Question - Brisket and Turkey


 
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Mike in MD

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I have a 5lb brisket going on my WSM in the morning. I also have a 6.25lb turkey breast (bone in with ribs and back) that I plan on putting on at the same time (brisket on top). I plan a target cook temp of 225 - 250. I plan 1.5 hrs per lb of brisket (7.5 hrs total cook time). I know the turkey breast should be at 165 internal temp, BUT, approx how long will that take at 225 - 250??? Should it go on at the same time as the brisket?? Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions.
 
I'd start looking for that target temp at around the 4-1/2 to 5 hour mark. No reason not to start them at the same time-- better to get things perking along with all the meat you're going to cook from the start. (Imagine the hit your cooker temp will take if you throw in 6.5 lbs. of cold turkey mid-cook.)
 
Personally I would put the bird up top where it is hotter. It likely to finish quicker and produce a more juicy bird and your brisket will go slower hopfully making it more tender. Just my opinion... Good luck!
 
I think you will find, if you read enough posts here, that you never, ever, want poultry dripping its juices on anything. In fact, I know you will.
 
Poultry over the top is not a problem. Just make sure the meat on the lower rack is cooked over 155f and is done after the poultry.
Frank
 
I prefer to err on the side of caution, and never publicly recommend against practices generally accepted as safe. The problem with cross-contamination from poultry is not from the bacteria that may be present, but from the endotoxins they produce, which are not necessarily destroyed by cooking. In a low and slow cooking situation, this becomes more important. From the USDA:

"If raw meat and poultry have been handled safely, using the above preparation recommendations [see article] will make them safe to eat. If raw meats have been mishandled (left in the Danger Zone too long), bacteria may grow and produce toxins which can cause foodborne illness. Those toxins that are heat resistant are not destroyed by cooking. Therefore, even though cooked, meat and poultry mishandled in the raw state may not be safe to eat even after proper preparation."

Poultry cooked at BBQ temps can also potentially spend too long in the "danger zone". It's not worth taking the chance, hoewever slim, over something as trivial as how soon my food is done cooking.
 
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