# Thanksgiving turkey preparation



## Scott1 (Nov 10, 2009)

As this wonderful time of year is soon upon us, how do you cook turkey?

Especially, does anybody slow cook the bird, and if so how (specifically). 

Any other techniques you use to make it "just right?"


----------



## SolaScriptura (Nov 10, 2009)

One word: Brine.


----------



## Scottish Lass (Nov 10, 2009)

We get ours fried...the local stores will often do it for you, so no need to make a mess at home!


----------



## tcalbrecht (Nov 10, 2009)

We usually do two birds; one in the oven with stuffing and one deep fried. This gives us lots of leftover for all the children and grandchildren. 

I like to do the oven one covered with foil at a low temp to keep it moist, around 325(F) until the internal thermometer reads around 165. Then I crank it up to 425, remove the foil and let the skin brown. It takes longer, but the results are worth it. 

I also brine both birds.

-----Added 11/10/2009 at 09:52:00 EST-----

It's also important to have the birds at room temp before putting them in the oven.


----------



## DTK (Nov 10, 2009)

*smoked turkey*

I always smoke my turkey in the big green egg. A 12-15 pound bird takes about 5 hrs in the big green egg, as opposed to my old conventional Brinkman smoker.

I inject it with pineapple juice and glaze it with orange marmalade.

DTK


----------



## JBaldwin (Nov 10, 2009)

My nephew who is a chef taught me to cook a turkey the old fashioned way, and my guests always rave over it. 

Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil. Cut equal amounts of celery, onion and carrots into large chunks and completely cover the bottom of the roasting pan (about an inch deep. Stuff the turkey with your favorite stuffing and tie up the ends. Save the giblets (heart, neck, liver, etc.) Completely oil the turkey with virgin olive oil. Put in the roasting pan directly on the veggies, cover with foil and roast for 30 minutes at 400F. Meanwhile, put the giblets of the turkey into a pan, completely cover with water, bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer (add water when necessary). 

After the turkey has been cooked for 30 minutes, turn down the temperature to 325F. Uncover and baste the turkey with water from the turkey giblets, recover. Baste the turkey every 20-30 minutes. Once there is enough liquid at the bottom of the roaster, use that to baste the turkey. About an hour before the turkey is finished, uncover, but be sure to continue basting every 20-30 minutes. When the turkey has reached 180F in the middle it is done. I have tried using the guide 1 hour for every 3 pounds of turkey, but it varies. 

Hope that helps.


----------



## toddpedlar (Nov 10, 2009)

Sausage-cornbread stuffing. It's a pork fat thing.


----------



## Jimmy the Greek (Nov 10, 2009)

Many may have recipes from mothers or grandmothers that call for roasting the turkey overnight at a temperature ranging from 200 to 250 degrees F. This is unsafe. The lowest recommended oven temperature for roasting a turkey is 325 degrees F. The long slow cooking is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. And if the turkey is stuffed the danger is even greater.


----------



## Scott1 (Nov 10, 2009)

The following works excellently with a whole chicken:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees
put coated chicken in oven for 45 minutes
turn off oven
let chicken remain for another 1-2 hours (DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR)

This makes the chicken skin crispy and produces a well cooked, tender chicken.


Has anyone tried something similar to this in roasting say a 25# turkey?

For example, something like preheat to 500 degrees, cook for 1 hour, then turn down to 180 degrees and cook for 8-10 hours.

-----Added 11/10/2009 at 11:41:03 EST-----

Wow, Leeanne, sounds fantastic!

A couple clarifications, if you might:



JBaldwin said:


> My nephew who is a chef taught me to cook a turkey the old fashioned way, and my guests always rave over it.
> 
> Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil. Cut equal amounts of celery, onion and carrots into large chunks and completely cover the bottom of the roasting pan (about an inch deep. Stuff the turkey with your favorite stuffing and tie up the ends. Save the giblets (heart, neck, liver, etc.) Completely oil the turkey with virgin olive oil.
> Do you put salt and pepper at this point also?
> ...


----------



## jwithnell (Nov 10, 2009)

I can affirm brining (although you have to be careful about saline-injected birds, you could end up with way too much salt!) and high start, and long cook at 325 degrees.

An article in a recent cooking magazine produces what I instantly dubbed road-kill turkey -- remove the backbone then mash that puppy flat. The principle is actually a good one, since all the meat will be more evenly exposed to the heat. I'd love to find a really small turkey to try this before committing to doing this for the "big meal." My husband insists on having the turkey carved before it comes to the table, so presentation is no big deal.


----------



## JBaldwin (Nov 10, 2009)

Scott1 said:


> The following works excellently with a whole chicken:
> 
> Preheat oven to 500 degrees
> put coated chicken in oven for 45 minutes
> ...



