How many ways to cook a turkey?

[DeepFryaTurkey]

When preparing your turkey do you roast, deep fry, grill, or try something else?

 

[Andy M.]

I have roasted, deep fried and smoked a turkey. Being a traditionalist, I roast for Thanksgiving. I have deep-fried for Christmas and smoked for fun. A turducken is on my bucket list.

 

[Dawgluver]

Welcome to DC!

I roast. Have also ordered smoked turkeys from Greenberg Turkey out of Texas, they're awesome.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Roast, I don't have the facilities to deepfry or I'd be trying that.

 

[chopper]

I have roasted, deep fried and smoked a turkey. Being a traditionalist, I roast for Thanksgiving. I have deep-fried for Christmas and smoked for fun. A turducken is on my bucket list.

I've had a turducken one year for Christmas. It was good, but I like duck better. That is what we usually have for Christmas.

I roast turkey, but I have had it deep fried, and that is really good too.

 

[roadfix]

I put my bird on the rotiss last T-giving. Came out great.

 

[CWS4322]

I usually roast it. But I have done it on the propane BBQ and we deep-fried one once. My dad uses his turkey fryer for evapping maple syrup, but we did try it once for a turkey.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I roast it for holiday meals.

I also poach turkey if I find one on sale or marked down at other times during the year.

Give it a try for some cheap eats!

Turkey in a pot!


This recipe was adapted from a recipe by Jeff Smith, the Frugal Gourmet.


Cut a 10 to 12 pound turkey into pieces, just as you would cut up a chicken. Place parts in a stock pot (I leave out the liver). Add enough water to cover. Toss in a couple of carrots, some celery and an onion cut roughly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let it simmer for an hour. Turn off heat and let cool until you can handle the turkey parts. Place the turkey parts on a sheet pan with sides, remove skin and bones. Cool meat and use or freeze in family size containers. Return the bones and skin to the stock and simmer for another 45 minutes to an hour. Strain stock and chill, remove fat and use or freeze. Take care in quickly chilling the meat and stock, it can sour if it is not done quickly.

 

[Hoot]

We have not had the opportunity to fry a turkey here. I have a cousin, however, who has the process down to an art. Mighty good. I roasted a turkey over an open fire pit several years ago. It was good but managing the fire was a lot of work.

 

[Hoot]

BTW...Welcome to D.C.!

 

[forty_caliber]

Smoking is my preferred method. Low and slow doesn't apply to poultry. Crank the smoker up to 325 - 350 and cook to an internal temp of 165. Let it rest 15 minutes before carving.

A "turkey cannon" is number two for me, like beer can chicken except horizontal. Works great on the grill or oven.

.40

 

[Kayelle]

Our favorite Thanksgiving turkey is done on a charcoal Webber kettle barbeque. We have a metal collar to raise the lid and hold the heat so it will accommodate a twenty pound bird. The bird is injected with butter mixed with Cajan spices, and it's the most wonderful bird you've ever tasted.
To us, it's far superior to the deep fried bird we have also done.

 

[msmofet]

Convection roast

 

[Claire]

To make a 20+ pound bird fit in your Weber, butterfly or halve it. I'm one of those people who rarely buy a turkey outside of Thanksgiving, but when I do, that's how I do it.

 

[Kayelle]

To make a 20+ pound bird fit in your Weber, butterfly or halve it. I'm one of those people who rarely buy a turkey outside of Thanksgiving, but when I do, that's how I do it.

That sounds like a great idea Claire, but how do you manage to cook it with the "indirect coals method" since the two halves must take up the entire surface of the grill?

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I have an 18 inch Webber Kettle and have cooked many a 20 Lb+ bird on it, with divide charcoal beds, and apple, maple, and birch for smoke. It fits fine, without a collar. I just put the drip pan underneath.

When cooking the turkey this way, I make it the day before it's to be served. I carve the bird after letting it rest, place it in my giant lasagna pan, and pour the broth from the drip pan over the meat. I use the carcass for soup. The pan is covered with foil, and refrigerated. I heat it before serving, in the oven, just until it's hot enough to eat. I transfer the meat artistically to a platter and serve.

At Thanksgiving, it's a roasted and stuffed bird at our house. Everyone insists. All other times, they want the smoked bird.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Kayelle]

I have an 18 inch Webber Kettle and have cooked many a 20 Lb+ bird on it, with divide charcoal beds, and apple, maple, and birch for smoke. It fits fine, without a collar. I just put the drip pan underneath.

When cooking the turkey this way, I make it the day before it's to be served. I carve the bird after letting it rest, place it in my giant lasagna pan, and pour the broth from the drip pan over the meat. I use the carcass for soup. The pan is covered with foil, and refrigerated. I heat it before serving, in the oven, just until it's hot enough to eat. I transfer the meat artistically to a platter and serve.

At Thanksgiving, it's a roasted and stuffed bird at our house. Everyone insists. All other times, they want the smoked bird.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

I'm trying to picture this Chief. In order to allow for how high a 20 lb turkey sits in a drip pan on the grate, you must remove the grill grate so the dome lid (without a collar) can be used. In other words, the pan sits at the bottom of the kettle and the charcoal directly surrounds the drip pan, rather than be divided under the grill grate. Is this correct?
I agree, the broth that forms in the pan, goes directly over the sliced meat. Yummm.

Thanksgiving day in this neck of the woods is always warm and beautiful, so the family enjoys being outside with the turkey instead of inside the house, where the rest of the goodies are inside the oven.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I'm trying to picture this Chief. In order to allow for how high a 20 lb turkey sits in a drip pan on the grate, you must remove the grill grate so the dome lid (without a collar) can be used. In other words, the pan sits at the bottom of the kettle and the charcoal directly surrounds the drip pan, rather than be divided under the grill grate. Is this correct?
I agree, the broth that forms in the pan, goes directly over the sliced meat. Yummm.

Thanksgiving day in this neck of the woods is always warm and beautiful, so the family enjoys being outside with the turkey instead of inside the house, where the rest of the goodies are inside the oven.

No. Picture the kettle. Maybe it's a 22 inch kettle. The charcoal grate is where it should be, with divided beds of charcoal on either side, and a drip pan filled with 2 cups of water between them. On top of the hot coals lay several sticks of wood, to make the smoke. The cooking rack sits above this configuration, in its normal location. The turkey is trussed to keep everything neat and tidy, and sits in the center of the cooking rack, above the drip pan. All vents are set to the half-open position. The lid is placed on top, with enough room between it and the bird for a thermometer, whose face is covered with foil to protect the glass from smoke film. Let it cook for 10 minutes per pound, with the lid on, before I start checking the meat temp. Make sure smoke issues from the top vents continuously, and adjust the fire accordingly. Remove the bird when the thermometer reads 165' F.

Oh, and the bird sits on a V-rack to allow for easy transport on and off of the grill.

It all fits. I'm going to have to dig up one of my pictures to show you. Really. I'm not fooling around. This is the truth. You can take that to the bank... Oh, I got carried away there.

Have a great night. I'm going to bed with my crazy, er, um, I mean my beautiful DW. (How I love to tease that woman.) In the words of my favorite rabbit, "Ain't I a stinker?"

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[DeepFryaTurkey]

A delicious deep fried turkey

Does anyone deep fry their turkey for Thanksgiving? What other side dishes do you like to prepare with the bird?

 

[DeepFryaTurkey]

Wild turkey

If there are any hunters here who hunt for wild turkeys I know many delicious recipes for deep-fried turkey to leave your mouth watering!

I am an avid turkey fryer and believe that this is the best method to prepare your bird. Never comes out dry, moist and juicy every time!