Talking Turkey

[Donuthole]

I think your per-person metric is off. 1-2 slices of turkey per person is plenty when it's a part of a feast. I would bet you could feed closer to 25 people with a 15 lb bird. JMO.

[Bo Diddley]

I think your per-person metric is off. 1-2 slices of turkey per person is plenty when it's a part of a feast. I would bet you could feed closer to 25 people with a 15 lb bird. JMO.

Yeah, that makes a huge difference if we can get away with that!

[old_gregg]

We're having a Thanksgiving dinner for FHE in our YSA ward next week. We've been asked to cook the Turkey for it. We're probably looking at about 100 people. If I use a planning factor of one pound per person, that's seven 15 pound turkeys. That seems like a logistical headache.

What ideas do you have to make this a little easier? Does turkey lend itself to holding at a certain temperature? I've been looking to see if I can just buy cooked turkey from a local catering source, but haven't found anything that works yet.

I've considered cooking a couple of briskets just because, and then supplementing with a less turkeys, or even going to Costco and buying some rotisserie chickens just prior.

We could have a couple of us smoke briskets, place them on hold, then smoke a couple turkeys. I could even deep fry a turkey just prior to the event as well. If I got a couple of deep fryers, we could crank through more birds in a shorter timeframe.

nobody would eat turkey if there was brisket

[Bo Diddley]

nobody would eat turkey if there was brisket

Totally agree with this. Maybe I go with four turkeys--smoke one, roast one, and fry a couple. If we run short we can always make a run to Costco and get some chickens.

[All-American]

nobody would eat turkey if there was brisket

My worst brisket was far better than my best turkey. Alas, tradition.

BD, if you are in a position to do so you might consider picking up as many turkey breasts as you can and cooking those in lieu of full turkeys. My guess is you'd get a lot more meat in the oven, to say nothing of the fact that it will cook faster.

You might also consider ham. That strays from tradition too, but somehow not quite as much, and the hams will be a lot easier to handle, heat, and reheat.

[Bo Diddley]

My worst brisket was far better than my best turkey. Alas, tradition.

BD, if you are in a position to do so you might consider picking up as many turkey breasts as you can and cooking those in lieu of full turkeys. My guess is you'd get a lot more meat in the oven, to say nothing of the fact that it will cook faster.

You might also consider ham. That strays from tradition too, but somehow not quite as much, and the hams will be a lot easier to handle, heat, and reheat.

Yes, I didn't mention breast, but this has crossed my mind as well. Anyone cook them on a smoker? I should look into this a little closer. I thought about ham too, and I'll consider that as well.

[All-American]

Yes, I didn't mention breast, but this has crossed my mind as well. Anyone cook them on a smoker? I should look into this a little closer. I thought about hame too, and I'll consider that as well.

One thanksgiving I broke down the turkey into individual parts and smoked the breast, leg, thigh, and wings. The rest was set aside for stock and soup. I still think that was the best Turkey I've done.

[Bo Diddley]

One thanksgiving I broke down the turkey into individual parts and smoked the breast, leg, thigh, and wings. The rest was set aside for stock and soup. I still think that was the best Turkey I've done.

I think I remember that from another thread. I'll go to review that.

[Bo Diddley]

Cut it into parts again. The meat turned out great, but the skin on the breast didn’t crisp up like I hoped. I think you’re just working against yourself if you are smoking (which means lower temps) and cutting into pieces (which means smaller pieces and faster cooking time). It seems you need more time and hotter temps to get crispy skin than those steps will allow. Which is too bad because both steps make for tasty turkey.

What did turn out was my experiment for the legs. I de-boned, pulled out the tough sinews with pliers, stuck the tenderloin in the middle, and rolled it up to make a roulade. Results were pretty sweet.

Love what you did with this. I might need to review this process with a couple of birds, and add a few breasts.

[All-American]

I think I remember that from another thread. I'll go to review that.

Oh yeah, derp. Always a good idea to look up before I post something.

[Eddie]

My only input is to agree with those who say you won't need as much turkey as you're thinking.

As far as holding the turkey - our YM took a tour of the Grand America kitchen before COVID. It was a ton of fun. While we were there, the head chef showed us some turkeys he had sitting in a cooker. He told us that he cooked them the day before and was holding them for the next day - he essentially said that he'll set the temp at 140-145 and it will keep at that temp for a couple of days if he wants. They do that often around Thanksgiving and Christmas - cook some of the turkey a couple of days early and then hold it until it's needed.

So - if you've got a place you can set an oven at 140 and just let them sit - holding is an option.

[Bo Diddley]

My only input is to agree with those who say you won't need as much turkey as you're thinking.

As far as holding the turkey - our YM took a tour of the Grand America kitchen before COVID. It was a ton of fun. While we were there, the head chef showed us some turkeys he had sitting in a cooker. He told us that he cooked them the day before and was holding them for the next day - he essentially said that he'll set the temp at 140-145 and it will keep at that temp for a couple of days if he wants. They do that often around Thanksgiving and Christmas - cook some of the turkey a couple of days early and then hold it until it's needed.

So - if you've got a place you can set an oven at 140 and just let them sit - holding is an option.

Thanks. That's great info.

[Non Sequitur]

Yes, I didn't mention breast, but this has crossed my mind as well. Anyone cook them on a smoker? I should look into this a little closer. I thought about ham too, and I'll consider that as well.

I smoked two turkey breasts Sunday. Came out great. When you only smoke the breast, the cook is a lot more even, and it takes up a lot less space. If you do decide to brine the turkey, make sure you use turkey breasts that haven't been injected with sodium. Most frozen turkey breasts have been pre-injected. I would also suggest a mild wood, like apple or cherry.

[Bo Diddley]

Good stuff. Thanks.

[Moliere]

Confirmed that the Moliere household will be having brisket in lieu of turkey for Thanksgiving.