Cooking a 15-lb turkey in foil

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Overcooked and unsafe aren't the only options.

This thread is up to 40 posts and you're still saying you're going to do what you want. Why did you come here?

To get as much information as I could which I did and then make my decision. It’s called research. My decision is however differnent than when I first came here thanks to this site.
 
To get as much information as I could which I did and then make my decision. It’s called research. My decision is however differnent than when I first came here thanks to this site.

Glad to be of help. the bags does shorten the cooken time. :angel:
 
I don't get what the problem is?
I've often cooked poultry in foil. In fact, I go through most of life in foil. You can't be too careful about "them" beaming stuff into your brain. :wacko:
 
This turkey has one of those "poppy up" thingys. It popped up at 1:00 p.m. (three hours in the oven at 325). I stabbed my meat thermometer next to the poppy up thing, 140. Not done. Why at 325? That is what the instructions were on the wrapper for this turkey. It is still in the oven and it is now at 153. I cook 6-7 turkeys a year, at least one a month from October - April. have been doing that for 25 years. I probably have cooked more turkeys than most DCers (except professional chefs/cooks). Turkey is like chicken in my life. There is just more meat. When the temp reaches 161, it is done. Foil, covered with a towel, it can sit for an hour or longer.
 
I don't get what the problem is?
I've often cooked poultry in foil. In fact, I go through most of life in foil. You can't be too careful about "them" beaming stuff into your brain. :wacko:

A new avitar for you Pac!

Tin_foil_hat_2.jpg
 
I don't get what the problem is?
I've often cooked poultry in foil. In fact, I go through most of life in foil. You can't be too careful about "them" beaming stuff into your brain. :wacko:
Watch that, Pac, I know s/one who got sent to a mental institution because he was out in the wild rice patch wearing foil on his head and got picked up by the sheriff....oh, was that you????:LOL:Sorry, that was in Northern MN. Do you know Cowboy Bob? The guy that dresses up like a cowboy and goes out on garbage day and shoots the garbage cans?
 
Watch that, Pac, I know s/one who got sent to a mental institution because he was out in the wild rice patch wearing foil on his head and got picked up by the sheriff....oh, was that you????:LOL:Sorry, that was in Northern MN. Do you know Cowboy Bob? The guy that dresses up like a cowboy and goes out on garbage day and shoots the garbage cans?

Does shooting crows off your neighbor's garbage cans count? :LOL:
OK, I haven't actually done that yet... but it's a thought :angel:
 
Does shooting crows off your neighbor's garbage cans count? :LOL:
OK, I haven't actually done that yet... but it's a thought :angel:
:LOL::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:If I remember correctly, Cowboy Bob wore red rhinestone cowboy boots. (Sadly, Cowboy Bob is a real person--he was a Vietnam Vet), but his gun was a cap gun. not a semi-automatic rifle (that was a good thing).
 
Were to start? I’m a thankfully former restaurant owner/operator. We used to roast on average a turkey a day and about six chickens in the same oven.
Here’s how we did it with 100% perfect delicious moist birds every day: I’ll preface this little sermon by saying in advance that everyone who has tried this method and followed it TO THE LETTER has never roasted any bird any other way again. You’ll notice I capitalize some words b/c these words are IMPORTANT.
Wet brine the bird/s the day before in Kosher salt....not table salt (It’s too salty). for about four to six hours. Pat dry and refrigerate overnight uncovered. You want the skin to be dry. A couple of hours before roasting remove from the fridge and cover with a towel to allow the bird/s to com up to about room temperature. stick a couple of lemon halves and a sprig or two of fresh thyme and or rosemary in the cavity. Do not ‘truss’. You want the interior of the bird/s to get the same heat as the exterior. Rub to bird/s with a sprinkle of Kosher salt and some black pepper. DO NOT put any butter/fat/oil on the bird/s. Preheat the oven to 200 F. That’s correct 200 F. Stick the bird/s onto the middle rack UNCOVERED.
Any protein that reaches a temperature above 212 F turns to basically rubber. That applies to all meats and even eggs. Anyway.
In a couple of hours check the internal temperature. You are looking for about 150 F. Check more frequently as the temp is rising. You will notice the outside of the bird/s is looking pretty pale. When you read 150 F immediately crank up the ‘broil’. Now watch the bird/s like a hawk. Literally within a couple of minutes the skin will as if by magic turn a beautiful classic golden brown, Remove the birds from the oven right away an lightly tent. The ‘carry over’ will raise the internal temp to about 155+ F. This is perfect. Let the bird’s rest depending on size for at least twenty minutes.
When you break down the birds roasted this way the meat will be juicy and delicious. Obviously all the chickens were roasted well ahead of the turkey.
Ever had roasted turkey/chicken where the first 1/4 inch of the breast meat was hard as a rock? We all have. Welcome to roasting at 450 F.
Try this method once and you’ll never go back to the ‘dark side’ again.
 
