It's that time of year again when we gather around a big bird, say thanks, and then have the most massive meal of the year. It's a classic; we shouldn't mess around with it too much.
But, occasionally, giving our tried and true recipes a new twist is nice.
What You'll Need for This Project
- 10 lbs of bone-in turkey breasts
- Butter
- Spices
- Salt and pepper
- Traeger hardwood pellets, Maple/Cherry Blend
Step #1: Prep the piece
Remove the backbone from the breasts and trim all the excess fat and skin. To properly cut them, you need to follow the rib cage down and then pull the bone to get it separated by the joints.
Step #2: Create a pocket
Separate the skin from the meat. This procedure has to be done gently and preferably from the front to the back, trying not to break the skin. It won't be ruined, but it looks much better when the skin is intact, crispy, and golden on the whole surface. You don't want to separate the skin all the way to the bottom; you simply want to create a pocket for all the juices to stay inside.
Step #3: Infuse flavor
You can use plain butter, salted or unsalted. It's up to you! Or you can infuse it with herbs, seasoning blends, or mushrooms.
In the video, Jamie gives us his special recipe for lobster mushroom-infused butter from Satchmo's . It's delicious!
Step #4: Season the bird
Now that you've made sure the moisture and flavor will be trapped in the skin pocket, it's time to give it an overall seasoning with salt and pepper. You can add any blends you usually use on your poultry, but salt and pepper should do it.
Step #5: Time to smoke it
Get your fire going with some maple and cherry Traeger pellets that you can pick up at HomCo. Once it's reached 225-250 °F, put your bird on the grill and let it cook for over 2 hours until the meat reaches a temperature of approximately 160 °F.
Then, let it rest so the juices stabilize, and there you have it, a smoked turkey breast that will have everybody asking for seconds.
Level Up Your Thanksgiving
One extra tip we got from this recipe is to smoke the backbone, seasoned or not, and substitute everything that requires water for a stock made of the smoked bone of the turkey.
Remember to get the wood chips that best serve the meat you're cooking. After all, as our friend from Satchmo's explained, poultry absorbs the flavors of the wood you use to smoke it, so make it a good one!
Following these simple steps, you can turn the holiday classic into the season's highlight. Happy Turkey Day!
It's that time of year again when we gather around a big bird, say thanks, and then have the most massive meal of the year. It's a classic; we shouldn't mess around with it too much.
But, occasionally, giving our tried and true recipes a new twist is nice.
What You'll Need for This Project
- 10 lbs of bone-in turkey breasts
- Butter
- Spices
- Salt and pepper
- Traeger hardwood pellets, Maple/Cherry Blend
Step #1: Prep the piece
Remove the backbone from the breasts and trim all the excess fat and skin. To properly cut them, you need to follow the rib cage down and then pull the bone to get it separated by the joints.
Step #2: Create a pocket
Separate the skin from the meat. This procedure has to be done gently and preferably from the front to the back, trying not to break the skin. It won't be ruined, but it looks much better when the skin is intact, crispy, and golden on the whole surface. You don't want to separate the skin all the way to the bottom; you simply want to create a pocket for all the juices to stay inside.
Step #3: Infuse flavor
You can use plain butter, salted or unsalted. It's up to you! Or you can infuse it with herbs, seasoning blends, or mushrooms.
In the video, Jamie gives us his special recipe for lobster mushroom-infused butter from Satchmo's . It's delicious!
Step #4: Season the bird
Now that you've made sure the moisture and flavor will be trapped in the skin pocket, it's time to give it an overall seasoning with salt and pepper. You can add any blends you usually use on your poultry, but salt and pepper should do it.
Step #5: Time to smoke it
Get your fire going with some maple and cherry Traeger pellets that you can pick up at HomCo. Once it's reached 225-250 °F, put your bird on the grill and let it cook for over 2 hours until the meat reaches a temperature of approximately 160 °F.
Then, let it rest so the juices stabilize, and there you have it, a smoked turkey breast that will have everybody asking for seconds.
Level Up Your Thanksgiving
One extra tip we got from this recipe is to smoke the backbone, seasoned or not, and substitute everything that requires water for a stock made of the smoked bone of the turkey.
Remember to get the wood chips that best serve the meat you're cooking. After all, as our friend from Satchmo's explained, poultry absorbs the flavors of the wood you use to smoke it, so make it a good one!
Following these simple steps, you can turn the holiday classic into the season's highlight. Happy Turkey Day!