Let's Talk Turkey

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

erehweslefox

Sous Chef
Joined
May 20, 2016
Messages
578
Location
Hatfield, PA
OK I'm surprised there is not a thread for this, must not have searched as carefully as I should. I think I have a new take. I just reserved a turkey from a local farm, and yes I have agreed to cook Thanksgiving Dinner (major stuff, I am a little bit nervous).

So I've done a grocery store turkey before, and I am pretty good with Dariana Allen's sourdough apple stuffing. I know a lot of folks don't like in bird stuffing, but I kind of want to go with it. My big concern is that this isn't a brine injected big Purdue bird, this is gonna be a free range turkey. I am picking it up on Tuesday, I plan on brining it for at least 24 hours. I have my stuffing recipe solid, don't know what else to do. Particularly concerned about basting the last thing I want is a dry turkey.

Any thoughts cooking friends?

Yrs,

Efox
 
Good morning, Efox. We would have gotten around to it before turkey day ;)

I haven't done a free-range turkey (the prices here are astronomical), but the bottom line is that overcooking causes dry meat. Basting will not help prevent it; whatever liquid you pour on it will slide right off and not penetrate the meat at all. I quit basting years ago. I do always stuff my turkey, though. We really like it that way.
 
I agree. Overcooking causes dry turkey.

Also, over brining is not a good thing. I put my turkey into the brine at bedtime the night before and it goes into the oven late the following morning. 8-12 hours is plenty. Use the appropriate quantities of salt and water.

As much as you like the idea of in-bird stuffing, that makes it easier to overcook the turkey. With in-bird stuffing, all the stuffing must reach a minimum temperature of 161ºF to be safe.
 
Basting will not help prevent it; whatever liquid you pour on it will slide right off and not penetrate the meat at all.

Yup here is the worry, and I am GotGarlic, totally gonna stuff our turkey.

I am a little worried about using a free range bird. I am gonna brine it before we cook it for at least a day. I dunno what to do other than brining, and stuffing. I just worry it will come out dry.

Our goal is to get the turkey up to 165 degrees, and then let it coast for a bit. My dilemma is also whether to bring it up to temperature quick or slow.

I'm also considering when stuffed wrapping the entire bird in Aluminum foil. Keep the moisture in.
 
Yup here is the worry, and I am GotGarlic, totally gonna stuff our turkey.

I am a little worried about using a free range bird. I am gonna brine it before we cook it for at least a day. I dunno what to do other than brining, and stuffing. I just worry it will come out dry.

Our goal is to get the turkey up to 165 degrees, and then let it coast for a bit. My dilemma is also whether to bring it up to temperature quick or slow.

I'm also considering when stuffed wrapping the entire bird in Aluminum foil. Keep the moisture in.

It's a big, dense piece of meat. Low and slow is the way to go :LOL: Once it's up to 165, it's done. Letting it stay in the oven after that will only increase the risk of it drying out. If it's at least 10 pounds, it will need to rest for about a half hour before carving.

Wrapping it in foil will keep evaporating moisture in the foil, but not in the meat. And you won't get crispy skin that way.
 
Last edited:
15 pounds. I have some time to play with it, seriously thinking of a 300 degree oven, low and slow, right? I was a little tempted to precook the stuffing. I kind of feel that is unnecessary. I'm thinking very hard of injecting marinade, cider vinegar, melted butter and garlic.
 
Cut brining to 12 hours, increase cooking time at a lower temp, 300 and might be a long cooking, cut cooking at 165 degrees and let sit for 20 minutes.

thoughts?
 
We always, when we lived in England, had a large turkey - 20lbs more or less - for Christmas Day. I used to rub butter, salt and pepper all over it, and then cover the whole breast with a stiff flour and water paste, and take it off about 20 mins to 1/2 an hour before it was done to brown off the breast before serving. Then I'd let it stand for about 15 mins before serving. I always stuffed it with sage and onion stuffing in the cavity and chestnut stuffing at the wishbone end. That's what my Dad used to do, and I learned it from him. In Italy, turkeys are small, like chickens. Not the same thing, so here I make turkey breast involtini - turkey breast flattened out with stuffing rolled up in it. Not the same by any means, but it does for two people!

I' ll be thinking of you all on your Thanksgiving Day, and wish you all a happy day.

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde
 
I'll probably do another smoked bird. Whether we have a roasted one is undecided. We do dressing instead of stuffing. Just remember, the best part of T-Day is the after dinner, Dagwood style turkey sandwich!:yum:
 
I'll probably do another smoked bird. Whether we have a roasted one is undecided. We do dressing instead of stuffing. Just remember, the best part of T-Day is the after dinner, Dagwood style turkey sandwich!:yum:

Craig, you must know my daughter. Did I hear you say "turkey sandwiches?" I have known her to do a turkey in the middle of a hot summer day, just so she can have turkey sandwiches. She removes the breasts and then gives the carcass to me for soup. he just can't wait until November or December rolls around. That baby goes into the freezer to wait for a cool day. S
 
No, this is the special T-Day sandwich, piled high with turkey, stuffing/dressing and cranberry sauce/relish/jelly. The bread is slathered with mayo.
 
We have had more than one thread about turkey cooking for the T day.
I am a big proponent of basting. Even make some broth/soup just for that. However, no matter how much basting you do, if it's overcooked, it's overcooked. So, mind the cooking temps. Brining is a good idea. Lucky me kosher chicken goes thru salting and soaking, so I do not have to brine. Personally, I like to season turkey night or even day before, not sure if it really helps seasoning to penetrate thru the meat, but I am sure I talked myself into believing that. Good luck.
 