Cooking a turkey at 200 degrees is not safe. It's a recipe for potential food poisoning.

Cooking at such a low temperature means that the bird will be lingering in the danger zone (40-140) for hours in the cooker. This allows bacteria to swarm all over it, multiplying rapidly. Though most bacteria is killed by cooking, the bacteria can produce toxins that may not be killed by further cooking.

The USDA says you should never cook a turkey at less than 325, which I think is high to be on the safe side. I'm sure you could cook one lower than that, but definitely not at 200.
 
Wet brine the bird/s the day before in Kosher salt....not table salt (It’s too salty).


In actuality, kosher salt and table salt are equally salty. It's their crystal size that's usually different.

And it's very easy to cook a chicken at 450 and have it come out perfectly moist and delicious. The Zuni Cafe chicken recipe is foolproof.
 
In actuality, kosher salt and table salt are equally salty. It's their crystal size that's usually different.

And it's very easy to cook a chicken at 450 and have it come out perfectly moist and delicious. The Zuni Cafe chicken recipe is foolproof.
B/c table salt has more crystals when you rub it on the bird you are going to get more of it on the bird compared to Kosher salt right?
As to exposing the surface of a bird to 350 F and waiting for that heat level to permeate into the meat until it reaches 150 F or maybe for you 170 F turns the surface of the bird into cement. I want the entire bird from the surface to the interior to be an even temp. Next time you have a bird roasting after a couple of hours touch a thermometer to the surface and look at the temp. Thanks for you opinion but I'll stick with my 'low and slow' method. In serving thousands of happy customers I never had anyone come back complaining of being 'poisoned'. By your logic every one who eats anything made 'Sous Vide' is taking their life in their hands.
If you are disputing the idea that protein strands essentially turn to rubber after reaching over 212 F take it up with Alton Brown.
 
I don't know how you prepped your birds that way because in any restaurant I have ever worked in no health inspector would ever allow you to let any meat, especially poultry, to sit out and come to room temp. We never know when she/he will drop in. Against the code, which I probably don't have to tell you. But, I digress...:LOL:
 
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Not to mention that 155ºF is not a safe temp. for cooked chicken. The drop dead temp. for salmonella is 161ºF.
 
I don't know how you prepped your birds that way because in any restaurant I have ever worked in no health inspector would ever allow you to let any meat, especially poultry, to sit out and come to room temp. We never know when she/he will drop in. Against the code, which I probably don't have to tell you. But, I digress...:LOL:
When I was in the restaurant business it was over twenty five years ago. We saw the restaurant inspector maybe twice a year. If he had a 'special occasion' coming up some how he'd time the visit so he could mention that it was his daughters birthday in two weeks. "Well why not have the birthday dinner here?" Somehow that tab always seemed to get lost. IMO the 'nanny state' has taken over.
Two things: Billions or more birds have been consumed over time in conditions take would make most 'Westerners' gag with no ill effects. 'Low and slow' has been the only way rural people around the world could/can cook meat of any kind. There is simply is not the fuel (wood) to cook/roast meat at hight temperature. In rural China the grandmother stays home and spends her time putting tiny sticks of wood and straw and dung into the fire box to cook the evening meal......low and slow. Man did not evolve having ovens that could roast meat at 350-450 F for hours. It doesn't even make sense from a scientific angle.
Two: Do you enjoy going to the nice little Chinese or E. Indian restaurant in your neighborhood? Any idea how much propane can be saved by having all the meat due for cooking to be first at room temperature? Add that saving up over the years and you can pay for your kids next semester. Ever seen a Chinese restaurant go out of business for lack of customers b/c someone got 'food poisoning'? Ever notice that all the owners kids are driving BMW's and attending 'real' universities paid entirely by the parents cheque book. Connect the dots. As to when the local health inspector will drop in I'll let you in on a secret. Any large restaurant owner I know.....and I know a few know precisely what day and time the inspector will be dropping in 'unexpectedly'. That's when the owner brings in the professional cleaning crew the moment the place closes for the night. By six in the morning you can eat off the floors AND all the fire extinguishers have recent inspection tags. Go figure. I could go on but I won't.
 
puffin3, so you're saying that all the thousands of health inspectors in this country can be bought for the price of a dinner? Having just been certified in the National Restaurant Association's ServSafe food safety program, I'm a bit skeptical.

Here are a couple pix of wine-butt grilled chicken (similar to beer-can chicken, but using wine instead). I preheated the grill for about 15 minutes. Mine doesn't have a thermometer, but the chicken is done in one hour and sometimes the temp is higher than I would like, but it's still juicy and delicious.
 

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