Orion Turkey

[MossyMO]

So I have had this Orion Cooker a for a while and all I have used it for is ribs a few times and they taste ok but nothing compared to off a pellet grill or a Weber kettle, but it will do 3 slabs of ribs in 90 minutes (in the summer).

Now I have always heard how great a turkey is from an Orion and had to give it a try. Started out by putting the 10 lb. turkey in Mad Hunky Poultry Brine that was planned to be an 8 hour brine but North Dakota weather switched my plans and it ended up being a 32 hour brine.


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Now here is the turkey on the Orion poultry stand rubbed with Simply Marvelous Season All.


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The Orion Cooker is designed to add smoke taste if you choose to add wood chips around the drip pan, instead I thought I would try 2 hand fulls of pecan pellets.


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Here is the turkey loaded in the Orion.


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Here is the Orion with the coals lit.


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Orion cooks by time, not temp; and Orion suggest 7 minutes per pound for turkey. Well, North Dakota winter temps seemed to not work well with Orion's directions cause at 70 minutes this turkey needed more cooking time. Ended up going an hour 45 minutes which still is not that bad to cook a turkey in freezing temps! Here is the turkey when I pulled it.


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Check out the juices!


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Turkey, dressing and mixed veggies!


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I really like this turkey; great taste, the brine and seasoning made it moist and delicious... and most surprising was the smoke flavor, it really had a deep pecan smoke flavor. I like the Orion for cook time and flavor; but I will say with this style of cooking, the turkey skin was terrible.

Thanks for looking!

[urbangriller]

Fantastic Mo!

Looks like the Orion has a ring of lit beads at thr botton and also some on top?

Chris

[MossyMO]

Thanks Chris!
Yes, all around the cook chamber on the bottom is surround by charcoal and on the top there is a container for the charcoal also.

[urbangriller]

Thanks Chris!
Yes, all around the cook chamber on the bottom is surround by charcoal and on the top there is a container for the charcoal also.

Won't the dust from the charcoal fall inside? I'm assuming that is also the chimney? or is it sealed at the top?

Interesting idea, I can see how it would cook fast!

Chris

[MossyMO]

Thanks Chris!
Yes, all around the cook chamber on the bottom is surround by charcoal and on the top there is a container for the charcoal also.

Won't the dust from the charcoal fall inside? I'm assuming that is also the chimney? or is it sealed at the top?

Interesting idea, I can see how it would cook fast!

Chris

The cooking chamber is completely sealed, there is no chimney nor air intake. It is more of a convection style cooker.

[Commander Cody]

i said it on the pork thread about this orion smoker/cooker.

and i repeat it it where it should be.

i am most interested in this style of ccoker.

love your work Mossy

kevin

[sydking]

what an awesome cooking contraption.... I want