I both agree and dis-agree with a lot here. I believe in basting and tenting with foil. Other than my early years of first trying to cook turkey - I've never had any dry meat.

Rub and season well with butter, s&p and thn which ever seasonings you prefer, such as sage and/or thyme. I baste with the juice from the bottom - a fantastic mix of wine, homemade chicken broth, or a broth made from extra store bought turkey wings. Keep extra broth on the counter to add to the pan should it be needed.

I've pretty much stopped stuffing the turkeys. Usually stuff them with chunks of onions, apples, celery, garlic etc. This gets mashed into the gravy after. The stuffing I either cook in a casserole dish or wrap in foil - foil packets can fit into amazing spaces in your oven. Also remember, the more you need in the oven the more you need to adjust your timing.
 
Cut brining to 12 hours, increase cooking time at a lower temp, 300 and might be a long cooking, cut cooking at 165 degrees and let sit for 20 minutes.

thoughts?

I do mine at 325°F.

There are two problems with basting: 1) it doesn't penetrate the skin, so it doesn't get into the meat and 2) wetting the skin slows down browning. It has to evaporate before browning can happen, and, next to juicy meat, crispy skin is my major goal for roasted poultry.

From The Food Lab's Definitive Guide to Buying, Prepping, Cooking, and Carving Your Holiday Turkey

Q: Does rubbing butter, oil, or a dry rub on my turkey affect the way it cooks?

Yes, though contrary to what some sources claim, oil, butter, and/or aromatics are nothing more than a surface treatment—they don't penetrate far beyond the skin (even if applied directly to the meat underneath. I generally do nothing more than rub my turkey skin with a little oil and season with salt and pepper, though there are other things to consider:

Going naked is the easiest, and will give you the crispest skin, particularly if you let the turkey air-dry overnight in the fridge. Do not let a turkey dry out for more than one night or it ill turn leathery and tough instead of crisp.

Spice rubs can add flavor to skin. For best results, combine them with your dry-brine and rub them on the day before. Here's a great guide to making a balanced rub!

Oil will get you a more even golden-brown color, as it helps distribute heat from air in the oven more evenly. It also provides a good surface for salt and pepper to stick to while helping prevent skin from turning leathery.

Butter or herb-butter will add lots of flavor to your skin but it'll also greatly reduce its crispness. Butter is about 18% water. It cools down the skin as it evaporates off. Milk proteins present in butter also brown on their own, so turkey skin rubbed with butter will have a spottier appearance than one rubbed in oil. Some people prefer this appearance.

Q: Should I baste my turkey as it cooks?

Basting will not add moisture to meat, but it can help a turkey cook faster if you are behind schedule. Basting will also re-deposit dripped proteins and aromatic compounds onto the surface of the turkey, which can add flavor but also creates uneven browning. Basted birds tend to have a streaky-skinned appearance.

Q: Any other tips for getting extra-crisp skin?

Yes! Combine your salt rub with a little baking powder before rubbing it into the turkey and letting it rest overnight. That's right, baking powder. It's a trick I discovered while working on my recipe for Really Good Oven-Fried Buffalo Wings a few years ago. Baking powder mixes with the juices on the surface of the turkey skin and reacts, forming microscopic bubbles. These bubbles then crisp up, adding extra surface area and crunch to your turkey as it bakes. Baking powder's slightly alkaline pH also promotes better browning and more efficient breakdown of proteins in the turkey skin.
 
Last edited:
Carving at the Table

As to carving at the table - I know it looks wonderfully Norman Rockwell"ie" but in truth?...
.. By the time the last person receives his plate, the first person is asking for seconds and the carver never gets to eat.

Should everyone wait till all is served before 'digging in'? Well, their food is going to be pretty damn cold. In 'days of yore' waiting for everyone to be served is from having a servant standing behind you with the next plate - hello Downton Abbey!
AND heated plates are mandatory. :LOL: Most of my dinner guests are no longer surprised when dinner is served on heated plates.

Depending on how many are at the table, I will do platters and bowls for both ends of the table. My sister often entertains up to 24 adults for either Thanksgiving or Christmas - almost everything is cooked a day or two ahead and wrapped well in foil - including the turkey!!! You would never know when it comes to the table.
 
If I do turkey, I remove the back bone and flatten it out and it cooks really fast, becomes moist and lovely.
 
Upside down!

I almost forgot!

Some start their turkey or large chickens breast side down. For really large and long cooking birds, I quite like this. I have done it a couple of times and been quite happy with it. Many think the breast meat stays moister this way.

Cook the bird on its breasts until ready to brown the skin. Flip it over (careful here - I've ruined a couple of shirts with splashing) breast side up and keep basting to help with the browning and crisping up of the skin.

When all is said and done you will just have to find out which formula works for you. I have eaten turkey done in completely different ways and they have always been moist. (well, I can think of a few failures.. :rolleyes:)
 
Yeah, Dragnlaw, I think I will do it breast down, and use a aluminium foil shield.

Got Garlic, I have to disagree, and this is I guess a reason we have forums, I don't like a crispy skin. I kind of find the skin icky, and try for an overall moist bird.

I absolutely understand the crisp skin goals for a turkey. I go a different way.

My main worry is that my turkey is too lean, I think I am going to brine it 12 hours, and add some melted butter to the brine, rather than basting, inject that right into the meat. I have a hypodermic injector meat thing rig.

I'm just worried that this free range fresh turkey will not have enough fat in it. I think I am just being dumb, and should trust the bird.

TBS
 
Back
Top Bottom