A Pineapple and a Turkey Walk Into A Bar

Having smoked a turkey or two on our trusty Weber Grill  -- and being delighted with the results --  we can only image what the mouth watering outcome would be in the hands of professional smoker Mr. P, aka Chris Palmatier.

We are happy to report that Mr. P has been testing a few big birds in his mighty smoker in advance of the big ramp up to Turkey Day. And Mr. P shared with us his secrets as to how he will be preparing his birds for Thanksgiving.

“We inject each bird (with a professional turkey injector) with a mixture of oil, spice and hard apple cider. In our first test we let the bird sit for an hour, but that can go anywhere up to six,” Mr. P told Schroonlaker.com.

But hold onto your hats folks – for this next step, that Mr. P says will guarantee a deliciously moist bird.

“We then stuff the bird with a fresh pineapple and place it into a pan and into the smoker. The heat produces juice from the pineapple which keeps the bird moist and at the same time also steams the bird.”

So where did Mr. P come up with such a bird brained idea?

“Over the summer I was talking to a customer about our plans for smoking Thanksgiving turkeys. He told me about the pineapple and I ran with it.”

Mr. P’s latest experiment on Thursday was on a 20 pounder that cooked at 212 degrees for about 14 hours. Lucky diners got to sample that on a roll with lettuce and chipotle mayo. We are drooling as we write this.

Mr. P is  offering a variety of birds and other yummy comestibles for T Day. Check out all of their specials here.

Mr. P's Smokehouse 1106 Route 9  -- opposite the Grand Union just  up from the Strand -- 518 532-4300