Weekend Recipe: Tennessee Pulled Turkey Sandwiches
To make shredded turkey sandwiches that were both smoky and moist, the chefs at Cook's Country salted the turkey breasts to keep this lean meat juicy. Positioning the breasts on the grill so that the thicker ends were closer to the heat source evened out the cooking time. Using 2 cups of soaked wood chips gave the delicate turkey breast meat substantial but not overpowering smokiness. And transferring the breasts to a disposable aluminum pan and topping them with butter partway through cooking added richness to the meat. We topped off the sandwiches with a tangy white barbecue sauce.
Tennessee Pulled Turkey Sandwiches
Serves 8 to 10
We prefer a natural (unbrined) turkey breast here, but both self-basting and kosher work well. Plan ahead: The salted meat needs to be refrigerated for at least 8 hours. Skip the salting step if you buy a kosher or self-basting breast. Some stores sell only boneless turkey breasts with the skin still attached; the skin can be removed easily with a paring knife. If you don’t have ¹⁄₂ cup of juices from the rested turkey, supplement with chicken broth.
INGREDIENTS
Turkey:
2 (1 3/4- to 2-pound) boneless, skinless split turkey breast, trimmed
Kosher salt and pepper
2 cups wood chips
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
White Barbecue Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 hamburger buns
Shredded iceberg lettuce
INSTRUCTIONS
1. FOR THE TURKEY: Pat turkey dry with paper towels, place on large sheet of plastic wrap, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
2. Just before grilling, soak wood chips in water for 15 minutes, then drain. Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in 8 by 4½-inch foil packet. (Make sure chips do not poke holes in sides or bottom of packet.) Cut 2 evenly spaced 2-inch slits in top of packet.
3A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter three-quarters filled with charcoal briquettes (4½ quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Place wood chip packet on coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes.
3B. FOR A GAS GRILL: Remove cooking grate and place wood chip packet directly on primary burner. Set grate in place, turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on medium-high and turn off other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature between 300 and 350 degrees.)
4. Clean and oil cooking grate. Unwrap turkey and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons pepper and cayenne. Place turkey on cooler side of grill, with thicker parts of breasts closest to fire. Cover grill (positioning lid vent directly over turkey if using charcoal) and cook until breasts register 120 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes.
5. Transfer turkey to disposable pan and top with butter. Cover pan tightly with foil and return to cooler side of grill. Cover grill and continue to cook until breasts register 160 degrees, 25 to 35 minutes longer. Remove pan from grill and let turkey rest in covered pan for 20 minutes.
6. FOR THE WHITE BARBECUE SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients in bowl until smooth.
7. Transfer turkey to cutting board. Using two forks or your hands, shred turkey into bite-size pieces. Transfer to large bowl. Add ½ cup juices from pan to shredded turkey and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve turkey on buns with white barbecue sauce and lettuce.
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