Talking Turkey

[TripletDaddy]

Well, the turkey wasn't that bad. Surprisingly, it has been quite good in leftovers. We had some excellent smoked turkey quesadillas last night.

Jeff Lebowski, you eat turkey the night before thanksgiving as well as on thanksgiving?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Jeff Lebowski, you eat turkey the night before thanksgiving as well as on thanksgiving?

You missed one of my posts earlier in the thread. Due to a combination of family circumstances and travel we elected to have our big turkey dinner on Sunday.

[Surfah]

Just pulled the bird out of the brine and it's now in the trash can cooker.

[FN Phat]

Just pulled the bird out of the brine and put it in the smoker.

[TripletDaddy]

You missed one of my posts earlier in the thread. Due to a combination of family circumstances and travel we elected to have our big turkey dinner on Sunday.

Whoops, sorry. I'm generally a student of your posts.

At any rate, the pics looked nice.

[Drunk Tank]

I smoked another turkey on the big green egg. Great results, no pic (looked like the last one). Nice smokey flavor. I used hickory, but really wish I had apple, cherry, or pecan. Hickory to me seems a little strong for poultry.

The second turkey I cooked in the Traeger. I have only cooked twice on this new Traeger, and as such, I put a digital smoker thermometer just above the grate to compare with the Trager digital thermometer. There was a 75 degree difference! I thought that maybe my smoker thermometer was broken, but the dome thermometer was reading much higher than both the others. Upon investigating, I found that the RTD on the Traeger was touching the outside wall of the smoker causing it to read cold. When I corrected that, all the temps evened out.



I decided to roast this turkey whole, unlike the one on the egg. After brining for 24 hours, I salted and peppered the cavity and stuffed the bird with a quatered apple, quartered onion, smashed garlic cloves, a quartered lemon and some rosemary and thyme sprigs. I then rubbed it down with olive oil and sprinkled it with some salt & pepper and Weber's Kick'n Chicken. I cooked the birds in a roasting pan because I needed pan drippings for gravy. I then poured some turkey stock in the bottom of the roasting pan and poured 1/2 bottle of white wine over the turkey and in the cavity. To the pan I added a bit of Old Bay seasoning as well.



I cooked it at 325, basting it every 20 minutes after the first 2 hours. It turned out great! I ended up covering the breast with loose foil after the 2 hour mark because I thought it was going to get too dark. I ended up with it being too light, but still very tasty. The pan drippings and gravy made from the drippings was awesome. Some of the best I've had.






I am turkey'd out. 3 turkeys in 2 weeks is enough. Christmas will be prime rib or ham and for New Years I think I will do surf and turf.

[pellegrino]

So I did the Alton Brown method from the link I posted earlier. Comparing what I perceive to be the effort and work yall put into your birds with what I did for mine, I think AB's recipe is far and away the easiest way to get great tasting turkey. Between preparing the brine and cooking the bird I estimate that I put in a total of 45 minutes to an hour of actual work spread out over an 18 hour period and I slept for 8 of those hours.

The turkey was a big hit, everyone loved it, and I feel like if (or when) I do this again, that's the only way I'll do it. Nothing against yall with your traegers and eggs and all, but I'm all about minimum effort for maximum yield and I think AB's recipe hits the sweet spot.

[Drunk Tank]

So I did the Alton Brown method from the link I posted earlier. Comparing what I perceive to be the effort and work yall put into your birds with what I did for mine, I think AB's recipe is far and away the easiest way to get great tasting turkey. Between preparing the brine and cooking the bird I estimate that I put in a total of 45 minutes to an hour of actual work spread out over an 18 hour period and I slept for 8 of those hours.

The turkey was a big hit, everyone loved it, and I feel like if (or when) I do this again, that's the only way I'll do it. Nothing against yall with your traegers and eggs and all, but I'm all about minimum effort for maximum yield and I think AB's recipe hits the sweet spot.

Nothing wrong with simple!

[Jeff Lebowski]

Whoa DT, when did you get the new Traeger? You decide to dump your old one?

[pellegrino]

Nothing wrong with simple!

that's right, and anyone who is intimidated by cooking turkey needs to use AB's recipe. It's as easy as boiling water, which is about the most difficult thing you have to do for it.

[Drunk Tank]

Whoa DT, when did you get the new Traeger? You decide to dump your old one?

Costco had a Traeger roadshow a few months back. I got it for $799.00, but I had a $300 credit, so it seemed like less. I am in the process of selling my other. It sits lonely in the garage.

[Eddie]

I ended up using the Alton Brown brine with a couple of modifications - couldn't find vegatable broth so I ended up making my own and I couldn't find candied ginger so I just used fresh.

The bird turned out awesome. Wife still insists it is the best turkey she's ever had.

I didn't take any photos - and really this method of cooking doesn't turn out a pretty bird anyway so it doesn't matter. I used an Ultimate Turkey Cooker - which is part convection oven and part dutch oven - and which cooks the turkey relatively quick (90 minutes for an 18 lb. bird) but also cooks it in a manner that I've never seen the skin get crispy or go dark.

So if you like the skin, I suppose this isn't the best way to go. If you like a moist and tender turkey quick, it's great. Has me ready to do a little more brine experimentation now...

[Dwight Schr-ute]

I'll be cooking for first bird this week (JL, this is really the only reason I complained about having the sister missionaries over, as added pressure). We haven't finished the backyard yet, so I don't have any fun toys, so this will have to take place inside in the oven. Sounds like the Alton Brown brine pre-game soak is the way to go. Thoughts?

[Donuthole]

I'll be cooking for first bird this week (JL, this is really the only reason I complained about having the sister missionaries over, as added pressure). We haven't finished the backyard yet, so I don't have any fun toys, so this will have to take place inside in the oven. Sounds like the Alton Brown brine pre-game soak is the way to go. Thoughts?

Yes.

[falafel]

Yes.

2x. I've done this method 5 years in a row and never had a bad bird.