Turkey talk, advice please

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I am making a green bean casserole and a corn pudding. If I can assemble them ahead and refrigerate until the next day, that would be perfect. What do you think?

Absolutely, that will work. Fresh green beans can even be blanched ahead and finished the next day, as in this recipe: Sautéed Green Beans With Mushrooms and Caramelized Cipollini Onions | Serious Eats

And my MIL made a corn pudding in the microwave once that was delicious. IMO, just about everything but the turkey itself can be done ahead
 
I have never cooked a bird breast-side down, on the grill, or in the oven. My turkeys come out ridiculously juicy and tender. Plus, I advise against this practice as accidentally dropping a hot bird into teh pan could result in scalded skin on the cook. I know what a severe burn feels like, not from cooking, but from a different kind of accident. The pain lasts for many months and is extreme.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

And that would be why you turn it ON/OVER THE RACK! If it drops, it falls on the rack, not into the juices in the pan. It's not a big deal to flip it if you use common sense. I can do it by myself but will admit it's A LOT easier if 2 people do it. And I've never dropped it.
 
JMHO, I don't believe roasting a turkey breast side down, on its own, results in a juicier turkey. The juices run right past the breasts and into the pan. They don't get absorbed by the breasts.

If your turkey came out dry, it was overcooked.
 
Absolutely, that will work. Fresh green beans can even be blanched ahead and finished the next day, as in this recipe: Sautéed Green Beans With Mushrooms and Caramelized Cipollini Onions | Serious Eats

And my MIL made a corn pudding in the microwave once that was delicious. IMO, just about everything but the turkey itself can be done ahead

So true. And it is like having leftovers the next day. And we all know how good leftovers are. The food has a chance to sit and develop flavor. YUM!:angel:
 
JMHO, I don't believe roasting a turkey breast side down, on its own, results in a juicier turkey. The juices run right past the breasts and into the pan. They don't get absorbed by the breasts.

If your turkey came out dry, it was overcooked.

+1. I've tried both ways and didn't notice any difference. Three ways, if you want to count trying roasting bags. :)

Now I just take the bird from the fridge a couple of hours before roasting, pat it dry if it needs it, season with s and p, and sometimes I'll stuff an onion and herbs in the cavity. Oven preheated to 425, and the bird gets tented with foil towards the end if it needs it. The giblets (except the liver) are cooked as soon as they're thawed enough to remove from the cavity and used in bread dressing and gravy, along with the broth they were cooked in.

So many ways to cook a delicious bird, this is just how I do it. Simple and with the least fuss possible. I save the fuss for the sides. :ermm::LOL:

Oh, and speaking of sides - I absolutely make most of them the day before. The less preparation and clean up the day of the dinner, the better.
 
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For the last few years, I've used my bread machine to make the dough for yeast rolls and then baked them in the oven. The dough can be made up to two days before and refrigerated after the first rise and shaping (I make the amount for nine rolls and put them in a round baking pan).

Take them out of the fridge to warm up and rise again, then bake. They're so easy and delicious!
 
For the last few years, I've used my bread machine to make the dough for yeast rolls and then baked them in the oven. The dough can be made up to two days before and refrigerated after the first rise and shaping (I make the amount for nine rolls and put them in a round baking pan).

Take them out of the fridge to warm up and rise again, then bake. They're so easy and delicious!

I have been wanting a bread machine for years. As much as I enjoy the kneading of the dough by hand, severe arthritis has brought that to a halt. So maybe I should put it on my Christmas Wish List. I doubt I will get it, but I can wish. :angel:
 
The 1997 edition of Joy of Cooking recommends turning a chicken on it's side, then flipping to the other side, and finally roasting breast side up. They recommend flipping side to side every 30 minutes for a turkey and finishing breast side up.

"To be tender and juicy, the breast needs to be cooked to an internal temperature no greater than 165°F. The legs, meanwhile, must be cooked to 175° to 180°F, or else they will remain chewy and disturbingly pink. In roasting a turkey, then, the object is to encourage the legs to cook at a faster rate than the breast. Unfortunately, when you roast by the simple breast-up method, precisely the opposite happens. Exposed throughout roasting to the glaring heat of the oven roof and drained of juice by gravity's downward tug, the breast inevitably overcooks and dries out by the time the legs are done and the stuffing heated through."

