So, here goes.
A realization I had was that turkey is the hardest easy thing to do.
What I mean is, trying to get an entire turkey breast done all at exactly the right time is incredibly difficult. One end is inevitably substantially thinner than the other. Such was the case here. The thin end dried out a bit. Not to the point it was inedible, but the texture was noticeably different. I tried to pull it at 160 internal. I was close. The fatter portion was 162 when I pulled it. The thinner was up to 175. In hindsight, it was likely my fault. When I foiled it, I upped the temp to 275 on the camp chef to make sure it would be done in time. I should have kept it at 225, where it had been up to that point.
To answer Okie's question, I will inject if I'm frying. For me, the flavors (especially the creole butter) tend to blend really well with the peanut oil. For just a boneless breast, as I did here, I've found the injection doesn't "stick" as well as the brine. I feel like the bone is a necessary, if unmentioned, element in a successful injection. Otherwise, the injected marinade (in my case, butcher bbq bird booster or chipotle), for my taste, seems to run out, rather than hang onto the meat. Especially since a boneless breast has two sections that tend to separate without the bone.
That being said, here was the final product. The first picture focused well and shows the breast after rest (ha! I'm a poet as well!). Behind it is the saved butter and turkey au jus from the foil. The second is out of focus. But, if you squint, cross your eyes, and drink a whiskey, you can see the smoke ring that extends down into 1/3 of the meat, and the juices shining. If you don't have whiskey, maybe tequila will work. Short of that, it'll look blurry.
In conclusion, I'll leave you with two thoughts. First and foremost, there were four adults, and this was a 4+ lb turkey breast. I ended up with 3 slices (1/8" thick) as leftovers. Finally, if you have not tried smoking a boneless turkey breast, you really should. It's really as simple as a turkey breast, salt, pepper, sugar (for the brine), and butter. Seriously, that's it. When it reaches the color you want, foil it, along with 1/3-1/2 cup of butter, and finish it to 160. It's fantastic and you'll wonder why you hadn't done it before.
As always, thanks for humoring me with the pics and, especially this time, the lack of focus!
can't wait to see the Gobbler Barkin'
