Let's Talk Turkey!

[DiPros]

It's been quite awhile since I cooked one. With a lot of us staying home this year and doing our own thing, would love to hear how your doing yours.  Roasted?  Deep fried?  Smoked?

I have a deep fryer but without Mr. Di's supervision I best not try this method.  I'm looking to do a 12-14 lb. bird.  Going to put it in a brine  (My canning pot should work for this part). Then, will roast with garlic and herbs.  Will not be stuffing the bird rather fill it with onion, celery, carrot, lemon, apple, and orange.  The herbs for the brine are rosemary, thyme, whole peppercorns, and all spice, orange peel, brown sugar, and of course-salt.  The recipe I'm reading starts the turkey at 450 for 20 minutes then lower to 350 and place foil over the entire breast. Basting in between for the remaining time.

Once it's done will bake the stuffing.  Doing a PA Dutch potato stuffing.  Gravy.  Green beans and cranberry sauce.

For the morning with the mimosa bar I'm making deviled eggs benedict (easy, small, and just a dozen), some fruit.  I also have to have my grazing food of those salty meats, cheeses, olives, and pickles.

That's my plan.

[rambo]

I grill mine on a charcoal weber every year.

[jsdarkstar]

It's not stuffing, if it isn't inside the Bird. It's called Dressing. It's good, but just not the same. 

[DiPros]

17 minutes ago, rambo said:

I grill mine on a charcoal weber every year.

Do you have a temperature gauge on it?  I would worry my fire would go too low before the thing was done. I'm sure you're a pro at it.  I love my charcoal though.

[rambo]

Just now, DiPros said:

Do you have a temperature gauge on it?  I would worry my fire would go too low before the thing was done. I'm sure you're a pro at it.  I love my charcoal though.

I do have a thermometer on it.  I generally start it uncovered for an hour or 2 then cover it once the skin browns up a little.  I keep water in the bottom of the roasting pan to keep it moist throughout.  Stays nice and juicy.

[DiPros]

12 minutes ago, jsdarkstar said:

It's not stuffing, if it isn't inside the Bird. It's called Dressing. It's good, but just not the same. 

Yes that's right. Just like the Italians calling it gravy, while I'm still 1/2 Irish I call it sauce.

My old Italians relatives would stuff the bird (HUGE ones) and cook them all night at like 225-250 degrees.  Not recommended nowadays, but I tried this once and didn't die.  To wake up with that smell all through the house was glorious.

[DiPros]

1 minute ago, rambo said:

I do have a thermometer on it.  I generally start it uncovered for an hour or 2 then cover it once the skin browns up a little.  I keep water in the bottom of the roasting pan to keep it moist throughout.  Stays nice and juicy.

So the bird is nice and hot before your fire goes low, then you cover it, and it's still cooking?  Or do you have to add coals during this process?

[rambo]

13 minutes ago, DiPros said:

So the bird is nice and hot before your fire goes low, then you cover it, and it's still cooking?  Or do you have to add coals during this process?

I might have to add coals.  I cook it indirect so I just fold up the sides of the grate and throw some in there.  My grill maintains temp and doesn't burn through charcoal that much.

[Boogyman]

I am brining, then lightly oiling and using a poultry rub and then smoking mine. Probably 275 the whole way.  Baste with melted butter every 45 minutes or so, will probably take 3 to 3.5 hours. I like to spatchcock chickens and turkeys so no stuffing, will do that in a pan.

[jsdarkstar]

58 minutes ago, DiPros said:

Yes that's right. Just like the Italians calling it gravy, while I'm still 1/2 Irish I call it sauce.

My old Italians relatives would stuff the bird (HUGE ones) and cook them all night at like 225-250 degrees.  Not recommended nowadays, but I tried this once and didn't die.  To wake up with that smell all through the house was glorious.

Agreed. The aroma brings back alot of memories. My mom used to stuff the turkey with a Ritz Cracker stuffing. Curmble the crackers. Sautee onions and celery in butter. Add the giblets. I think she added chicken stock and then Seasoned with salt, black pepper, Rosemary and Thyme. It always was moist and delicious. I recall my dad would then sew the opening closed. No one ever got sick from the stuffing. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!!!

[Toastrel]

I will bestow upon you people the secret of good stuffing (or dressing, if you prefer)

Take the turkey neck and giblets and put them in a medium saucepan of water and simmer them with a coarsely chopped up onion, 2 carrots and 2 stalks of celery.

Before the turkey comes out, strain the liquid out.

put the veggies back in the pot and mash them up really good with a potato masher. Fish out any stringy onion or celery that doesn't mash up.

Instead of using whatever liquid you were going to use for the stuffing - use the mashed veggies and the stock you made.

[Boogyman]

I always thought the 12 to 15 lb turkeys came out way better than those giants birds people cook. If I need that much food I would much rather cook 2 smaller ones than 1 giant turkey.

[BirdsFanBill]

With it just being me and my wife this year because of Covid, I ordered a thanksgiving dinner pickup thing from Garces in philly. Hopefully its good we shall see.

[Alpha_TATEr]

ill be smoking ours for the 3rd year. 

[wholesale_Melvin]

9 minutes ago, Alpha_TATEr said:

ill be smoking ours for the 3rd year. 

gotta be rancid after the first year. 

[Alpha_TATEr]

19 minutes ago, wholesale_Melvin said:

gotta be rancid after the first year. 

extra marinated

[NCTANK]

some Cajun dry rub and peanut oil is all i use 👍

[SPIDER-MAN]

Brine then deep fried. Unbelievable.

[Imp81318]

3 hours ago, SPIDER-MAN said:

Brine then deep fried. Unbelievable.

How do you brine it?  We're going to fry one for dinner this year and I'm looking to kick it up a notch from my usual of just stuffing cloves of garlic under the skin. 

[LacesOut]

Yuuummm. Making me hungry, this thread. 

I head to my parents place. Mom cooks the turkey in the oven. I don't know for how long or what she adds to it. It is delicious AND I take all of the dark meat home for leftovers.

Can't wait!!

[Alpha_TATEr]

16 hours ago, NCTANK said:

some Cajun dry rub and peanut oil is all i use 👍

i am going to get a deep fryer one day. def some great tasting turkey when cooked that way. 

[Toastrel]

If you want to die when deep frying, fill the bird with wine and herbs and sew it closed. Then when the eventual leak happens, oil and flames explode out and set nearby trees on fire. The tank did not blow, so no lives were lost.

 

Good times.

[DiPros]

It's definitely an art.  Be careful!  You gotta know what you're doing with those pots.  We've done a few birds.  They are good and it's done in under an hour.  I used almost a whole roll of paper towels to get it really dry before dunking.  If you do want added flavor  use an injector.  I injected a ham for Easter once and that was so good, except you can't re-use the oil, it was black.  Was a itch to clean up too.

[wholesale_Melvin]

4 minutes ago, DiPros said:

Was a itch to clean up too.

kosher salt/little warm water and a sponge. kosher salt used as an abrasive is the real deal. or make a paste with baking soda and a little water, smear and let it sit for ten minutes then scrub.

[DiPros]

24 minutes ago, wholesale_Melvin said:

kosher salt/little warm water and a sponge. kosher salt used as an abrasive is the real deal. or make a paste with baking soda and a little water, smear and let it sit for ten minutes then scrub.

I'm a brillo pad gal! Sometimes use my spray bottle of vinegar.  Good tip there Mel.