Dissolve the curing salt and sugar completely in the cold water. Add the Tabasco if using.
Fill a food injector and inject the brine in small amounts throughout the full thickness of the turkey breast.
For a piece weighing about 1 kg, inject approximately 80–85 g of brine. You do not need to use all of the prepared brine.
Place the breast on a rack in the refrigerator and leave it overnight, for about 24 hours. The surface should dry slightly.
Preheat the Ninja Woodfire on Smoke mode to 150°C.
Insert a temperature probe into the thickest part and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 66°C. A 1 kg piece took approximately 1 hour 8 minutes.
Remove the breast from the grill and rest it at room temperature for 15–20 minutes. The internal temperature should rise to about 69°C.
Cool completely, then refrigerate for at least one night.
Serve well chilled, sliced thinly across the grain.
Notes
This recipe uses curing salt containing 0.6% sodium nitrite.
Distribute the injection points evenly throughout the meat rather than putting most of the brine into only a few places.
Do not add extra salt before smoking.
Avoid cooking to a high final temperature on the grill: when removed at 66°C, the breast reaches about 69°C through carryover heat.
After an overnight chill, the meat slices more evenly, crumbles less and works well for sandwiches or a cold meat platter.
