Talking Turkey

[CJF]

I just saw that I didn't say "inch" on my post. I edited, but want to make sure you see that. It's not 1/8 or 1/4 of the pan. Just the very bottom. If it gets up to where the liquid can touch the bottom of the meat it is way too much liquid.

[Bo Diddley]

I just saw that I didn't say "inch" on my post. I edited, but want to make sure you see that. It's not 1/8 or 1/4 of the pan. Just the very bottom. If it gets up to where the liquid can touch the bottom of the meat it is way too much liquid.

That's how I read it.

[Clark Addison]

Kenji Lopez-Alt is one of my trusted sources for food and cooking. For the past few years I have used his turkey method, the main features being 1. Dry brine, 2. Spatchcock, and 3. Hot oven. I have been very pleased with the results.

Today I saw a new version from him (I think it's new), where the main difference is that you use a mayo-herb "rub" on the bird. Has anyone used mayo for this before? I am intrigued.

Recipe:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/...8ecf5a911ca9cf

[The_Tick]

Kenji Lopez-Alt is one of my trusted sources for food and cooking. For the past few years I have used his turkey method, the main features being 1. Dry brine, 2. Spatchcock, and 3. Hot oven. I have been very pleased with the results.

Today I saw a new version from him (I think it's new), where the main difference is that you use a mayo-herb "rub" on the bird. Has anyone used mayo for this before? I am intrigued.

Recipe:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/...8ecf5a911ca9cf

I did mayo as a binder two years ago. Worked great, and you get zero caryyover taste.

[smokymountainrain]

i'm a fan of mayo as a binder.

[Bo Diddley]

Tip no. 1: you don't need to take breast meat to 160.

165 is the temp you need to reach to kill all bacteria instantly. But you can do the same thing if you get it to 150 for at least 5 minutes. Odds are pretty good that by the time you got to 165 (or 160, which does in 30 seconds what 165 does instantly) the little bugs will be long dead. Give it five minutes after you notice the breast meat reaches 150, and you'll be good to go. Going higher than that risks drying it out.

https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/11/...key-video.html

Tip no. 2: air dry after a wet brine.

Brining is a great practice-- it will do wonders for juiciness-- but it will also keep the skin moist when you cook it. You want that crispy skin. After brining, put the bird out so the skin can dry up, which will increase your odds of a good, crisp skin (as will cranking up the temperature at the very end of the cook).

Tip no. 3: separate the parts.

The truth is that turkeys were not designed to be cooked whole. The part that will cook fastest, the breast, is the part you want to keep at a lower temperature, and the part you need to get up to 185, the thigh, won't get there until the very end. Take a few minutes to pull the thing apart. There's something oddly empowering about deconstructing the turkey, but more importantly you will be able to manage the temps of the individual cuts to get each part just right. Then you can give the legs to the two cavemen of your party, hot-temped thigh meat to the savory minded, and perfectly moist breast meat to the rest. (This comes at the cost of your Norman Rockwell moment, admittedly, and I don't discount the value of tradition lightly. I mean, if you really wanted the best turkey possible, you'd ditch it altogether and smoke a brisket.)

Found this on the internets:

Screenshot_20221113_130855.jpg
Since I'm holding the turkey breasts tomorrow after pulling off the smoker, I'm going to pull at 150. I'm also planning on smoking 225-250 to help get an even temperature throughout and keep any of it from drying out. That will also ensure it hits these temperatures thresholds for longer to kill off bacteria.

[Non Sequitur]

This is a guy I follow on YouTube. Reading AA's tips reminded me of this video I watched a couple of weeks ago. I might try it this year:

[Donuthole]

This is a guy I follow on YouTube. Reading AA's tips reminded me of this video I watched a couple of weeks ago. I might try it this year:

I love the Alton Brown turkey triangle method for a whole turkey, but the main reason to do that is so you have an entire bird that looks pretty. That said, we are not a particularly fancy family, so I don't' deliver the in-tact bird to the table or anything; I carve it and put it all on a serving tray. Which is the long way of saying, I might give this method a try this year. We are having 29 people over, so we'll be doing two birds. I do one the night before, and throw that in the fridge for leftovers. Then I do one the morning of and carve it right before we eat. I think i'll try this with the first bird, for sure, and maybe for both. And I like the idea of making stock from the raw carcass.

[Jeff Lebowski]

We are only going to have 3 of us this year. I am going to sous vide a turkey breast.

[Art Vandelay]

I feel like I've perfected the brining and smoking of a turkey. However, I still haven't found a rub or seasoning that I'm crazy about; I've tried 4 or 5 different ones. What are some recommendations?

[clackamascoug]

We are only going to have 3 of us this year. I am going to sous vide a turkey breast.

Do you guys still do Sunday dinners?

About 5 years ago we just started making a meal - place it on the island - and don't sit at the table together anymore.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Do you guys still do Sunday dinners?

Yes.

About 5 years ago we just started making a meal - place it on the island - and don't sit at the table together anymore.

[Northwestcoug]

Gonna be 4 of us at Thanksgiving. I was initially just going to do a turkey breast but then my son went and won a whole turkey at Mrs. NWC's black powder rifle shoot. So it will be the same brine/smoking this year, with a lot of meat left over.

[Pelado]

We're hosting a dinner at our new place which comes with a commitment to smoke a turkey. So far, it looks like it will only be around 15 or so people. I'm planning to spatchcock the turkey. Typically, I just put the turkey directly on the smoker grill grates, not worrying about collecting the turkey juices. I was thinking a little differently this year that it might be nice to capture the drippings in a pan and then hold the turkey in that covered pan until dinner time. Thoughts?

[All-American]

I feel like I've perfected the brining and smoking of a turkey. However, I still haven't found a rub or seasoning that I'm crazy about; I've tried 4 or 5 different ones. What are some recommendations?

Go to Scarborough fair. Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes...4-b92f88e2652a