foil to finish?
I'm not sure that getting a smoker up to 350 is really practical or even a good idea. Smoking is generally done 'slow and low.' That would mean keeping the temp at 220-250 or so.
For hunks of meat that big, I suspect you're looking at about 8 hours of cook time at that temp. Turkey can be rested once it's 160, roast at about 135.
posted by Gilbert at 12:22 PM on November 21, 2011

Smoke the turkey, which sounds delicious, and grill the sirloin.
posted by theora55 at 1:19 PM on November 21, 2011

Response by poster: Is it an option to pull the turkey out of the smoker and finish it in the oven?

Possibly.

I'm not sure that getting a smoker up to 350 is really practical or even a good idea.

It's actually a oil-drum style grill witha smoke box on the side. At those temperatures I guess it'd just be barbecue, not technically smoking.
posted by cmoj at 2:06 PM on November 21, 2011

cmoj, my father smoked a turkey on that style of smoker several times. I just called him to ask his advice. He says that no matter what size your turkey is, it should take about 9-10 hours, that you want to keep it between 275 and 300 for the whole time, and that unless your technique is better than his is, you might consider wrapping the turkey in cheesecloth so it doesn't come out of the smoker as black as a politician's heart.

I've had those turkeys. They're phenomenally good.
posted by KathrynT at 6:35 PM on November 21, 2011 [1 favorite]