Thanksgiving meals, Thursday, November 23, 2023?

[medtran49]

Deconstructing a turkey might be beyond my skills, but this sounds like a brilliant idea. I'm not much good at carving; while my turkeys have always tasted very good they have also been kind of a mess. I would have drumsticks, breasts, wings and a huge pile of miscellaneous pieces. Would there be some kind of order in which you placed the turkey?

Spatchcock the turkey. That is the only way I roast turkey or chicken anymore. Because of the way you place the bird, everything cooks evenly and gets done at the same time. I cook the bird for a while by itself on foil or parchment, then set up another sheet pan with foil or parchment, a layer of stuffing/dressing, then slide the partially cooked bird onto the stuffing/dressing and finish cooking the last 30-45 minutes.

Crisp-Skinned Spatchcocked (Butterflied) Roast Turkey With Gravy Recipe

Spatchcocking turkey gives you stunningly crisp skin and perfectly cooked white and dark meat. Bonus: this recipe makes a flavorful gravy from the pan drippings, too.

www.seriouseats.com

 

[Andy M.]

Spatchcock the turkey. That is the only way I roast turkey or chicken anymore. Because of the way you place the bird, everything cooks evenly and gets done at the same time. I cook the bird for a while by itself on foil or parchment, then set up another sheet pan with foil or parchment, a layer of stuffing/dressing, then slide the partially cooked bird onto the stuffing/dressing and finish cooking the last 30-45 minutes.

Crisp-Skinned Spatchcocked (Butterflied) Roast Turkey With Gravy Recipe

Spatchcocking turkey gives you stunningly crisp skin and perfectly cooked white and dark meat. Bonus: this recipe makes a flavorful gravy from the pan drippings, too.

www.seriouseats.com

I'v been spatchcocking our turkey for a couple of years. It works out great. I cooked a 16.4 pound turkey at 450ºF and it was done in less that 2 hours and perfectly browned skin. I did a 20 pounder last year with similar results.

 

[taxlady]

You will need to precook the breast by itself @350 for 20 minutes because the dark meat cooks faster than the white meat.

Really? I thought the conventional wisdom was that the breast cooked faster than the dark meat. I might have to experiment with that.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Really? I thought the conventional wisdom was that the breast cooked faster than the dark meat. I might have to experiment with that.

Even if they cooked at the same speed, the dark meat requires a higher finished temperatrure.

 

[taxlady]

Even if they cooked at the same speed, the dark meat requires a higher finished temperatrure.

So, wouldn't you start the dark meat first, to give it a head start?

 

[medtran49]

You will need to precook the breast by itself @350 for 20 minutes because the dark meat cooks faster than the white meat.

Never heard of doing that.

Really? I thought the conventional wisdom was that the breast cooked faster than the dark meat. I might have to experiment with that.

I wouldn't unless you like sawdust turkey breast.

Even if they cooked at the same speed, the dark meat requires a higher finished temperatrure.

Yes it does, that's why you start the bird upside down, then flip later during cook time, or tent the breast area with foil, or spatchcock. Or cut it apart, but I would never start the breast part first.

 

[rodentraiser]

I totally forgot to add: dessert this year, which was whip cream on strawberries, was fantastic. Of course, it would have been better to have let the strawberries thaw first. LOL

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Never heard of doing that.

I wouldn't unless you like sawdust turkey breast.

Yes it does, that's why you start the bird upside down, then flip later during cook time, or tent the breast area with foil, or spatchcock. Or cut it apart, but I would never start the breast part first.

Look, the recipe is originally Julia Child's. If you have a problem with it, take it up with her! I have been doing it exactly the way I described for 7 years now and it has come out perfect every time, including this past Thursday.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I totally forgot to add: dessert this year, which was whip cream on strawberries, was fantastic. Of course, it would have been better to have let the strawberries thaw first. LOL

I was counting on my once yearly slice of pumpkin pie, but the Walmart shopper decided they were out of the pumpkin pie I selected, and chose a Marie Callender's Dutch apple pie instead, not remembering that they already picked up an apple pie from the bakery in my order. I swear they need to quit giving their new hires drug tests and give them IQ tests instead!

 

[medtran49]

Look, the recipe is originally Julia Child's. If you have a problem with it, take it up with her! I have been doing it exactly the way I described for 7 years now and it has come out perfect every time, including this past Thursday.

Julia took the thigh bone out out originally from what I've found, though there are a lot of recipes out there where people decided to skip that step. I can see the method working with a deboned thigh since it will cook much faster than a bone in thigh.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I've done it both ways. They come out equally good.