Talking Turkey

[Joe Public]

Pro tip: When you open the over door after the 30min@500 degree roast to put the foil triangle on, be prepared for your smoke alarm to go off.

I've used Alton's recipe for probably a decade now. There are lots of others we could try but the Alton Brown method turns out consistently good and I know it well enough by now that I can just do it without really thinking about it too much.

Easy method, and the results pass the eye test. We'll see how it tastes in a bit, although I'm a gravy guy, so it probably doesn't matter.

[Joe Public]

[Joe Public]

[LVAllen]

Happy Thanksgiving.

[All-American]

Turkey skin just eludes me. Can’t ever seem to get it right. Oh well.

[Green Monstah]

We waited too long to buy a turkey, so we bought two smaller ones that would thaw faster. I put one on the smoker and one in the oven, cooked identically. They were both really solid, although the smoked turkey was much better overall.

I cooked them with carrots and onions (not intending to use either) and put rosemary, thyme, and sage inside.

After we picked the carcasses, I made a broth with the bones and leftover veggies, and made turkey noodle soup last night. It was awesome.

[smokymountainrain]

i made a turkey on sunday. i try to have fun with turkeys when i cook on thanksgiving - i've smoked them, spatchcocked, done the cannon, used alton brown's turkey triange, etc. this one on sunday was in a bag that could go straight from frozen to oven - it was last second and i was hurried - so i thought what the hell, i'll get this turkey and simply follow the instructions. boring as hell, but it wasn't for a big group (just my MIL who was coming over from her assisted living facility) and it might still be great - who knows. It was supposed to be ready in 4 hours. I took the internal temp at the 3 hour mark and the white meat was at 180-190! it was the worst turkey i can remember eating. everybody else seemed to sincerely like it, however - which is a little concerning in it's own right.

[Pelado]

it was the worst turkey i can remember eating. everybody else seemed to sincerely like it, however - which is a little concerning in it's own right.

They were really hungry.

[smokymountainrain]

They were really hungry.

i guess so.

[Bo Diddley]

i made a turkey on sunday. i try to have fun with turkeys when i cook on thanksgiving - i've smoked them, spatchcocked, done the cannon, used alton brown's turkey triange, etc. this one on sunday was in a bag that could go straight from frozen to oven - it was last second and i was hurried - so i thought what the hell, i'll get this turkey and simply follow the instructions. boring as hell, but it wasn't for a big group (just my MIL who was coming over from her assisted living facility) and it might still be great - who knows. It was supposed to be ready in 4 hours. I took the internal temp at the 3 hour mark and the white meat was at 180-190! it was the worst turkey i can remember eating. everybody else seemed to sincerely like it, however - which is a little concerning in it's own right.

Jennie-O. I did a couple of these at an activity a while back. Wasn't impressed with the results at all.

[smokymountainrain]

Jennie-O. I did a couple of these at an activity a while back. Wasn't impressed with the results at all.

exactly what it was. i mean, in fairness to the turkey, if i'd stopped cooking at 160, i'm sure it would have been better - but when they say it will take 4 hours and it was probably at 160 at the 2.25 hour mark - when i was still at church, that's a problem.

[Northwestcoug]

I woke up early Thursday morning to get my bird ready for the Traeger. I turned it on to the smoke setting and went back inside to get it ready. I looked out the window after a few minutes and noticed no smoke. I thought, 'huh, it usually doesn't take that long'. So I turned it off and back on again, and then hear the sound of an auger grinding to a halt. Mrs. NWC suggested we try roasting the turkey for a change, which made me self-conscious thinking she really didn't like my smoked turkey. So I wasn't too concerned about fixing it. But it was a small (13lb) bird and I had time to play with, so I googled 'stuck auger'. Found a helpful video so I started taking it apart. I had a hell of a time removing the screw securing the auger to the motor (my Traeger is a few years old and the video showed a ton of access space on a newer Traeger). Finally got it out and started removing all the congealed wood pellets. It was STUCK! It must have been a weird weather pattern this fall because the last time I smoked there wasn't a problem, and the whole cylinder was essentially solid.

Anyways, got it all cleared out and put back together. Probably stripped the screw doing it (again, thanks old Traeger for lack of access space ), so that may be the last time it gets taken apart. Smoked the turkey for 3 as opposed to 4 hours then finished it off at higher temps. It was ready at the same time everything else was, so it all ended well. Turned out fine.

I am convinced that the brining process covereth a multitude of cooking sins. It just seems when I cook longer if I'm not convinced that I have a good thermometer placement, it doesn't get dry.

[Bo Diddley]

exactly what it was. i mean, in fairness to the turkey, if i'd stopped cooking at 160, i'm sure it would have been better - but when they say it will take 4 hours and it was probably at 160 at the 2.25 hour mark - when i was still at church, that's a problem.

Yeah, I was surprised by how quickly they cooked. I still pulled it before it overcooked, but was unimpressed.

[Donuthole]

I am convinced that the brining process covereth a multitude of cooking sins. It just seems when I cook longer if I'm not convinced that I have a good thermometer placement, it doesn't get dry.

Brine is everything. We did our TG feast the Sunday before TG, as we were heading to California for the holiday week. I did an 11 lb bird,; smaller than usual, as it was just my family and my sister's family of 4. Brined for 24 hours. Roasted at 500 for 25 mins then turned down to 325. Everything went perfectly until, 3 hours into the cook, I started to wonder why such a small bird was taking so long. Sure enough, I hadn't flipped the "alarm" switch on the thermometer. Breast was at 175 (14 degrees past where I was planning to pull it). Dark meat was dry-ish, but most of it was fine. A few of the more exposed bits were drier than I would want to eat. . Skin was great, as was the breast. Even "overcooked" it was juicy and tender. Brine and Turkey Triangle FTW.

[Green Monstah]

What do you guys brine it in? We did a plastic bag one year, and it leaked and was a PITA. Some folks will use buckets or totes, and I just don't brine enough to dedicate an entire bucket/tote to it, plus I get freaked out over poultry contamination, so it's a bit of a conundrum.