I do not salt and pepper the turkey, I add it in my dressing, and it works its way into the turkey. 

The veggies will be a big mess, and you can't serve them when it's all finished. They are there for moisture and for flavor. 

If you use a roaster with a cover, you can leave it on throughout the process and remove it at the last hour.


----------



## LawrenceU (Nov 10, 2009)

I can't divulge the family secrets for our fought over turkey barbecue. But, here is the post I made last year about the best tasting, simplest, wonderful, way to roast a turkey. It was developed somewhere and perfected by my great-grandmother who cooked around four turkey for Thanksgiving every year, in a wood fired stove. The 'no-injection stuff' comment is for real. It will mar the turkeys taste, make the cooking time change, and frankly is a cheat for those who can't cook a turkey in such a manner that doesn't dry it out. (And, yes, it is very possible to dry out a turkey by deep frying. Very easy, that is why injection became common: deep frying without it is a challenge for many people.)



> Y'all are crazy. That is way too much work in roasting a turkey. The following is what we do and have done for generations. It is just about foolproof. Every time we serve this turkey to others they want to know how in the world we got such most, tender, and evenly browned turkey. Seriously. It is that good and it is throw it in and leave it alone until it is done.
> 
> 
> What you will need:
> ...


----------



## Jimmy the Greek (Nov 10, 2009)

We traditionally get a 21-23 lb Turkey.
Thaw in fridge for a couple of days if purchased frozen.
Remove giblets, wash clean, bast with olive oil inside and out.
Cook (with no stuffing) in a covered roaster at 325 for 4 hrs.
Uncover, baste with olive oil, and cook up to one more hour uncovered.
Verify internal meat temp has reached 170F.
Remove and let stand for one hour.

We separately bake a great dressing (stuffing) recipe.


----------



## tcalbrecht (Nov 10, 2009)

jwithnell said:


> I can affirm brining (although you have to be careful about saline-injected birds, you could end up with way too much salt!) and high start, and long cook at 325 degrees.
> 
> An article in a recent cooking magazine produces what I instantly dubbed road-kill turkey -- remove the backbone then mash that puppy flat. The principle is actually a good one, since all the meat will be more evenly exposed to the heat. I'd love to find a really small turkey to try this before committing to doing this for the "big meal." My husband insists on having the turkey carved before it comes to the table, so presentation is no big deal.



I've deboned a whole turkey, stuffed it, and roasted it. It's a lot of work up front, but it makes carving a breeze at the table.


----------



## SolaScriptura (Nov 10, 2009)

LawrenceU said:


> And, yes, it is very possible to dry out a turkey by deep frying. Very easy, that is why injection became common: deep frying without it is a challenge for many people.



Question: If one brines a turkey prior to deep frying it, will things turn out ok or will the extra water content in the brined bird produce disastrous results upon entering the hot oil?


A question about your paper bag recipe... just so I'm tracking... is the bag pretty much entirely sealed up? Are there any openings?


----------



## tcalbrecht (Nov 10, 2009)

SolaScriptura said:


> LawrenceU said:
> 
> 
> > And, yes, it is very possible to dry out a turkey by deep frying. Very easy, that is why injection became common: deep frying without it is a challenge for many people.
> ...




I brine and deep fry without issue. (Never used an injector.) Obviously you cannot go directly from the brine to the fryer. You need to dry the outside of the bird thoroughly. Deep fry for up to the recommended time per pound. I like to pull the bird a bit early and use a thermometer to check for doneness. The bird continues to cook some after it’s out of the oil and resting.


----------



## LawrenceU (Nov 10, 2009)

SolaScriptura said:


> LawrenceU said:
> 
> 
> > And, yes, it is very possible to dry out a turkey by deep frying. Very easy, that is why injection became common: deep frying without it is a challenge for many people.
> ...



Brining a bird before frying it can be done, but make sure that everything is BONE dry on the outside and inside of the bird before putting it in the hot fat. (That should always be done anyway.)

Yep, the bag is sealed up. You roll the top of the bag, which will be sideways in the pan, down twice and staple it shut. This sealing of the bag allows the steam to marinate the bird while cooking. The results are out of the word good.


----------



## Scott1 (Nov 10, 2009)

> *LawrenceU*



Recipe sounds great, and shorter cook time as well.

Any idea if you input stuffing in the cavity, would it affect the flavor, take longer, etc.?


----------



## a mere housewife (Nov 10, 2009)

I'm rather embarrassed but you asked about slow cooking methods: I simply put the turkey in a stock pot or crock pot and cover about 1/3 of it in water, wrap the pot around in foil and let it cook in the oven on 300-325 for hours or in the crockpot overnight. I really dislike dry turkey and it has such a nice flavor as well, plus the liquid makes perfect gravy. There really isn't a secret to getting it right except cooking it until it basically falls apart.

