picnic ham with turkey breast...ideas?

I am on a chili cook off team at work that has honed in on a recipe that needs smoked pork, chipotles, and dark mexican beer for the awesome flavor. I have already taste tested the beer, and found one that should work with the taste profile that I have in my mind. I have a picnic cut of pork that I am going to test season and smoke to taste my injection and rub for my chili. I am usually a butt girl, so this is my first foray into the lower leg cuts. Any different handling, or different timing for the stalls that I should expect with this cut? Also, I am working towards the holidays, and want to master the turkey breast or whole turkey. If it is properly brined, can I reasonably smoke both the breast and picnic at the same time without compromising flavor? I would have 2 very different seasonings on the different meat.

To be clear, I have no opposition to having to cook multiple days, but I am looking on conserving fuel. Thanks in advance, all!!! You hhave been a wonderful resource!!!

Stacy treat the picnic just as you would a pork butt. If you can fit the pork and the breast on the same rack or you could do the breast on your OTS. If you cook them on different racks it doesn't really matter which is above the other as long as you are cooking to safe temps. I would probably do the breast on top since it doesn't take as long to cook.

Thanks Bob. I was planning on my WSM for the cook, since I know how she behaves with my fuel and weather. I usually rely on my silver for my HH cooks, with chicken wings being an exception!

I was planning on smoking the turkey breast on top because of the cook times, but was worried about the sage and rosemary flavors affecting my spicy and smokey pork. Smoke starts in about 10 hours. so I can get the pork to my team for initial testing. Any other suggestions?

Stacy you also mentioned you would like to master a whole turkey as well. I have had great success with doing them BCC style. Lately I am not using a beer can or any diffuser just placing them on a BGE stainless vertical rack. I just cooked a 17 pounder the other day. This one happened to be a Butterball. I've also cooked them just on the top rack but I now prefer the vertical roaster method. If you decide to smoke one this way, depending on size I would recommend you lower the top rack 4 inches. You can use soup cans for that. It gives you more clearance at the dome. They drain very nicely this way, catch the drippings and you have your gravy.

Stacy I don't think you have to worry about the drippings from the breast affecting the pork to much.

My only concern would be having uncooked turkey dripping on cooked pork, or vice versa. Assuming you put them both on at the same time with the turkey on top, it should be done long before the pork so there wouldn't be any worry of cross-contamination.

Jon Des. said:

My only concern would be having uncooked turkey dripping on cooked pork, or vice versa. Assuming you put them both on at the same time with the turkey on top, it should be done long before the pork so there wouldn't be any worry of cross-contamination.

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The outside of your butt is going to be well paste the safe kill temperature when it is cooked so there really isn't a concern about drippings. I wouldn't cook turkey over a beef roast that I was only cooking to 125.