This blog is mostly for me and my friends. I record dishes I think are share-worthy. Big nod to Chef John for his inspiration.

Saturday, December 12, 2020

Smoked Turkey Breast

Loved how this turned out. Perfect for smaller gathering or for those who prefer white meat. I got my boneless turkey breast from Whole Foods. I used this video but used a salting technique from Cooks Illustrated. Start the day before you need it since you'll be salting it overnight. I use an electric CookShack smoker, so if you are using something else plan accordingly to prepare your smoker. 

Ingredients
1 or 2 turkey breast halves (usually 2-3 pounders are available)
Kosher Salt
Coarse black pepper - I used Sam's Choice . Reasonably priced at Walmart. 
Dried thyme (optional)
Unsalted Butter


Instructions
  1. Remove skin from the breast and salt all over with ¾ tsp per pound. 
  2. Wrap with plastic wrap, put on something to catch any leaking liquid and refrigerate about 12 to  hours. 
  3. Unwrap turkey breasts and sprinkle black pepper VERY LIBERALLY all over turkey. I used prepared coarse black pepper. You could grind fresh, but it's a lot of pepper. 
  4. I added some thyme but that's up to you. You are after all 
  5. Smoke the breast at about 250 to 275 for  2 hours.  Double wrap in foil, breast side down with the butter. I think I used about 1/2 stick per breast. 
  6. You can return these to the smoker or to a 275 degree oven. Insert a meat probe and cook till internal temp is about 160-162 degrees F. I think this was about another hour. 
  7. Remove from oven or smoker and let rest in foil for about 30 minutes. 
  8. Remove from foil and slice. Reserve liquid for drizzling over turkey once sliced. 






Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast

Finally made one of these and wowza! I looked at a bunch of recipes before synthesizing this one.  Really good. Give it a try. Adjust the amount of pepperoncini peppers and brine to suit your taste.



1 (3 to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck roast
1 (1-ounce) packet ranch salad dressing & seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) packet au jus gravy mix
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 (12-ounce) jar pepperoncini peppers

  1. Add the chuck roast to a slow cooker. Place a 3- to 4-pound boneless beef chuck roast in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
     
  2. Add the seasoning packets. Sprinkle the chuck roast with 1 packet ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix and 1 packet au jus gravy mix.
     
  3. Add the butter, pepperoncini, and brine. Cut 1 stick butter into cubes and place on top of the roast. Pour 1/2 cup brine from a jar of pepperoncini peppers and pour this over the roast. Add about 10 pepperoncini peppers.
     
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours until the beef is very tender.  About 8 hours on the LOW setting, or 5 to 6 hours on the HIGH setting. Mix and spoon liquid over roast after about 2 hours.
      
  5. Use tongs to shred the roast and serve. Shred the roast into bite-sized pieces with tongs. 



Serving suggestions
Serve over or with mashed potatoes
Grilled cheese with some pot roast between two slices of provolone using Texas Toast bread.