I have never tried this with stuffing. I usually make my grandma's spaghetti-cheese (there is a responsive reading located in one of Josh's old lazy recipe threads for the same).


----------



## LawrenceU (Nov 11, 2009)

Scott1 said:


> > *LawrenceU*
> 
> 
> 
> ...




We don't do stuffing. We are Southrons! But, in respect to your question I asked my mother, who in God's wonderful providence was visiting with us yesterday, about this method of cooking along with stuffing. Her reply:

"Tell him that, yes, he can cook a turkey with stuffing by using this method, but it will take him about one half hour to one hour longer depending upon the weight of the bird. I had to cook one with stuffing when we lived in Maine. It was good, better than most stuffed turkeys I've had. But, tell him to remember two things: Stuffing usually dries out a turkey as it is cooked unless the stuffing is very wet. And, stuffing a bird greatly increases the risk of salmonella poisoning. Tell him I hope it goes well, and he makes a pan of dressing."

Mary Jane has spoken. 

-----Added 11/11/2009 at 07:27:49 EST-----



a mere housewife said:


> I'm rather embarrassed but you asked about slow cooking methods: I simply put the turkey in a stock pot or crock pot and cover about 1/3 of it in water, wrap the pot around in foil and let it cook in the oven on 300-325 for hours or in the crockpot overnight. I really dislike dry turkey and it has such a nice flavor as well, plus the liquid makes perfect gravy. There really isn't a secret to getting it right except cooking it until it basically falls apart.
> 
> I have never tried this with stuffing. I usually make my grandma's spaghetti-cheese (there is a responsive reading located in one of Josh's old lazy recipe threads for the same).



Heidi:

Try the bag recipe. It is simple, relatively quick and it has never produced a dry turkey; even when my Cajun brother in law forgot to pull the turkey out of the oven and left it in for two additional hours! It was still very moist.


----------



## JBaldwin (Nov 11, 2009)

LawrenceU said:


> Scott1 said:
> 
> 
> > > *LawrenceU*
> ...




If you cook the turkey using the recipe I gave above, the turkey is juicy and moist. In fact, even the stuffing comes out moist and delicious.


----------



## LawrenceU (Nov 11, 2009)

JBaldwin said:


> LawrenceU said:
> 
> 
> > Scott1 said:
> ...



Oh, I agree. I have cooked turkeys in the same manner. (And, I enjoy doing so at times, but then I'm a kitchen wonk.) The stuffing will come out moist using the bag as well, if it is moist going in, just like with any other method. Way too many people use a dry stuffing and that is the problem. 

With the bag you don't have to baste. That is one of the great benefits. It frees you up to do other things. For many people who are not really cooks it enables to to have a perfect bird without perfect skills. That is one reason I recommend it so often.


----------



## JBaldwin (Nov 11, 2009)

All this talk of turkey is making me hungry!


----------



## Scott1 (Nov 11, 2009)

Anyone have a homemade stuffing recipe for stuffing the bird or preparing in the pan?


----------



## JBaldwin (Nov 12, 2009)

I'm a cook by the seat of my pants kind of person, but I generally make a stuffing using the following:

Bread crumbs- while you can use dried bread crumbs, fresh bread works better. I usually use an average-sized loaf of whole wheat bread. 
Chopped celery-(if I use the turkey recipe above. I usually use one bunch of celery and save back a stalk for my dressing)
1/2 medium sized onion- chopped
1 - 2 tsps of sage or poultry seasoning
chopped parsley
salt and pepper
if you use dried bread crumbs, you can add a broth from the giblets (boiled in water) or chicken broth

If you have good looking giblets, you can cook those up first and chop up some of them for the dressing.


----------



## tcalbrecht (Nov 12, 2009)

Here’s my mother’s stuffing recipe that I have reworked a bit (approx., I usually just wing it.)

1/2 loaf of bread or 1 bag of soft bread cubes (not dried, I like to use potato bread)
1/2-3/4 lb of meatloaf mix (beef, pork, veal)
1 med onion, chopped fine
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced fine
2 eggs
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese 
Chicken or turkey stock
1 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste 

Break up and brown the meatloaf mix in a frying pan to obtain a medium/fine texture. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook over med heat until soft. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients except the stock. Mix thoroughly. Add enough stock (or water) until the entire mixture is moistened (but not mushy). (This is a judgment call. You want the stuffing moist on its own, and not absorbing too much of the turkey juices.) 

Makes enough to stuff a 16-20 lb turkey, both body and neck cavities. 

You can also chop and brown the turkey giblets with the meatloaf mix.


----------



## Iconoclast (Nov 12, 2009)

cook the turkey upside down, it lets the juice from the darker meat run into the white meat so it comes out moist instead of dry.


