Turkey

[Ky hills]

Last year my wife found a recipe on line that called for putting a mixture of butter, lemon zest, parsley under the turkey skin and then onions, garlic, parsley stuffed in the turkey. It was good and moist that way with a unique flavor.
This year she did that but added carrots, celery, onions, garlic, jalapeños and an apple sliced up underneath the turkey.
The results were good as far as the turkey, it was as moist and tender as I've ever seen a turkey, but the vegetables underneath dried out too much during cooking. Turkey is really good though and with mashed potatoes, baked beans, cranberry sauce and banana pudding we had plenty of good food.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

That's a new twist. It amazes me that the veg under the turkey were dry. Our turkey had fat juice over flowing out of the pan. That was a smokey mess! - remember, I am NOT the cook. Family comes to my farm and sister & niece do ALL the cooking for a week!

 

[Ky hills]

That's a new twist. It amazes me that the veg under the turkey were dry. Our turkey had fat juice over flowing out of the pan. That was a smokey mess! - remember, I am NOT the cook. Family comes to my farm and sister & niece do ALL the cooking for a week!

Yeah, we were surprised by that too. It was a smaller turkey (10.5 lbs) maybe it didn't have as much fat.

 

[Travlr]

Yeah, we were surprised by that too. It was a smaller turkey (10.5 lbs) maybe it didn't have as much fat.

Wish I could find a ten pound turkey. I'd buy several and stick them in the freezer to be used over the year. Smallest we could find was 14+.

 

[BFE]

My father in law always deep fries a couple and they're delicious. They also did one the Trisha yearwood method from her show. Preheat the oven to 500 and put the turkey in for an hour, then turn off the heat and let set for 3-4 hours, don't remember which. Don't open the door during this time. It was extremely moist and tender. The turkey was stuffed with carrots and celery. Don't know the rest of the particulars but it was very good.

 

[CowboyRam]

Way back when microwaves first came out one of my aunts did a turkey in the microwave. That was the driest turkey I have ever had.

 

[greybeard]

Way back when microwaves first came out one of my aunts did a turkey in the microwave. That was the driest turkey I have ever had.

It would have been known as a Radar Range back then, and yeah.. I can't imagine why something that cooks from the inside out would ever result in meat being dry... leave a biscuit/sausage in there 10 seconds too long and it's like chewing plywood.

 

[greybeard]

Always amazes me how so many people buy a turkey to cook at this unique holiday, steeped in the vision of centuries old turkey taste then try to find ways to change that to something other than that good turkey taste. May as well call it a vegetarian turkey, and it may actually be the 1st of a 12 step program to becoming vegan.. But, for those just determined to stick some gawd awful stuff under a turkey's skin next year, this is what happens when ya stick a couple of Grade AA xlarge fried eggs under the turkey breast skin


[follow me for more turkey cooking tips!!]

 

[Travlr]

this is what happens when ya stick a couple of Grade AA xlarge fried eggs under the turkey breast skin View attachment 37495

Yeah... I don't think so. Maybe a couple of orange halves, the kind with nipples on the bottom side away from the stem.

 

[greybeard]

"Don't believe everything you think"

(it was simply photoshopped)

 

[Ouachita]

Wish I could find a ten pound turkey. I'd buy several and stick them in the freezer to be used over the year. Smallest we could find was 14+.

Buy the 14 pounder. Cook it and take what you don't want to a neighbor or the old folks home.

 

[Ouachita]

Always amazes me how so many people buy a turkey to cook at this unique holiday, steeped in the vision of centuries old turkey taste then try to find ways to change that to something other than that good turkey taste. May as well call it a vegetarian turkey, and it may actually be the 1st of a 12 step program to becoming vegan.. But, for those just determined to stick some gawd awful stuff under a turkey's skin next year, this is what happens when ya stick a couple of Grade AA xlarge fried eggs under the turkey breast skin View attachment 37495


[follow me for more turkey cooking tips!!]

I'm imagining TC doing her "giant rack" hand signals.

 

[sstterry]

Wish I could find a ten pound turkey. I'd buy several and stick them in the freezer to be used over the year.

I buy them when they are on sale at Thanksgiving and keep them in the freezer just for that purpose. I picked one up for 57 cents a pound a couple of weeks ago.

By the way, if you spatchcock the turkey (I also dry-brine mine) it will cook in less than half the time.

 

[jltrent]

That looks good.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Well that's a new one on me. Had to look up spatchcock turkey. That looks like a great idea!

 

[sstterry]

Well that's a new one on me. Had to look up spatchcock turkey. That looks like a great idea!

Plus it is fun to say.
I baked one last week in under an hour after it was spatchcocked.

 

[Travlr]

Plus it is fun to say.
I baked one last week in under an hour after it was spatchcocked.

Yeah, I had to look it up too. "Dry brine" is rubbing salt on the bird? What does it do? Just make it salty?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I looked up the "recipe" for spatchcocked turkey. It explains everything. Very interesting.

 

[greybeard]

I have done a spatchcocked turkey in the past as well as a brined turkey.
Yes, the broke back turkey cooks faster and it's somewhat easier to carve but if you're looking for a great presentation at a family gathering, spatchcock probably isn't the way to go.

On a big spatchcocked turkey, you'll need a wider pan too, or at least turn it sideways on your normal roasting pan. I did my first one in an electric roaster and it just did not fit well either way and the wings and thighs got a bit browned..well, ok, they were burned almost black..

No way to stuff a spatchcocked turkey either but it's been years since I put dressing inside a turkey.

Brined turkeys are supposed to cook at about the same time interval as a regular bird but come out jucier. You can now buy pre-brined turkeys most places. I did this year and it wasn't bad. (it was a 'fresh' pre-brined but never frozen bird). They do cost more/lb but I was a bit desperate, considering I didn't completely decide until Wed, not to travel back to East Texas and hadn't bought a turkey.

prebrined H E B turkey

Of course, if ya carve your turkey like these folks, I guess it don't matter what it looks like when it comes out of the oven.

 

[M.Magis]

I skipped the brine this year and instead injected with bbq phosphate "marinade". I've been using it for several different things lately and it can really make a huge difference as far as moisture. I was the juiciest turkey I've ever had. I also spatchcock the turkey, it makes a huge difference in getting the bird to cook evenly. When cooking a turkey traditionally, the breast is quite overcooked (and dry) by the time the thighs are cooked through.