Seriously, it is a shame that you cannot smell that. That’s the turkey after being in the smoker for about 4 and a half hours. The smell was maddening as I couldn’t just tear into it and had to wait until I got to my dad’s house. The cherry wood was really good. Not as strong as I thought it would be with a hint of sweetness and definitely not overpowering.
When I did carve it up, it was beyond heaven. I’m not exaggerating when I say it was the best turkey I have ever eaten in my life. That brine flavored the meat down to the bone and was absolutely everything I had ever dreamed it would be. If you concentrated, you could make out all the flavors of the ginger, clove, and garlic, and the orange & apple juices added the perfect touch of sweetness. The turkey was moist and flavorful everywhere and we found ourselves scraping the bones to get every last morsel of it.
My family agreed. The compliments kept flowing about the turkey and how wonderful it was. I’m hoping I get to do this again for Christmas dinner and outside of time in the smoker (4.5 hours was plenty for a 13# turkey rather than the 6.5 planned), I won’t be changing a thing.
And now, time for lunch!