Turn Your Oven Into a Smoker This Thanksgiving
Smoked turkey is one of the tastiest forms a turkey can take, but not everyone has a smoker (or even a grill). Fortunately, you don’t need it. You can cook smoked turkey right in a regular oven.
Most of us fail to fully utilize the power or usefulness of our ovens. I use mine at least once a week, but I have a friend in Manhattan who uses it to store summer clothes, unopened mail, and old college textbooks, but I digress. Whether gas or electric, convection or conventional, ovens are a practical all-rounder. They can be baked, fried and fried, or smoked with simple chopping.
When I say smoke, I don’t mean when you set the oven on fire because you passed out and forgot about frozen pizza. Nor do I mean that your oven suddenly became aware of itself and, in order to cope with its existence, began to wake up and bake. I mean, without too much hassle, you can cook delicious smoked meats in the same oven that you store pots, pans, plastic containers without a lid, and possibly mail.
My first attempt at turning my oven into a smokehouse failed. My apartment was so thick it looked like a Cool Whip , all of my clothes had to be dry cleaned or washed repeatedly to get rid of the smell, and even three Febreze bottles didn’t help my mattress, curtains, rugs or sofa. … I made a terrible mistake by lining the bottom of my regular electric oven with foil and placing too much dry wood chips on top. They were so close to the heating element that I almost started a wildfire. The neighbors and the doorman came to check. The shame was unbearable; it’s good that they planned to move me in a couple of months.
I then moved to an apartment in a basement with such poor ventilation that I couldn’t fry bananas, but I was adamant about perfecting this smoker from the oven trick, so I revisited a couple of school chef textbooks. And here it is! In the module containing “heating methods” I found a diagram of a disposable cookware half filled with pre-soaked wood shavings. Inside it is a rack with a piece of meat on it. I tried it and it worked in exceptional cases. But I was still not satisfied. (Who offended me?) I started experimenting with other ways to give my meat a delicious smoky flavor and juicy juiciness, especially turkey (my favorite after pork).
Before we get to the hacks, a note on wood chips.
There are several types of wood chips to consider, depending on your taste (and the type of protein you smoke). There is a barbecue best friend, mesquite, with its unmistakably tangy and sweet taste. There is a bacon-tinged hickory that is perfect for long periods of smoking. We also have maple, oak, apple, cherry, pecan and guava, all soft, semi-sweet and not as bold as mesquite or hickory.
For smoked turkey, I suggest using maple, apple, or hazelnuts. This will allow your bird to develop a rich Instagram-worthy brown and give it a subtle sweetness and subtle smokiness. In my experience, if you use hickory or mesquite, you won’t know if you are eating turkey or ham. You have been warned. [ Editor’s note: I personally love the ham-flavored turkey. – Claire ]
Below are two ways to turn your trusty oven into a smokehouse, making you a Thanksgiving superstar. Plus, outside of the holidays, you can save yourself the frustration of having your favorite barbecues sell out until 2:00 pm.
Reliable method
For this method, you will need a baking sheet, a disposable food tray that is narrower than the baking sheet but large enough to hold the turkey, and a wire rack.
Soak wood chips for at least 30 minutes before using them. (For best results, soak for two to three hours.) Do not accumulate wood chips! Make sure they lie in one layer at the bottom of the pan; otherwise they will produce too much smoke and Mrs Singh from 8B will watch you in the elevator for weeks.
After spreading the presoaked wood chips on a baking sheet, add about 1/4 cup of the soaked water. Place the wire rack over the wood, followed by the disposable food tray that you poked ten or 12 holes in. in using a knife. Place the turkey on the perforated tray. Moving up from the sides of the baking sheet, wrap everything in foil to make a plump, but tightly closed envelope. Make sure the foil does not stick to the bird – you want the smoke to circulate. You can use a whole 25-foot roll of foil, and that’s okay.
Place in an oven preheated to 250 and smoke for 30-40 minutes per pound, or until the core temperature reads 160 ℉ when a digital meat thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the breast.
Dry wood method
Full Disclosure: Skip this method if you’ve ever fallen asleep while cooking, tend to easily ignite kitchen towels, or generally tend to create small kitchen fires all over the place. (Or at least make sure there is a responsible, sober adult nearby.) I find this method works a little better with a convection oven.
You will need a cast iron skillet or baking dish, some foil, a kitchen lighter, and dry wood chips.
Remove all of the grates from the oven, then take two of them. Insert the first wire rack with the turkey in the center of the oven. Place a second wire rack under it and preheat the oven to 250 ℉.
Line the bottom of a cast iron skillet or baking sheet with a couple of layers of foil. Then apply one coat of dry wood chips, which you will light with your kitchen lighter. Try to light each one. Once the flame has subsided slightly, place a pan under the turkey and close the oven door. Keep it closed until you are ready to test the core temperature, which should read 160 ℉ when the digital meat thermometer is inserted into the chest. It will take you 30-40 minutes per pound to achieve a perfectly juicy roast – all without a single step outside.