Teach me about smoking meat in a gas grill?

[Combat Chuck]

Actual smoking, like barbecue, or just adding a hint of smoky flavor to a grilled product?

For the latter, you can just add chips to the combustion areas of a grill. Soaking is optional, and works for higher heat grilling. You can do a foilpack or a box if you like, just make sure they allow enough air through for proper combustion. Ideally, all that should be left of your chips will be ash, if you have bits of charcoal, it's starved for air, resulting in a slow combustion.
Make sure you use a good deal of the chips, too. When I throw chips on the grill, I usually end up throwing a good two handfulls of them on at the start, and one or two every couple hours.

For the former, it's all about indirect heat and low temps. Personally, poultry likes a higher temp, and a faster cooktime, so I just smoke-roast them. I don't think it's what you're shooting for.


For a turkey, I would get a 20 oz can of inexpensive beer (it's going into a bird's ass, so don't invest too much into it, I use Modelo Especial, because it's a decent-tasting cheap beer). Beer butt chicken and turkey is where it's at because the can of beer adds extra mass to the center of the bird, allowing the breasts to heat up slower than the thighs, so ideally the breasts will temp out at 160-170, while the thighs will temp out at 190-200.

Season it how you like, but make sure you hit the cavity with them. If you're applying a rub, I suggest you poke the raw bird down all over with a fork, sprinkle on salt and pepper, drizzle with Worchestershire, and then apply the rub, cover and let it set overnight in the fridge. Then, starting midway through the cook, spray it down with oil (you can use fancy spray oils, but I use PAM).

When I do a beer butt, I keep my WSMC at about 300 degrees, but then crank all the way and bury the needle in the last half-hour or so, seems to crank out the right balance between a decent gentle roasting temp, but allowing for crispy skin.

Also, let the bird rest on the counter for 20 minutes or so t redistribute the juices (perfect time to fix up some pan drippings gravy) then carve how you like.

HTH

 

[carboncycles]

Combat Chuck, I was thinking the former actually. My father in law always smokes a turkey (in a real smoker), and my wife has become accustomed to it. So, I'll take to heart your suggestions on smoke-roasting it. Btw, what does WSMC stand for? Sorry for the newb question...

Thanks again!

 

[bhmmapping]

you might also want to try to spatchcock it. I smoked two turkeys on the uds for thanksgiving the normal way(breast up) high temp in the smoker. Last week I bought another one on sale and spatchcocked it and it turned out a little better IMO. Since the breast is in the middle it doesn't seem to cook as fast.

 

[carboncycles]

Wow, that looks tasty...what kind of rub did you use?

 

[Combat Chuck]

Combat Chuck, I was thinking the former actually. My father in law always smokes a turkey (in a real smoker), and my wife has become accustomed to it. So, I'll take to heart your suggestions on smoke-roasting it. Btw, what does WSMC stand for? Sorry for the newb question...

Thanks again!

oop, sorry for the lazy man shorthand.

WSMC is Webber Smokey Mountain Cooker.

For a smoke smoke, it's even easier, just season a bird how you like, and park it in the smoker until done. I smoke poultry at about 225-250, it usually takes close to 40 minutes a pound here and there, and bacon on the breasts never hurt anyone!
As far as wood, I smoke almost exclusively with pecan, and I like it in lump form because it burns slower. I will mix about half a bag or so of pecan chunks into my hardwood charcoal in the bottom of my webber, and then add the lit coals on top. For gas, you can just as easily park the chunks in your smoke box, or on wire mesh over the flavor bars. Since the temps will be kept low for a long time, there's no worry about the lump burning off too quick.
Also: I seriously recommend not soaking the wood in water for a long-term smoke, the water vapor can mix with combustion gasses to create a form of sulphuric acid that will taint the taste of your meat. (I DO soak the chips for grilling with smoke because it helps cancel out the higher heat, and most grilled things don't stay on there long enough to pick up the junk).
I prefer to cook by temp when it comes to smoking, and you can either cook the bird until it reaches 165 in the breast, or 200 if you want it pulled.

Oh, and bhmmapping hit the nail on the head - spatch it! That's a great way to cook a bird, especially for high-heat cooking, I like to spatch chickens, ducks and game-hens.

 

[Combat Chuck]

Also, checkout smokingmeatforums.com it's pretty much the ih8mud of barbecue, except often free of some of the negative interactions as seen in the earlier parts of this thread.

 

[bhmmapping]

Wow, that looks tasty...what kind of rub did you use?

It's one I got out of a magazine - it's supposed to be a rib rub but I use it on everything lately.

toast these three
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds

add

3 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp celery seeds
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

chop it all up in a spice grinder.

I usually put this in a mason jar and add stuff to it on a whim. After thanksgiving I added some ground cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and coffee for a boston butt. That is what I used on the turkey after rubbing it with olive oil.

For one of the thanksgiving birds I just used olive oil, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper and it was just as good.

I cook mine a little hotter than Chuck does. I open all the vents on the smoker and let it go - it gets up to somewhere between 350-375. It took about 2 hours to cook a 14 lb turkey to 160 in the breast.

 

[Combat Chuck]

350-375 is a great roasting temp, bar-none.
I just worry that my pecan chunks will burn up too quickly, so I keep it a little starved for air.
Your UDS looks nice!

 

[Combat Chuck]

When roasting any kind of bird, be it chicken, turkey, duck, whatever, I like the breast to be just done, and the thighs to be almost overdone to the point the majority of the fat has rendered through them, and they nearly fall off the bone.
Good chicken thighs are like a poor man's rib.

 

[carboncycles]

Man, thank you to both you guys for the info. I'm excited to try some of this out this weekend...I'll report back on how things go!