Turkey Tasso
Submitted by itzlikewhoa
Turkey breast rubbed with a fiery Cajun spice blend of three peppers, cumin, garlic, and paprika, marinated for two days, then smoked for seven hours. Homemade tasso that brings authentic Louisiana heat to gumbo, red beans, and pasta.
YIELD
15 servingsPREP
48 hrsCOOK
7 hrsREADY
3 daysIf you’ve ever wondered what gives Cajun food that deep, smoky punch, chances are it’s tasso. And you can make it at home with turkey.
A bold seasoning blend of red, white, and black peppers, garlic, onion powder, cumin, paprika, and sugar gets rubbed all over a skinned turkey breast along with liquid smoke. Two days in the fridge lets those spices penetrate deep.
Then it hits the charcoal water smoker for a full seven hours with mesquite chips. The result is dry, intensely flavored, and packs more punch than a prizefighter. Slice it into gumbo, red beans, pasta, or stuffing anywhere you’d use smoked ham hocks.
Kitchen Tips
- This is a seasoning meat, not sandwich meat; a little goes a long way
- Turn the turkey in the marinade at least twice a day for even flavor
- Add mesquite chips every hour to maintain steady smoke
- Freezes beautifully for up to six months; slice or dice before freezing for easy portioning
- The leftover spice mix stores well in a sealed jar for your next batch
Ingredients
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, garlic, onion powder, red, white, and black peppers, paprika, salt and cumin, mixing well.
Place the turkey breast in a large glass bowl and sprinkle with 4 tablespoon of the mixture, coating well.
(Store the remainder of the seasoning mix the a tight container for future use). Sprinkle the turkey with the liquid smoke, rubbing the seasoning mix and liquid over the entire breast.
Cover the bowl and marinate for two (2) days in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.
Light the fire in a charcoal water smoker, cover, and let the heat and smoke accumulate.
When the smoker is ready, place the turkey breast on the wire rack and smoke for 7 hours.
Add water as needed. Add a few mesquite chips every hour or so. When the tasso is done, remove and set aside until cool enough to handle. You will note it is very dry, almost like jerky. Don’t worry, that’s normal. Store it in freezer bags up to one month in the refrigerator or six months in the freezer. Note: This is not something you will really want to make a sandwich from. It is used primarily in gumbo, red beans, stuffings and some pasta dishes. It has a very pronounced flavor. Basically, it can be used in place of smoked ham hocks or the like. I like it by itself, but then I’ve been accused of having no taste buds left in my mouth because of the hot food I love to consume.
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