I did what I do every year. One day of turkey sandwiches. The next day it’s a huge pot of turkey and andouille gumbo. Four of us (me, my wife, 18 year old daughter and 8 year old son) finished it with no problem the next day for lunch.
Years ago in the small town I grew up in, there was a guy ran a BBQ joint. Never was a big money operation but he had some pretty good sauce. I was a goose hunter then, out for the wily Canada goose. He had a “pluck em and cook em” operation going-drop off your fresh geese and go back the next day to pick up your bird(s). I’m pretty sure he would cook whatever you brought him and would be surprised if he didn’t do a few turkeys every year. The birds were not exactly BBQ’d, more a slow smoking thing, but the sauce was excellent on ’em.
I’m talking more of the pulled pork variety BBQ sandwich. About 10 years ago I thought it would be a good way to use the leftover Thanksgiving turkey, so I shredded it up put it in a saucepan with ketchup, brown sugar, a little mustard, and some apple cider vinegar. It’s a pretty standard BBQ sauce I use pretty often, sometimes building on it (pickle juice, A-1, instant coffee, whatever else I have handy) or merely substituting ingredients like using molasses instead of brwn sugar. Anyway, I don’t know if it was the seasonings that we used on the bird when we cooked it or if the BBQ sauce needed something that I couldn’t put my finger on, but it just tasted off somehow. I’ve never tried it again. Now, I have smoked turkeys on the grill and have done very well with it, especially if you brine and baste while cooking, but I’ve never tried putting BBQ sauce on them. If you every try it, let me know. I’d like to hear your perception of it.
I’m with Rupert, I’ve tried doing BBQ turkey to get rid of it and it never works. I can’t put my finger on it either, but BBQ sauce and turkey breast do not seem to team up well.
I suppose the sauce is key to the success or failure. My fave BBQ sauce is Sweet Baby Ray’s and there is no way I use that on a turkey sammich. The sauce I’m thinking of was way more vinegar, a touch of tomato paste, white pepper, black pepper, a spice or two that I can’t remember. Thickened just a little with flour. The sauce wasn’t very thick, and translucent rather than opaque. You could hold a bottle of it up to the light and see little bits of pepper and such swirling around. Not all that sweet, and IIRC it had white sugar rather than brown sugar or molasses. I remember trying to reproduce it just from reading the ingredient list with some small success in one try out of ten, perhaps.
I’m with ya on the Sweet Baby Ray’s. The best I’ve had in a while. I used to get Lee and Perrin’s BBQ sauce, but I haven’t been able to find it in about 8 years now. It had a flavor similar to SBR’s but a little darker and smokier.
Been musing a bit on the difference between gravy and BBQ sauce. No one would argue that gravy tastes bad on turkey! Where is the dividing line? LOL, now that’s thought for food.
Maybe it’s the tomato flavor that doesn’t play well. Have you ever had a dish that comined tomato and turkey? I can’t think of one besides gumbo, but I usually only put in one can and the rue overpowers the taste of the tomato. What do you reckon a mustard based BBQ sauce would taste on turkey? Like what you’ll find in the Carolinas. Maybe even fortify it with sage or rosemary. Just thinking out loud here…
I’ve had some of the mustard BBQ sauces, bought several bottles mail order a few years ago. I didn’t care much for it, though it was different. It made great relish when mixed with some slaw-we topped some pork BBQ with it and called it chow-chow. Not seeing it on turkey. The only thing I can see that would work on turkey would be something more akin to sweet and sour sauce, or some sauce that was caramelized on the meat. Now we’re talking glazes.
What's 4 Dinner Solutions 
Tired of turkey? Never!
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I did what I do every year. One day of turkey sandwiches. The next day it’s a huge pot of turkey and andouille gumbo. Four of us (me, my wife, 18 year old daughter and 8 year old son) finished it with no problem the next day for lunch.
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We are now down to leftover turkey soup, maybe enough for 2 bowls. Everything else is gone! Yay!
Thinking real hard on red beans and rice.
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Whatever you do, don’t try turkey BBQ!! Not. Good.
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LOL! Care to share?
Years ago in the small town I grew up in, there was a guy ran a BBQ joint. Never was a big money operation but he had some pretty good sauce. I was a goose hunter then, out for the wily Canada goose. He had a “pluck em and cook em” operation going-drop off your fresh geese and go back the next day to pick up your bird(s). I’m pretty sure he would cook whatever you brought him and would be surprised if he didn’t do a few turkeys every year. The birds were not exactly BBQ’d, more a slow smoking thing, but the sauce was excellent on ’em.
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I’m talking more of the pulled pork variety BBQ sandwich. About 10 years ago I thought it would be a good way to use the leftover Thanksgiving turkey, so I shredded it up put it in a saucepan with ketchup, brown sugar, a little mustard, and some apple cider vinegar. It’s a pretty standard BBQ sauce I use pretty often, sometimes building on it (pickle juice, A-1, instant coffee, whatever else I have handy) or merely substituting ingredients like using molasses instead of brwn sugar. Anyway, I don’t know if it was the seasonings that we used on the bird when we cooked it or if the BBQ sauce needed something that I couldn’t put my finger on, but it just tasted off somehow. I’ve never tried it again. Now, I have smoked turkeys on the grill and have done very well with it, especially if you brine and baste while cooking, but I’ve never tried putting BBQ sauce on them. If you every try it, let me know. I’d like to hear your perception of it.
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I’m with Rupert, I’ve tried doing BBQ turkey to get rid of it and it never works. I can’t put my finger on it either, but BBQ sauce and turkey breast do not seem to team up well.
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I suppose the sauce is key to the success or failure. My fave BBQ sauce is Sweet Baby Ray’s and there is no way I use that on a turkey sammich. The sauce I’m thinking of was way more vinegar, a touch of tomato paste, white pepper, black pepper, a spice or two that I can’t remember. Thickened just a little with flour. The sauce wasn’t very thick, and translucent rather than opaque. You could hold a bottle of it up to the light and see little bits of pepper and such swirling around. Not all that sweet, and IIRC it had white sugar rather than brown sugar or molasses. I remember trying to reproduce it just from reading the ingredient list with some small success in one try out of ten, perhaps.
LikeLike
I’m with ya on the Sweet Baby Ray’s. The best I’ve had in a while. I used to get Lee and Perrin’s BBQ sauce, but I haven’t been able to find it in about 8 years now. It had a flavor similar to SBR’s but a little darker and smokier.
LikeLike
Been musing a bit on the difference between gravy and BBQ sauce. No one would argue that gravy tastes bad on turkey! Where is the dividing line? LOL, now that’s thought for food.
LikeLike
Maybe it’s the tomato flavor that doesn’t play well. Have you ever had a dish that comined tomato and turkey? I can’t think of one besides gumbo, but I usually only put in one can and the rue overpowers the taste of the tomato. What do you reckon a mustard based BBQ sauce would taste on turkey? Like what you’ll find in the Carolinas. Maybe even fortify it with sage or rosemary. Just thinking out loud here…
LikeLike
I’ve had some of the mustard BBQ sauces, bought several bottles mail order a few years ago. I didn’t care much for it, though it was different. It made great relish when mixed with some slaw-we topped some pork BBQ with it and called it chow-chow. Not seeing it on turkey. The only thing I can see that would work on turkey would be something more akin to sweet and sour sauce, or some sauce that was caramelized on the meat. Now we’re talking glazes.
LikeLike
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