It's Spring and that means turkey hunting time across the country. Wild turkey is different from farm raised turkey. It's not gamey and if cooked correctly is moist and delicious. Most of the time we breast out the wild turkey and are left with a very large skinless cut of meat. After cutting the meat out I place the meat in a bowl with water and allow it to soak for several hours in the refrigerator. I don't add anything to the water.
So what is a good way to prepare your harvest? One of our favorite ways is to use our Silverton Foods Apple Rum BBQ Sauce. The combination of apple, honey and cayenne pepper is the perfect way to enjoy your wild turkey. Add a blanket of bacon and it's going to make you heaven!
Start with your breast cleaned. Take several strips of bacon and weave them into a blanket and cover the turkey. Pour Apple Rum Sauce over the bacon. I used a smoker to cook this but you could do it in the oven if you don't have a smoker. I used Wild Apple Wood Chips. Another good choice would be Mesquite.
One of the biggest mistakes in cooking wild turkey and really most game meats is over cooking them. Wild game is very lean, the lack of fat within the meat makes it have a tendency to be dry if over cooked. Cooking wild turkey low and slow is a good way to keep it from drying out. I like using a smoker as it helps keep moisture in. I add water to the tray in the smoker when using my bigger propane smoker. This time I used the indoor smoker which is a very small, closed pan used on the stove and does an awesome job.
Cooking at no more than medium heat cook approximately 25 minutes. It will depend on the size of the breast and the temperature of your smoker. I like to use a firmness test rather than a thermometer to check temperate on turkey. When you pierce the meat with a thermometer you risk losing precious juices. When you press on the meat if it's still leaves an indent it's not done- it should be just firm to the touch.
Remove and let it set for 10 minutes before carving and enjoying!