Now you're talking Turkey!

[Surfah]

Our turkey turned out great. The last couple of years we have been using a brine bought at World Market (Cost Plus). It's great. Just did a simple rub of olive oil, kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and fresh herbs: thyme, rosemary, and sage.

Sorry I forgot to take pics. I forgot to mention in the Orion cooker we tie the legs and wings. Otherwise they fall right off the bird. This time was no exception. The dark meat pulled right off the bone.

[Portland Ute]

I was put in charge of the turkey this year. I'm by no means the expert that some of you in this thread are.

We bought a 21 lb. turkey.

I've brined with a very simple brine in the past, but last minute, I was persuaded to use the Alton Brown brine.

We brined for about 14 hours over night.

I stuffed it with homemade cranberry-apple-walnut stuffing.

My SIL insisted that we use a bag. So...GASP!...we bagged it.

I placed celery and onions in the bag and peppered the bird lightly.

Our oven has a built-in temp probe. So, we put in the probe and set the oven to cook on convection at 325. It was done in about 3 hours.

I guess I lucked out. The white meat was tender and juicy and the legs just pulled off the bird. The dark meat, which I'm not a huge fan of, was really great. Tender.

Everyone loved the flavor of the turkey. My SILs who are quite picky both loved it so much that they said it was better without the gravy. It was quite good.

I'll use the Alton Brown brine again. So will my SILs. They both wanted the recipe. It really was as good as advertised. Thanks Alton! Thanks CUF for persuading me to use that brine recipe.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

(Now, would somebody PLEASE come over and get these people OUT of my house? They are really all going to be here until Sunday???? Right now I am THANKFUL that I have a football game tomorrow that I can stretch out to take up almost the entire day.)

[Katy Lied]

I also used the Alton Brown brine, and my turkey tasted much better.

I have a question for you turkey baggers:

What are the benefits of bagging a turkey? That lovely golden glow and crunchy skin comes from roasting in a large area of heated air. Once you restrict the hot air flow by confining it to a bag or closed pan, aren't you essentially steaming the turkey?

Yeah, a steamed turkey has moist breast meat, but isn't the skin pale white?

Anyway, I subscribe to that famous chef (forget his name) who said that the way the turkey is constructed, either you get moist breast meat and the rest of the turkey is undercooked, or the breast meat is dry and everything else is perfect. The bigger your turkey, the more this effect is magnified. He suggests picking either white meat or dark meat and cooking to optimize one or the other but not both.

[hostile]

Anyway, I subscribe to that famous chef (forget his name) who said that the way the turkey is constructed, either you get moist breast meat and the rest of the turkey is undercooked, or the breast meat is dry and everything else is perfect. The bigger your turkey, the more this effect is magnified. He suggests picking either white meat or dark meat and cooking to optimize one or the other but not both.

One thing I have found helpful in roasting fowl like chicken and turkey is to make several knife-slashes in the legs/thighs before cooking. It increases the surface area of the dark meat exposed to the heat and brings the cooking times of the dark and light meat closer together. I usually stuff the slashed meat with a combination of herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil.

Another option is to remove the wings/legs/thighs completely and cook the light and dark meat separately.

[wuapinmon]

Driving down Hendersonville Highway near Biltmore Village just now, we had to stop for four wild turkeys crossing the road. Lock your doors. The turkey ninjas are coming, and they want vengeance.

[Donuthole]

Anyway, I subscribe to that famous chef (forget his name) who said that the way the turkey is constructed, either you get moist breast meat and the rest of the turkey is undercooked, or the breast meat is dry and everything else is perfect. The bigger your turkey, the more this effect is magnified. He suggests picking either white meat or dark meat and cooking to optimize one or the other but not both.

I don't subscribe to that theory, as I think Alton Brown's brine + foil triangle method works very well. That said, if I did subscribe to whatshisname's theory, that would be an easy choice: I'd choose to cook the turkey until the dark meat is perfect. After all, the people who prefer breast meat to dark meat are already suffering from a challenged palate; the chances of them noticing the breast meat is overcooked are slim, at best.

[Shaka]

Driving down Hendersonville Highway near Biltmore Village just now, we had to stop for four wild turkeys crossing the road. Lock your doors. The turkey ninjas are coming, and they want vengeance.

They got me. Just came up for air after an afternoon and night worshipping the porcelain god. Three cheers for foot poisoning!

[Katy Lied]

Three cheers for foot poisoning!

What'd ya step in?

[Shaka]

What'd ya step in?

Oops. I can't proofread while my ass is still kicked. Food poisoning.

[Surfah]

24 hours later and I am turkey'd out.

[TripletDaddy]

24 hours later and I am turkey'd out.

same. we are going out for shabu shabu.

[creekster]

Some nice looking birds in this thread. Someone, cant recall who, asked about the bag method and the browning of the skin. I cook with a bag almost every year. the skin browns up very nicely and quite crisply, except for the bottom inch or so of the bird that ends up stewing in its juices, so to speak. Otherwise the bird turns golden brown.

[Jeff Lebowski]

My turkey. Before:



After smoking:



After cooking:



Pulled when the coolest part of the breast was 161 and let it sit for 30 minutes covered before cutting. The breast meat was fairly moist and tender. Thigh meat was fine. Good turkey, but not great. Just not as much flavor as I would like. I need to experiment with some more brines. I am not much of a turkey expert. I suppose I should try it more than once per year.

[FN Phat]

24 hours later and I am turkey'd out.

We are going for.round three tonight. Tomorrow night is Turkey enchiladas and Sunday night is Turkey pot pie...I'm setting at half time with a long second half ahead

[Green Monstah]

24 hours later and I am turkey'd out.

This is why I'm such a fan of just cooking a turkey breast (I'm a white meat guy); you get a little of what you want for the meal, but don't have to eat Turkey for the next week.