My MIL and I roasted a turkey one year for Thanksgiving and only flipped it three times. It was wonderful. The breast was juicy enough for me (and I almost always find white meat too dry). It was, according to my BIL, "Not dry enough". :ermm:
 
I have been wanting a bread machine for years. As much as I enjoy the kneading of the dough by hand, severe arthritis has brought that to a halt. So maybe I should put it on my Christmas Wish List. I doubt I will get it, but I can wish. :angel:
Don't you have a KitchenAid mixer? Wouldn't that knead the bread for you?
 
Wouldn't that knead the bread for you?

Yes it will and it does a very fine job. You just have to make sure and not put too much in there. A triple batch of pizza dough (makes 6-9 pizzas depending on size) tends to strip the plastic gear that hubby said was deliberately used as a failsafe so as not to damage the metal gears or the motor. :rolleyes:
 
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The 1997 edition of Joy of Cooking recommends turning a chicken on it's side, then flipping to the other side, and finally roasting breast side up. They recommend flipping side to side every 30 minutes for a turkey and finishing breast side up.

"To be tender and juicy, the breast needs to be cooked to an internal temperature no greater than 165°F. The legs, meanwhile, must be cooked to 175° to 180°F, or else they will remain chewy and disturbingly pink. In roasting a turkey, then, the object is to encourage the legs to cook at a faster rate than the breast. Unfortunately, when you roast by the simple breast-up method, precisely the opposite happens. Exposed throughout roasting to the glaring heat of the oven roof and drained of juice by gravity's downward tug, the breast inevitably overcooks and dries out by the time the legs are done and the stuffing heated through."

My MIL and I roasted a turkey one year for Thanksgiving and only flipped it three times. It was wonderful. The breast was juicy enough for me (and I almost always find white meat too dry). It was, according to my BIL, "Not dry enough". :ermm:

Sounds to me that with the technique you use, you should be cooing your bird on a rotisserie. Simply turn on the motor every half hour to flip the bird 180' until it's time to go breast-side up.

You could also roast your turkey beer-can style. If you're not stuffing the cavity, spatchcock the turkey to place the wings and thighs closest to the oven top.

Even by your explanation, there are multiple ways to roast a turkey.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North.
 
Don't you have a KitchenAid mixer? Wouldn't that knead the bread for you?

It would. The great thing about a bread machine is that it's hands-off once you put the ingredients in. It mixes, rests and kneads by itself, and regulates the temperature, too.

I'm sure you can find one at a thrift store for next to nothing.
 
Sounds to me that with the technique you use, you should be cooing your bird on a rotisserie. Simply turn on the motor every half hour to flip the bird 180' until it's time to go breast-side up.

You could also roast your turkey beer-can style. If you're not stuffing the cavity, spatchcock the turkey to place the wings and thighs closest to the oven top.

Even by your explanation, there are multiple ways to roast a turkey.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North.

Unfortunately, not everybody has a rotisserie.

Why would you want the wings closer to the heat? Breast side down half of cooking time and even flipping only once keeps the wings pretty moist and not horribly overcooked.
 
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Since the back of the oven is hotter than the front, consider putting your birds in the oven "feet first".
 
Unfortunately, not everybody has a rotisserie.

Why would you want the wings closer to the heat? Breast side down half of cooking time and even flipping only once keeps the wings pretty moist and not horribly overcooked.

I don't have a rotisserie either. I've never thout I was just offering that for people who want a rotating bird and who have one. If someone has a rotisserie, they may not have thought of using it with a turkey. Just saying.

I cover my wings in foil, shiny-side out, to allow them to roast more slowly.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
I have never cooked a bird breast-side down, on the grill, or in the oven. My turkeys come out ridiculously juicy and tender. Plus, I advise against this practice as accidentally dropping a hot bird into teh pan could result in scalded skin on the cook. I know what a severe burn feels like, not from cooking, but from a different kind of accident. The pain lasts for many months and is extreme.