----------



## LawrenceU (Nov 12, 2009)

We make corn bread dressing. I don't really have a recipe, it is sort of a genetic thing. We use:

Cornbread 90% (Stale is best. And, NOT sweet, even if you like sweet cornbread.)
Stale biscuits 10%
Chicken or Turkey stock (not broth if you can)
Onion
Bell Pepper
Celery
Eggs
Baking soda
Salt
Pepper
Fresh Rubbed Sage
Fine Herbs
Other stuff. . . such as giblets, boiled eggs, etc. Pretty much what you want to do. Every family has their preferences.

Begin by crumbling cornbread and buiscuits into a large bowl.
Saute the onions, celery, and bell pepper in butter. 
Saute the giblets in the giblets. 
Boil the stock.
In the large bowl pour the stock over the crumbled breads until they are soaked. Don't 'over water' them, however. Stir the mess up to check for consistency. It should be like a stiff dough. Sort of like really wet biscuit dough, perhaps a bit wetter. Add either crumbs or stock as needed to get it there. Cover this with a damp towel and allow it to cool.

When it is cool beat the eggs. (We use three eggs in the pan I normally cook dressing in. It is about 10x16. I make the dressing about two inches deep.) To the eggs add seasoning. Start light and adjust later after it is in the wet crumbs. After the seasoning is added add about one teaspoon of baking soda to the mixture. Mix this into the wet crumbs thoroughly. Add the other stuff to the dressing: sauteed vegetables from above, chopped boiled eggs, chopped giblets, etc.

Coat your pan throughly with butter or oil and add the dressing. Smooth it out. Bake it at 350 until a knife comes out clean when withdrawn from the centre of the mix.

For a real treat reserve some and put it into a preheated cast iron skillet that is greased with bacon grease.

I know it is not much of a recipe. I've never tried to get it on paper. I make it by habit. It is a very good dressing. I always have people asking me for the recipe, even Northerners.


----------



## Scott1 (Nov 12, 2009)

Lawrence,

Sounds like one good stuffing!


----------



## Rich Koster (Nov 12, 2009)

Iconoclast said:


> cook the turkey upside down, it lets the juice from the darker meat run into the white meat so it comes out moist instead of dry.



You beat me to it......


----------



## LawrenceU (Nov 12, 2009)

Scott1 said:


> Lawrence,
> 
> Sounds like one good stuffing!




I don't know how it would work as a stuffing. You are certainly welcome to try it  We don't stuff birds except with an apple, an onion, and some celery, if anything. I do know it makes a knock down good pan of dressing.


----------



## AThornquist (Nov 12, 2009)

Lawrence, great recipe idea! I really want to try it. Does the water inside the bag keep the bag from catching flame? Or is the oven not even hot enough for that?


----------



## TeachingTulip (Nov 12, 2009)

Moving into a new home last year, that has fancy ovens, I entertained my husband's entire family for Thanksgiving, roasting a BIG turkey in one of the new fancy convections ovens.

It was a disaster. I have successfully cooked turkeys for 50 years, but this fowled-up wonder was the worst! Totally crispy and dried to the bone, in just a couple of hours cooking time. I was shocked at the failure! (And I had paid over $32 for a local fresh bird, just to make sure to impress the relatives!)

So this year, I am going to brine my turkey . . .for the first time . . . and then slow cook the big bird in my old trusty turkey pan, according to my old methods, regular oven temps, and proven rules.

Pray for me . . . for if I mess it up again this year, the family will probably disown me and never return.


----------



## Southern Presbyterian (Nov 12, 2009)

A MUST view if you are even considering deep frying your bird.


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E270Qx5OpxU&feature=related"]Alton Brown Fried Turkey 1/3[/ame]


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLNLYL24qUA&feature=related"]Alton Brown Fried Turkey 2/3[/ame]


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9mq29BaLLk&NR=1"]Alton Brown Fried Turkey 3/3[/ame]


----------



## LawrenceU (Nov 12, 2009)

AThornquist said:


> Lawrence, great recipe idea! I really want to try it. Does the water inside the bag keep the bag from catching flame? Or is the oven not even hot enough for that?



Paper burns at 454 F so it will not burn.


----------



## gene_mingo (Nov 12, 2009)

SolaScriptura said:


> One word: Brine.



Yes, brine. I also stuff a pound of butter between the breast and skin before I start roasting.


----------



## Mephibosheth (Nov 13, 2009)

My Dad got a deep-fryer six years ago, and we never went back to Turkey-in-the-oven.

hehe, that first year we just about deep-fried anything we could find. I especially liked the deep fried bread and butter pickles. Yeah, but we basically raided our fridge and were like "hey, bet we could fry this!"


----------