I have never dropped a turkey when turning it and it has to be moved to a platter anyway when done.
So regardless, you are picking that turkey up. No matter what side it resides on.
There is plenty danger in the kitchen, yet we all seem to get along fairly well.

And that would be why you turn it ON/OVER THE RACK! If it drops, it falls on the rack, not into the juices in the pan. It's not a big deal to flip it if you use common sense. I can do it by myself but will admit it's A LOT easier if 2 people do it. And I've never dropped it.

It really is not that hard to turn and I just get my wife to help me.
I could do it by myself, but since shes there, she helps me.

JMHO, I don't believe roasting a turkey breast side down, on its own, results in a juicier turkey. The juices run right past the breasts and into the pan. They don't get absorbed by the breasts.

If your turkey came out dry, it was overcooked.

I believe it and I also suggest it to anyone wanting to roast a turkey.
I have been making the holiday bird for years and it was not until I served breast side down turkey that all those people that have been eating here for years, mentioned a difference and asked me what I did different.
Nothing changed except I roasted breast side down.
So, Its not imagined. Actual living people commented with no suggestion or reason.
There is something to it.

I never had issues with dry turkey. I can say the method discussed improved on an already excellent turkey.
 
I have never dropped a turkey when turning it and it has to be moved to a platter anyway when done.
So regardless, you are picking that turkey up. No matter what side it resides on.
There is plenty danger in the kitchen, yet we all seem to get along fairly well.



It really is not that hard to turn and I just get my wife to help me.
I could do it by myself, but since shes there, she helps me.



I believe it and I also suggest it to anyone wanting to roast a turkey.
I have been making the holiday bird for years and it was not until I served breast side down turkey that all those people that have been eating here for years, mentioned a difference and asked me what I did different.
Nothing changed except I roasted breast side down.
So, Its not imagined. Actual living people commented with no suggestion or reason.
There is something to it.

I never had issues with dry turkey. I can say the method discussed improved on an already excellent turkey.

I can counter that I've cooked turkeys for years, in the oven, and on the grill, breast side up only, and have had such juicy and tender results that I was asked to smoke a turkey on my Webber for a friend's son's wedding. The friend stated that he had never eaten such a juicy turkey. At our anual Thanksgiving Pot luck, at church, again I have become the go-to turkey cook as both the white and dark meat gush juice when you cut into them. Also, when cooking on the grill, and checking the temperature gauge when the estimated time is near, I notice hot juices bubbling happily, just under the breast skin, with the breast up. The skin holds in the juice until a hole is place in it, and then the juices start gushing out, if the turkey hasn't had time to rest properly.

Every cell in the bird is a little bubble of meat juices, and don't start releasing those juices until tightening proteins begin to squeeze them. The proteins don't do that until a temperature of about 170' F.

If it were simply a gravity thing, then juices would never gush from the top of the bird when it was pricked, or from the top of a cooking steak, or chicken, or pork roast.

However, if your way produces wonderful results for you, stick with it. Just know that my way produces wonderful results for me, and I too have witnesses, many witnesses. Just as there is not one way to cook a perfect hot dog, there is not just one way to produce a perfectly cooked turkey. And besides that, what constitutes perfection to me may not be perfection to you, and vice-versa.

There is room for many different approaches to make the perfect turkey. Some would even say to forget the turkey and roast prime rib, or ham, or goose.

My way isn't the only right way. That's all I'm saying.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
I don't have a rotisserie either. I've never thout I was just offering that for people who want a rotating bird and who have one. If someone has a rotisserie, they may not have thought of using it with a turkey. Just saying.

I cover my wings in foil, shiny-side out, to allow them to roast more slowly.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
I don't think most home rotisseries would handle a turkey unless it was a small one.

Oh and I have learned one thing here. Everyone has their own way of cooking a turkey.
 
I have an 8 legged Turkey! Only a couple of breast meat lovers, so I was able to pick up 6 extra drumsticks, wish I could have gotten some thighs as well.
 
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